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 service, [let us occupy ourselves] in service; or he that teaches, in teaching; 8or he that exhorts, in exhortation; he that gives, in simplicity; he that leads, with diligence; he that shews mercy, with cheerfulness. Let love be unfeigned; abhorring evil; cleaving to good: 10as to brotherly love, kindly affectioned towards one another: as to honour, each taking the lead in paying it to the other: 11as to diligent zealousness, not slothful; in spirit fervent; 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, Art thou well, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kiss him.
• Psalms 55:21Smooth were the milky [words] of his mouth, but his heart was war; his words were softer than oil, yet are they drawn swords.
• Proverbs 26:25when his voice is gracious, believe him not, for there are seven abominations in his heart.
• Ezekiel 33:31And they come unto thee as a people cometh, and they sit before thee [as] my people, and they hear thy words, but they do them not; for with their mouth they shew much love, [but] their heart goeth after their dishonest gain.
• Matthew 26:49And immediately coming up to Jesus he said, Hail, Rabbi, and covered him with kisses.
• John 12:6But he said this, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief and had the bag, and carried what was put into [it].
• 2 Corinthians 6:6in pureness, in knowledge, in longsuffering, in kindness, in [the] Holy Spirit, in love unfeigned,
• 2 Corinthians 8:8I do not speak as commanding [it], but through the zeal of others, and proving the genuineness of your love.
• 1 Thessalonians 2:3For our exhortation [was] not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile;
• 1 Timothy 1:5But the end of what is enjoined is love out of a pure heart and a good conscience and unfeigned faith;
• James 2:15Now if a brother or a sister is naked and destitute of daily food,
• 1 Peter 1:22Having purified your souls by obedience to the truth to unfeigned brotherly love, love one another out of a pure heart fervently;
• 1 Peter 4:8but before all things having fervent love among yourselves, because love covers a multitude of sins;
• 1 John 3:18Children, let us not love with word, nor with tongue, but in deed and in truth.
• Psalms 34:14Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.
• Psalms 36:4He deviseth wickedness up on 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