EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Romans 12:21
21Do not let evil things win against you! Instead, do good things. Then you will win against the evil things that people do.
Romans 12:21 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
- New International Version (NIV)Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Context of Romans 12:21
19My friends, if someone has done bad things to you, do not try to punish them yourselves. Instead, let God be angry and punish them. This is what is written in the Bible: ‘The Lord God says, “When people do something wrong, I am the one who will punish them. I will pay them back.” ’ 20But the Bible also says this: ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. If you help your enemy, he will become ashamed. He will be sorry because of what he did to you.’ Do not let evil things win against you! Instead, do good things. Then you will win against the evil things that people do.
Read all of Romans 12Romans 12:21 word by word
μὴ νικῶ ὑπὸ τοῦ κακοῦ ἀλλὰ νίκα ἐν τῷ ἀγαθῷ τὸ κακόν.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Romans 12:21
- Proverbs 16:32A person who is patient is better than a brave soldier. If you can control your anger, you can win any battle.
- Luke 6:27Jesus then said, ‘I say this to you who are listening carefully to me: Love the people who want to hurt you. Do good things to people that hate you.
- 1 Peter 3:9If people do bad things to you, do not do anything bad to them in return. If people insult you, do not insult them in return. Instead, pray that God will bless those people. That is what God wants you to do. Then you will receive the gift of God's blessing.
Commentaries on Romans 12:21
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21Be not overcome of evil - Do not, by giving place to evil, become precisely the same character which thou condemnest in another. Overcome evil with good - however frequently he may grieve and injure thee, always repay him with kindness; thy good-will, in the end, may overcome his evil. Thomas Aquinas has properly said: Vincitur a malo qui vult peccare in alium, quia ille peccavit in ipsum. "He is overcome of evil who sins against another, because he sins…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21Be not overcome of evil - Be not “vanquished” or “subdued” by injury received from others. Do not suffer your temper to be excited; your Christian principles to be abandoned; your mild, amiable, kind, and benevolent temper to be ruffled by any opposition or injury which you may experience. Maintain your Christian principles amidst all opposition, and thus show the power of the gospel. They are overcome by evil who suffer their temper to be excited, who…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 12:21
In the dictionaries
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
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