Romans 14:2

Romans 14:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs.
• New International Version (NIV)One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables.
• English Standard Version (ESV)One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables.
• New King James Version (NKJV)For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables.

Context of Romans 14:2

1It is difficult for some Christians to trust God completely about everything. You should accept people like that as your friends. Do not argue with them about what they think is right or wrong. Some people believe that they may eat all kinds of food. But other people are not so sure, so they eat only vegetables. 3People who eat anything must not think that they are better than people who eat only vegetables. Also, people who eat only vegetables must not judge other people who eat anything. They are not doing anything wrong, because God himself has accepted them. 4God is the master of all believers and they are his servants. You do not have authority to judge someone else's servant. The servant's own master will decide if he has done well or he has done something wrong. And he will serve his master well, because the Lord is able to help him to do that.

Romans 14:2 word by word

ὃς μὲν πιστεύει φαγεῖν πάντα, ὁ δὲ ἀσθενῶν λάχανα ἐσθίει.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Forμένmen · on the other handG3303
• oneὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• believethπιστεύωpisteuō · to trust (in)G4100
• that he may eatφαγεῖνphagō · to eatG5315
• all thingsπᾶςpas · allG3956
• anotherδέde · thenG1161
• who is weakἀσθενέωastheneō · be weak: weakG770
• eatethἐσθίωesthiō · to eatG2068
• herbsλάχανονlachanon · plantG3001

Cross-references for Romans 14:2

• Romans 14:14As for me, I am sure that we may eat any kind of food. God does not think that any food is unclean. The Lord Jesus has shown me that that is true. But someone else may believe that it is wrong to eat certain food. For that person, it would be wrong to eat that kind of food.
• 1 Corinthians 10:25You can eat any meat that people sell in the market. Do not ask questions about the meat. Do not cause your thoughts to have trouble.
• Galatians 2:12When he first arrived in Antioch, Peter had been eating meals with the Gentile believers there. Then James sent some Jewish believers from Jerusalem to Antioch. After those men had arrived, Peter started to keep himself separate from the Gentiles. He stopped eating meals with them. He was afraid of those Jews who wanted to circumcise the Gentile believers.
• 1 Timothy 4:4Everything that God has made is good. So we should not refuse anything that he has made. Instead, we should receive it and thank God for it.
• Hebrews 9:10The old rules taught people about different kinds of food and drink. They taught about how people should wash in special ways. Those rules were about people's bodies. They had authority only until the time when God would make things new and better.
• Hebrews 13:9Some people teach all kinds of strange new things. Do not let them lead you away from God's true message. It is good that God is very kind to us. That is what makes us strong inside ourselves. Rules about what foods we should eat do not make us strong like that. Those rules have never helped the people who tried to obey them.
• Romans 14:22What you believe about these things should be a secret between yourself and God. You should do what you have decided is right for you. Do not feel guilty about what you eat. Then God will bless you.
• Genesis 1:29Then God said, ‘Listen! I now give to you every plant on the earth as your food. I give you every plant that has seeds in it. I give you every tree that has fruit with a seed in it. I give them to you for your food.
• Genesis 9:3You may now eat anything that lives and moves. Before, I gave you the green plants to eat. Now I give you everything to eat as your food.
• Proverbs 15:17It is better to eat vegetables with people who love each other than to eat good meat with people who hate each other.
• Daniel 1:12He said, ‘Please sir, watch us for ten days. Give us only vegetables to eat and water to drink.

Commentaries on Romans 14:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2One believeth that he may eat all things - He believes that whatsoever is wholesome and nourishing, whether herbs or flesh - whether enjoined or forbidden by the Mosaic law - may be safely and conscientiously used by every Christian. Another, who is weak, eateth herbs - Certain Jews, lately converted to the Christian faith, and having as yet little knowledge of its doctrines, believe the Mosaic law relative to clean and unclean meats to be still in force…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2For one believeth - This was the case with the Gentiles in general, who had none of the scruples of the Jew about the propriety of eating certain kinds of meat. Many of the converts who had been Jews might also have had the same view as the apostle Paul evidently had while the great mass of Jewish converts might have cherished these scruples. May eat all things - That is, he will not be restrained by any scruples about the lawfulness of certain meats…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2The weak in faith apparently believed that they should eat only vegetables. This belief likely came from a desire to maintain Jewish ritual purity while living in a pagan culture. These Jewish Christians were following an example found in the book of Daniel. Daniel and his friends refused the rich food and wine offered by the king of Babylon (Daniel 1:3–16). Other Jewish writings show a similar concern. Devout Jews living in pagan cultures often limited…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. one believeth that he may eat all things--See Ac 10:16. another, who is weak, eateth herbs--restricting himself probably to a vegetable diet, for fear of eating what might have been offered to idols, and so would be unclean. (See 1Co 8:1-13).Read the comment

Topics related to Romans 14:2

• Charitableness
• Commandments
• Conscience
• Evil
• Fellowship
• Food
• Self-Denial
• Uncharitableness
• Vegetarians

In the dictionaries

• Esteem
• Faith
• Receive
• Regard
• Revive
• Unclean
• Bible, the
• Holiness
• Mark, the Gospel According to
• Paul, the Apostle

Commentaries on Romans 14

• 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