Romans 14 · Verse 10

Romans 14:10

But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
Romans 14:10, King James Version

Romans 14:10 in other translations

BSBWhy, then, do you judge your brother? Or why do you belittle your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.
WEBBut you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
ASVBut thou, why dost thou judge thy brother? or thou again, why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment-seat of God.
YLTAnd thou, why dost thou judge thy brother? or again, thou, why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand at the tribunal of the Christ;
DARBYBut thou, why judgest thou thy brother? or again, thou, why dost thou make little of thy brother? for we shall all be placed before the judgment-seat of God.
BBEBut you, why do you make yourself your brother's judge? or again, why have you no respect for your brother? because we will all have to take our place before God as our judge.
WebsterBut why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at naught thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment-seat of Christ.

What does Romans 14:10 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
10. But why, &c.--The original is more lively:--"But thou (the weaker believer), why judgest thou thy brother? And thou again (the stronger), why despisest thou thy brother?" for we shall all--the strong and the weak together. stand before the judgment-seat of Christ--All the most ancient and best manuscripts read here, "the judgment-seat of God." The present reading doubtless crept in from 2Co 5:10, where "the judgment-seat of Christ" occurs. But here "the judgment-seat of God" seems to have been used, with reference to the quotation and the inference in Ro 14:11, 12.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 10. But why, etc. Since we are all subjects and servants alike, and must all stand at the same tribunal, what right have we to sit in judgment on others?

Thou judge. Thou who art a Jewish convert, why dost thou attempt to arraign the Gentile disciple, as if he had violated a law of God? Comp. Rom 14:3.

Thy brother. God has recognised him as his friend, (Rom 14:3,) and he should be regarded by thee as a brother in the same family.

Or why dost thou set at nought. Despise, (Rom 14:3) why dost thou, who art a Gentile convert, despise the Jewish disciple as being unnecessarily scrupulous and superstitious?

Thy brother. The Jewish convert is now a brother; and all the contempt which you Gentiles once cherished for the Jew should cease, from the fact that he is now a Christian. Nothing will do so much, on the one hand, to prevent a censorious disposition, and, on the other, to prevent contempt for those who are in a different rank in life, as to remember that they are Christians, bought with the same blood, and going to the same heaven as ourselves.

We shall all stand, etc. That is, we must all be tried alike at the same tribunal; we must answer for our conduct, not to our fellow-men, but to Christ; and it does not become us to sit in judgment on each other.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 10 But why dost thou - Christian Jew, observing the rites of the Mosaic law, judge - condemn thy brother - the Christian Gentile, who does not think himself bound by this law? Or why dost thou - Christian Gentile, set at nought thy Christian Jewish brother, as if he were unworthy of thy regard, because he does not yet believe that the Gospel has set him free from the rites and ceremonies of the law? It is a true saying of Mr. Heylin, on this verse: The superstitious are prone to judge, and those who are not superstitious are prone to despise. We shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ - Why should we then judge and condemn each other? We are accountable to God for our conduct, and shall be judged at his bar; and let us consider that whatever measure we mete, the same shall be measured unto us again.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Romans 14:7-13

Though some are weak, and others are strong, yet all must agree not to live to themselves. No one who has given up his name to Christ, is allowedly a self-seeker; that is against true Christianity. The business of our lives is not to please ourselves, but to please God. That is true Christianity, which makes Christ all in all. Though Christians are of different strength, capacities, and practices in lesser things…

Read the full comment on Romans 14:7-13 →

Romans 14:10 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

σὺsuYou yourselfG4771
δὲdehoweverG1161
τίtiwhyG5101
κρίνειςkrineisjudge youG2919
τὸνtontheG3588
ἀδελφόνadelphonbrotherG80
σου;souor you?G4771
ἢēorG2228
καὶkaialsoG2532
σὺsuyou yourselfG4771
τίtiwhyG5101
ἐξουθενεῖςexoutheneisdo despiseG1848
τὸνtontheG3588
ἀδελφόνadelphonbrotherG80
σου;souof you?G4771
πάντεςpantesAllG3956
γὰρgarforG1063
παραστησόμεθαparastēsomethawe will stand beforeG3936
τῷtōtheG3588
βήματιbēmatijudgment seatG968
τοῦtou<the>G3588
θεοῦ.theouof God.G2316

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Romans 14:10

  • 2 Corinthians 5:10

    For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

  • Ecclesiastes 12:14

    For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

  • 1 Corinthians 4:5

    Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

  • Romans 2:16

    In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

  • Romans 14:3-4

    Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him. Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.

  • John 5:22

    For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:

  • Matthew 25:31-32

    When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:

  • Acts 10:42

    And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.

  • Jude 1:14-15

    And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

  • Acts 4:11

    This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.

  • Revelation 20:11-15

    And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. …

  • Luke 23:11

    And Herod with his men of war set him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
set.
3,4; Lu 23:11; Ac 4:11
for.
2:16; Ec 12:14; Mt 25:31,32; Joh 5:22; Ac 10:42; 17:31; 1Co 4:5
2Co 5:10; Jude 1:14,15; Re 20:11-15

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Romans 14:9

    For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.

  • Romans 14:10

    But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

  • Romans 14:11

    For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.

Read all of Romans 14

Romans 14:10 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Mas tú ¿por qué juzgas á tu hermano? ó tú también, ¿por qué menosprecias á tu hermano? porque todos hemos de estar ante el tribunal de Cristo.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Mais toi, pourquoi juges-tu ton frère? Ou aussi toi, pourquoi méprises-tu ton frère? Car nous comparaîtrons tous devant le tribunal de Dieu;
German
Elberfelder 1871		Du aber, was richtest du deinen Bruder? Oder auch du, was verachtest du deinen Bruder? Denn wir werden alle vor den Richterstuhl Gottes gestellt werden.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Tu autem quid judicas fratrem tuum? aut tu quare spernis fratrem tuum? omnes enim stabimus ante tribunal Christi.