Romans 12

Romans · Chapter 12

Romans 12:19

1I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.2And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.3For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.4For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:5So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.6Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;7Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;8Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.9Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.10Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;11Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;12Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;13Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.14Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.15Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.16Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.17Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.18If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.19Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.20Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.21Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
19Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.”Avenge not yourselves, beloved, but give place unto the wrath of God: for it is written, Vengeance belongeth unto me; I will recompense, saith the Lord.

In context

AI-assisted, sourced

Romans 12:9-21Love without dissimulation

About Romans 12"By the mercies of God," Paul urges, "present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God," and "be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind." Each should think soberly, for "we, being many, are one body in Christ," with "gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us." "Let love be without dissimulation," he writes, "Bless them which persecute you," "Recompense to no man evil for evil," "avenge not yourselves," feed your enemy, and "Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." Romans 12:1Romans 12:2Romans 12:3Romans 12:5Romans 12:6Romans 12:9Romans 12:14Romans 12:17Romans 12:19Romans 12:20Romans 12:21

Why this verse matters here"Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." Paul quotes Deuteronomy 32:35, and in verse 20 Proverbs 25:21, "If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat." Romans 12:19Romans 12:20Deuteronomy 32:35Proverbs 25:21

Who, where and when in this chapter

Original Greek words

EnglishGreekSay itStrong'sMeaning
neverμὴmēG3361
not

μή (mē) μή, subjective negative particle, used where the negation depends on a condition or hypothesis, expressed or understood, as distinct from οὐ, which denies absolutely. μή is used where one thinks a thing is not, as distinct from an absolute negation. As a general rule, οὐ negatives the indic, μή the other moods, incl, ptcp. [In LXX for אֵין ,אַיִן ,אַל ] I. As a neg. adv., not; 1. with ref. to thought or opinion: Jhn.3:18, Tit.1:11, 2Pe.1:9. 2. In delib. questions, with subjc. (M, Pr., 185): Mrk.12:14, Rom.3:8. …

yourselvesἑαυτοὺςhe'autousG1438
/him/herself

αὑτοῦ (ahutou) αὑτοῦ, -ῆς, -οῦ = ἑαυτοῦ (which see), Mat.6:34, Luk.12:17, al. (MM, see word) (AS)

avenging,ἐκδικοῦντες,ekdikountesG1556
to avenge

ἐκδικέω (ekdikeō) ἐκδικέω, -ῶ (ἔκδικος), [in LXX for פָּקַד, נָקַם, שָׁפַט, etc. ;] 1. to vindicate: with accusative of person(s), Luk.18:3, 5. 2. to avenge: with accusative of person(s), ἑαυτούς, Rom.12:19; with accusative of thing(s), παρακοήν, 2Co.10:6; αἷμα, Rev.6:10 19:2 (Cremer, 203; for exx. from π. in both senses, see MM, Exp., xii).† (AS)

beloved,ἀγαπητοί,agapētoiG0027
beloved

ἀγαπητός (agapētos) ἀγαπητός, -ή, -όν (ἀγαπάω), [in LXX chiefly for יָתִיד, יָדִיד ;] beloved (see M, Pr., 221); (a) by God: of Christ, Mat.3:17; of men, Rom.1:7; (b) by Christians, of one another: 1Co.4:14; frequently as form of address, ib. 10:14; opposite to ἐχθρός, Rom.11:28 (see AR, Eph., 229; Cremer, 17; MM, VGT, see word). (AS)

insteadἀλλὰallaG0235
but

ἀλλά (alla) ἀλλά (ἀλλ᾽ usually bef. α and υ, often bef. ε and η, rarely bef. ο and ω, never bef. ι; Tdf., Pr., 93 f.; WH, App., 146), adversative particle, stronger than δέ; prop. neuter pl. of ἄλλος, used adverbially, with changed accent; hence prop. otherwise, on the other hand (cf. Rom.3:31); …

do giveδότεdoteG1325
to give

δίδωμι (didōmi) δίδωμι, [in LXX chiefly for נָתַן (53 words in all) ;] to give—in various senses, accusative to context—bestow, grant, supply, deliver, commit, yield: absol., Act.20:35; with accusative of thing(s) and dative of person(s), Mat.4:9 5:31, Jhn.1:12, al. mult.; with dative of person(s), before ἐκ, Mat.25:8; id. with genitive part.. Rev.2:17; with accusative of person(s), Jhn.3:16, Rev.20:13, al.; δεξιάς, Gal.2:9; φίλημα, Luk.7:45; γνῶσιν, Luk.1:77; κρίσιν, Jhn.5:22; of seed yielding fruit, Mrk.4:7, 8; ἐργασίαν (Deiss., LAE, 117f.), Luk.12:58; with inf. fin., Mat.27:34, Mrk.5:43, Luk.8:55, Jhn.6: …

