Romans 12:9

Romans 12:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
• New International Version (NIV)Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.

Context of Romans 12:9

7or ministry, let us give ourselves to our ministry; or he that teacheth, to his teaching; 8or he that exhorteth, to his exhorting: he that giveth, let him do it with liberality; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that showeth mercy, with cheerfulness. Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. 10In love of the brethren be tenderly affectioned one to another; in honor preferring one another; 11in diligence not slothful; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;

Romans 12:9 word by word

Ἡ ἀγάπη ἀνυπόκριτος. ἀποστυγοῦντες τὸ πονηρόν, κολλώμενοι τῷ ἀγαθῷ·Read the interlinear

• loveἀγάπηagapē · loveG26
• evilπονηρόςponēros · evil/badG4190
• goodἀγαθόςagathos · goodG18

Cross-references for Romans 12:9

• 2 Samuel 20:9And Joab said to Amasa, Is it well with thee, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.
• Psalms 55:21His mouth was smooth as butter, But his heart was war: His words were softer than oil, Yet were they drawn swords.
• Proverbs 26:25When he speaketh fair, believe him not; For there are seven abominations in his heart:
• Ezekiel 33:31And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but do them not; for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goeth after their gain.
• Matthew 26:49And straightway he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, Rabbi; and kissed him.
• John 12:6Now this he said, not because he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and having the bag took away what was put therein.
• 2 Corinthians 6:6in pureness, in knowledge, in longsuffering, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in love unfeigned,
• 2 Corinthians 8:8I speak not by way of commandment, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity also of your love.
• 1 Thessalonians 2:3For our exhortation is not of error, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile:
• 1 Timothy 1:5But the end of the charge is love out of a pure heart and a good conscience and faith unfeigned:
• James 2:15If a brother or sister be naked and in lack of daily food,
• 1 Peter 1:22Seeing ye have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth unto unfeigned love of the brethren, love one another from the heart fervently:
• 1 Peter 4:8above all things being fervent in your love among yourselves; for love covereth a multitude of sins:
• 1 John 3:18My little children, let us not love in word, neither with the tongue; but in deed and truth.
• Psalms 34:14Depart from evil, and do good; Seek peace, and pursue it.
• Psalms 36:4He deviseth iniquity upon his bed; He setteth himself in a way that is not good; He abhorreth not evil.

Commentaries on Romans 12:9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9Let love be without dissimulation - ̔ · Have no hypocritical love; let not your love wear a mask; make no empty professions. Love God and your neighbor; and, by obedience to the one and acts of benevolence to the other, show that your love is sincere. Abhor that which is evil - · Hate sin as you would hate that hell to which it leads. signifies to hate or detest with horror; the preposition greatly strengthens the meaning. , Styx, was a feigned river in…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9Let love - The apostle proceeds to specify the duties of Christians in general, that they might secure the beauty and order of the church. The first which he specifies is love. This word here evidently refers to benevolence, or to good-will toward all mankind. In Romans 12:10 he specifies the duty of brotherly love; and there can be no doubt that he here refers to the benevolence which we ought to cherish toward all people. A similar distinction is found…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-16Verses 9-16 The professed love of Christians to each other should be sincere, free from deceit, and unmeaning and deceitful compliments. Depending on Divine grace, they must detest and dread all evil, and love and delight in whatever is kind and useful. We must not only do that which is good, but we must cleave to it. All our duty towards one another is summed up in one word, love. This denotes the love of parents to their children; which is more tender…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9-21The many instructions in these verses are not arranged in a strict or orderly pattern. The main theme, stated at the beginning, is sincere love. Paul explains how believers should show love to people inside the church (12:10, 13, 15–16). He also explains how they should show love to people outside the church (12:14, 17–21).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. Let love be without dissimulation--"Let your love be unfeigned" (as in 2Co 6:6; 1Pe 2:22; and see 1Jo 3:18). Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good--What a lofty tone of moral principle and feeling is here inculcated! It is not, Abstain from the one, and do the other; nor, Turn away from the one, and draw to the other; but, Abhor the one, and cling, with deepest sympathy, to the other.Read the comment

Topics related to Romans 12:9

• Commandments
• Holiness
• Love
• Religion
• Sincerity

In the dictionaries

• Affectioned
• Cheerfulness
• Cleave
• Curse
• Dissimulation
• Distribute
• Fervent
• Honest
• Instant
• Kindly

Commentaries on Romans 12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings