Romans 12:20

Romans 12:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Therefore 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.
• New International Version (NIV)On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)To the contrary, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head."
• New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”

Context of Romans 12:20

18If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for God’s wrath, because it is written, Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord. But If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. For in so doing you will be heaping fiery coals on his head. 21Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.

Romans 12:20 word by word

ἀλλ᾽ ἐὰν πεινᾷ ὁ ἐχθρός σου, ψώμιζε αὐτόν· ἐὰν διψᾷ, πότιζε αὐτόν· τοῦτο γὰρ ποιῶν ἄνθρακας πυρὸς σωρεύσεις ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Thereforeοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
• ifἐάνean · ifG1437
• thineσύsu · youG4771
• enemyἐχθρόςechthros · enemyG2190
• hungerπεινάωpeinaō · to hungerG3983
• feedψωμίζωpsōmizō · to feed/dole outG5595
• himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• he thirstδιψάωdipsaō · to thirstG1372
• giveποτίζωpotizō · to waterG4222
• forγάρgar · forG1063
• in soοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• doingποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
• thou shalt heapσωρεύωsōreuō · to pile upG4987
• coalsἄνθραξanthrax · charcoalG440
• of fireπῦρpur · fireG4442
• onἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
• headκεφαλήkephalē · headG2776

Cross-references for Romans 12:20

• Exodus 23:4“If you come across your enemy’s stray ox or donkey, you must return it to him.
• 1 Samuel 24:16When David finished saying these things to him, Saul replied, “Is that your voice, David my son?” Then Saul wept aloud
• 1 Samuel 26:21Saul responded, “I have sinned. Come back, my son David, I will never harm you again because today you considered my life precious. I have been a fool! I’ve committed a grave error.”
• Proverbs 25:21If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink,
• Matthew 5:44But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
• Psalms 120:4A warrior’s sharp arrows with burning charcoal!
• Psalms 140:10Let hot coals fall on them. Let them be thrown into the fire, into the abyss, never again to rise.

Commentaries on Romans 12:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20If thine enemy hunger, feed him - Do not withhold from any man the offices of mercy and kindness; you have been God's enemy, and yet God fed, clothed, and preserved you alive: do to your enemy as God has done to you. If your enemy be hungry, feed him; if he be thirsty, give him drink: so has God dealt with you. And has not a sense of his goodness and long-suffering towards you been a means of melting down your heart into penitential compunction…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20Therefore, if thine enemy hunger … - This verse is taken almost literally from Proverbs 25:21-22. Hunger and thirst here are put for want in general. If thine enemy is needy in any way, do him good, and supply his needs. This is, in spirit, the same as the command of the Lord Jesus Matthew 5:44, “Do good to them that hate you,” etc. In so doing - It does not mean that we are to do this “for the sake” of heaping coals of fire on him, but that this will be…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 17-21Verses 17-21 Since men became enemies to God, they have been very ready to be enemies one to another. And those that embrace religion, must expect to meet with enemies in a world whose smiles seldom agree with Christ's. Recompense to no man evil for evil. That is a brutish recompence, befitting only animals, which are not conscious of any being above them, or of any existence hereafter. And not only do, but study and take care to do, that which is amiable…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20-21A simple act of Christian kindness can often bring a hostile person to repentance before God and restore fellowship between people.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 19-2119-21. avenge not, &c.--(See on Ro 12:14). but rather give place unto wrath--This is usually taken to mean, "but give room or space for wrath to spend itself." But as the context shows that the injunction is to leave vengeance to God, "wrath" here seems to mean, not the offense, which we are tempted to avenge, but the avenging wrath of God (see 2Ch 24:18), which we are enjoined to await, or give room for. (So the best interpreters).Read the comment

Topics related to Romans 12:20

• Commandments
• Enemy
• Forgiveness
• Poor
• Quotations and Allusions
• Religion

In the dictionaries

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

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