placeτόπονtoponG5117
place

τόπος (topos) τόπος, -ου, ὁ, [in LXX chiefly for מָקוֹם ;] place: Luk.4:37 10:1, 32 Jhn.5:13 6:10, Act.12:17, 1Co.1:2, al.; τ. ἅγιος (cf. Isa.60:13), Mat.24:15; ἔρημος, Mat.14:13, al.; πεδινός, Luk.6:17; ἄνυδρος (pl.), Mat.12:43, Luk.11:24; κατὰ τόπος (BV, in divers places), Mat.24:7, Mrk.13:8; τραχεῖς τ., Act.27:29; τ. διθάλασσος (which see), ib. 41; ἑτοιμάζειν τ., Jhn.14:2, 3; ἔχειν, Rev.12:6; διδόναι, Luk.14:9; with genitive defin., τ. βασάνου, Luk.16:28; τ. καταπαύσεως, Act.7:49; κρανίου, Mat.27:33, Mrk.15:22, Jhn.19:17; before οὗ, Rom.9:26; ὅπου, Mat.28:6, Mrk.16:6, Jhn.4:20 6:23 10:40 11:30 19:41; ἐ …

to wrath;ὀργῇ·orgēaG3709
wrath

ὀργή (orgē) ὀργή, -ῆς, ἡ [in LXX chiefly for אַף, also for חָרוֹן, חֵמָה, קָצַף, etc. ;] 1 1, impulse, propensity, disposition. 2. anger, wrath; (a) of men: Mrk.3:5, Eph.4:31, Col.3:8, 1Ti.2:8, Jas.1:19-20; (b) of God; α that reaction of the divine nature against sin which in anthropomorphic language is called anger: Rom.1:18 9:22 12:19, (ICC, in l), 1Th.1:10 2:16, Heb.3:11 4:3" (LXX) Rev.14:10 16:19 19:15; …

it has been writtenγέγραπταιgegraptaiG1125
to write

γράφω (graphō) γράφω, [in LXX chiefly for כּתב ]; 1. to scrape, graze (Hom.), and later (Hdt.) to sketch, draw. 2. to write; (a) of forming or tracing letters on writing material: Jhn.8:[6], Gal.6:11, 2Th.3:17; (b) to express in writing, commit to writing, record: Luk.1:63, Jhn.19:21, 22 Rev.1:11, 19 al.; of scripture as a standing authority (Deiss., BS, 112ff.), γέγραπται, it stands written (Luther), Mat.4:4, Mrk.7:6, Luk.4:8, Rom.1:17, 1Co.1:31, al.; id. before ἐν, Mrk.1:2, Act.1:20, al.; with accusative, to write of: Jhn.1:46, Rom.10:5; before περί, Mat.26:24, Mrk.14:21, Jhn.5:46; al.; with dative (WM …

for:γάρ·garG1063
for

γάρ (gar) γάρ, co-ordinating particle, contr. of γε ἄρα, verily then, hence, in truth, indeed, yea, then, why, and when giving a reason or explanation, for, the usage in NT being in general accord with that of cl.; 1. explicative and epexegetic: Mat.4:18 19:12, Mrk.1:16 5:42 16:4, Luk.11:3o, Rom.7:1, 1Co.16:5, al. 2. Conclusive, in questions, answers and exclamations: Mat.9:5 27:23, Luk.9:25 22:27, Jhn.9:30, Act.8:31 16:37 19:35, Rom.15:26, 1Co.9:10, Php.1:18 (Ellic., in l.), 1Th.2:20, al. …

