Romans 13:6

Romans 13:6 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.
• New International Version (NIV)This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing.
• English Standard Version (ESV)For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing.
• New King James Version (NKJV)For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing.

Context of Romans 13:6

4For it is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, because it does not carry the sword for no reason. For it is God’s servant, an avenger that brings wrath on the one who does wrong. 5Therefore, you must submit, not only because of wrath but also because of your conscience. And for this reason you pay taxes, since the authorities are God’s servants, continually attending to these tasks. 7Pay your obligations to everyone: taxes to those you owe taxes, tolls to those you owe tolls, respect to those you owe respect, and honor to those you owe honor. 8Do not owe anyone anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.

Romans 13:6 word by word

διὰ τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ φόρους τελεῖτε· λειτουργοὶ γὰρ θεοῦ εἰσιν εἰς αὐτὸ τοῦτο προσκαρτεροῦντες.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Forγάρgar · forG1063
• forδιάdia · through/because ofG1223
• this causeοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• pay yeτελέωteleō · to finishG5055
• tributeφόροςphoros · taxG5411
• alsoκαίkai · andG2532
• they areεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• God’sθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• ministersλειτουργόςleitourgos · ministerG3011
• attending continuallyπροσκαρτερέωproskartereō · to continue in/withG4342
• uponεἰςeis · towardG1519
• very thingαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846

Cross-references for Romans 13:6

• Ezra 4:13Let it now be known to the king that if that city is rebuilt and its walls are finished, they will not pay tribute, duty, or land tax, and the royal revenue will suffer.
• Ezra 6:8I hereby issue a decree concerning what you are to do, so that the elders of the Jews can rebuild the house of God: The cost is to be paid in full to these men out of the royal revenues from the taxes of the region west of the Euphrates River, so that the work will not stop.
• Nehemiah 5:4Still others were saying, “We have borrowed money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards.
• Matthew 17:24When they came to Capernaum, those who collected the temple tax approached Peter and said, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?”
• Matthew 22:17Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”
• Mark 12:14When they came, they said to him, “Teacher, we know you are truthful and don’t care what anyone thinks, nor do you show partiality but teach the way of God truthfully. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay or shouldn’t we?”
• Luke 20:21They questioned him, “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach correctly, and you don’t show partiality but teach truthfully the way of God.
• Luke 23:2They began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man misleading our nation, opposing payment of taxes to Caesar, and saying that he himself is the Messiah, a king.”
• Romans 12:8if exhorting, in exhortation; giving, with generosity; leading, with diligence; showing mercy, with cheerfulness.
• Exodus 18:13The next day Moses sat down to judge the people, and they stood around Moses from morning until evening.
• Deuteronomy 1:9“I said to you at that time: I can’t bear the responsibility for you on my own.
• 1 Samuel 7:16Every year he would go on a circuit to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah and would judge Israel at all these locations.
• 2 Samuel 8:5When the Arameans of Damascus came to assist King Hadadezer of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand Aramean men.
• 1 Chronicles 18:14So David reigned over all Israel, administering justice and righteousness for all his people.
• Job 29:7When I went out to the city gate and took my seat in the town square,

Commentaries on Romans 13:6

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6For this cause pay ye tribute also - Because civil government is an order of God, and the ministers of state must be at considerable expense in providing for the safety and defense of the community, it is necessary that those in whose behalf these expenses are incurred should defray that expense; and hence nothing can be more reasonable than an impartial and moderate taxation, by which the expenses of the state may be defrayed, and the various officers…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6For this cause - Because they are appointed by God; for the sake of conscience, and in order to secure the execution of the laws. As they are appointed by God, the tribute which is needful for their support becomes an act of homage to God, an act performed in obedience to his will, and acceptable to him. Tribute also - Not only be subject Romans 13:5, but pay what may be necessary to support the government. “Tribute” properly denotes the “tax,” or annual…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6pay taxes: Jesus spoke about paying taxes in his well-known teaching on the disciples’ relationship to government (Matthew 22:21). A tax revolt took place in Rome around the time Paul was writing this letter. Paul may have known about this event. His discussion of the Christian responsibility toward government may have been prompted by reports that some Roman Christians were involved in this revolt (see Tacitus, Annals 13).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 6-76-7. For, for this cause pay ye--rather, "ye pay" tribute also--that is, "This is the reason why ye pay the contributions requisite for maintaining the civil government." for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing--"to this very thing."Read the comment

Topics related to Romans 13:6

• Citizens
• Government
• Rulers

In the dictionaries

• Chamber
• Chambering
• Comprehend
• Custom
• Fear
• Minister
• Near
• Owe
• Sword
• Taxes

Commentaries on Romans 13

• 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