Mine [is]ἐμοὶemoiG1473
I/we

ἐγώ (egō) ἐγώ, genitive, etc., ἐμοῦ, ἐμοί, ἐμέ (enclitic μου, μοι, με), pl. ἡμεῖς, -ῶν, -ῖν, -ᾶς, of person(s) pron. I. (a) The nom. is usually emphatic, when expressed as subjc, as in Mat.3:11, Mrk.1:8, Luk.3:16, al. But often there is no apparent emphasis, as Mat.10:16, Jhn.10:17; ἰδοὺ ἐ. (= Heb. הִנֵּנִי, cf. 1Ki.3:8), Act.9:10; ἐ. (like Heb. אֲנִי), I am, Jhn.1:23 (LXX), Act.7:32 (LXX). …

vengeance,ἐκδίκησις,ekdikēsisG1557
vengeance

ἐκδίκησις (ekdikēsis) ἐκ-δίκησις, -εως, ἡ (ἐκδικέω), [in LXX chiefly for נָקָם ;] vengeance, vindication: Luk.21:22, Rom.12:19 (see MM, Exp., xii), Heb.10:30 (LXX), 2Co.7:11; of the injured person, with genitive, Luk.18:7-8; with dative, Act.7:24; of the offender, with genitive obj., 1Pe.2:14; with dative, 2Th.1:8 (cf. Sir.12:6).† (AS)

I myselfἐγὼegōG1473
I/we

ἐγώ (egō) ἐγώ, genitive, etc., ἐμοῦ, ἐμοί, ἐμέ (enclitic μου, μοι, με), pl. ἡμεῖς, -ῶν, -ῖν, -ᾶς, of person(s) pron. I. (a) The nom. is usually emphatic, when expressed as subjc, as in Mat.3:11, Mrk.1:8, Luk.3:16, al. But often there is no apparent emphasis, as Mat.10:16, Jhn.10:17; ἰδοὺ ἐ. (= Heb. הִנֵּנִי, cf. 1Ki.3:8), Act.9:10; ἐ. (like Heb. אֲנִי), I am, Jhn.1:23 (LXX), Act.7:32 (LXX). …

will repay,ἀνταποδώσω,antapodōsōG0467
to repay

ἀνταποδίδωμι (antapodidōmi) ἀντ-απο-δίδωμι (ἀντί ἀποδίδωμι), [in LXX for שָׁלַם pi., גָּמַל, שׁוּב hi., etc. ;] to give back as an equivalent, recompense, requital (the ἀντί ex­pressing the idea of full, complete return; see Lft., Notes, 46); (a) in favourable sense: Luk.14:14, Rom.11:35, 1Th.3:9; (b) in unfavourable sense: Rom.12:19, 2Th.1:6, Heb.10:30.† (AS)

says [the]λέγειlegeiG3004G
to say

λέγω (legō) λέγω, [in LXX very freq., chiefly for אמר; λέγει for נְאֻם, Gen.22:16, al. ;] 1. in Hom., to pick out, gather, reckon, recount. 2. In Hdt. and Att., to say, speak, affirm, declare: absol., Act.13:15, 24:10; before orat. dir., Mat.9:34, Mrk.3:11, Jhn.1:29, al.; before ὅτι recit., Mrk.3:21, Luk.1:24, Jhn.6:14, al.; accusative and inf., Luk.11:18, Jhn.12:29, al.; after another verb of speaking, προσφωνεῖν κ. λέγειν, Mat.11:17, al.; ἀπεκρίθη (ἐλάλησεν) λέγων (καὶ λέγει; Dalman, Words, 24 ff.), Mat.25:9, Mrk.3:33, 7:28, Luk.24:6, 7, al.; of unspoken thought, λ. ἐν ἑαυτῷ, Mat.3:9, Luk.3:8, al.; of …

Lord.κύριος.kuriosG2962G
lord: God

κύριος (kurios) κύριος, -α, -ον (also -ος, -ον), [in LXX (subst.) chiefly for יהוה, also for בַּעַל ,אָדוֹן, etc. ;] having power (κῦρος) or authority; as subst., ὁ κ., lord, master; 1. in general: with genitive of thing(s), Mat.9:38 20:8, Mrk.12:9 13:35, Luk.19:33; τ. σαββάτου, Mat.12:8, Mrk.2:28, Luk.6:5; with genitive of person(s), δούλου, etc., Mat.10:24, Luk.14:21, Act.16:16, al.; absol, opposite to οἱ δοῦλοι, Eph.6:5, 9 al.; of the Emperor (Deiss., LAE, 161), Act.25:26; θεοὶ πολλοὶ καὶ κ. πολλοί, 1Co.8:5; of a husband, 1Pe.3:6; in voc, as a title of respect to masters, teachers, magistrates, etc., Ma …

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.