English Standard Version
Romans 13:12
12The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.
Romans 13:12 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
- New International Version (NIV)The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
- New King James Version (NKJV)The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.
- New Living Translation (NLT)The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living.
Context of Romans 13:12
10Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. 11Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
Read all of Romans 13Romans 13:12 word by word
ἡ νὺξ προέκοψεν ἡ δὲ ἡμέρα ἤγγικεν. ἀποθώμεθα οὖν τὰ ἔργα τοῦ σκότους, ἐνδυσώμεθα δὲ τὰ ὅπλα τοῦ φωτός.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- The nightνύξnux · nightG3571
- is far spentπροκόπτωprokoptō · to advanceG4298
- ·δέde · thenG1161
- the dayἡμέραhēmera · dayG2250
- is at handἐγγίζωeggizō · to come nearG1448
- let usἀποτίθημιapotithēmi · to put asideG659
- thereforeοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
- the worksἔργονergon · workG2041
- of darknessσκότοςskotos · darknessG4655
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- let us put onἐνδύωenduō · to put onG1746
- the armourὅπλονhoplon · weaponG3696
- of lightφῶςphōs · lightG5457
Cross-references for Romans 13:12
- 1 John 2:8At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.
- Isaiah 2:20In that day mankind will cast away their idols of silver and their idols of gold, which they made for themselves to worship, to the moles and to the bats,
- Isaiah 30:22Then you will defile your carved idols overlaid with silver and your gold-plated metal images. You will scatter them as unclean things. You will say to them, "Be gone!"
- Ezekiel 18:31Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel?
- Ephesians 4:22to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires,
- Colossians 3:8But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.
- James 1:21Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
- 1 Peter 2:1So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.
- Job 24:14The murderer rises before it is light, that he may kill the poor and needy, and in the night he is like a thief.
- John 3:19And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.
- Ephesians 5:11Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:5For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness.
- 1 John 1:5This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
- Romans 13:14But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
- 2 Corinthians 6:7by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left;
- Ephesians 6:11Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
Commentaries on Romans 13:12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12The night is far spent - If we understand this in reference to the heathen state of the Romans, it may be paraphrased thus: The night is far spent - heathenish darkness is nearly at an end. The day is at hand - the full manifestation of the Sun of righteousness, in the illumination of the whole Gentile world approaches rapidly. The manifestation of the Messiah is regularly termed by the ancient Jews יום yom, day, because previously to this all is night…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12The night - The word “night,” in the New Testament, is used to denote “night” literally (Matthew 2:14, etc.); the starry heavens Revelation 8:12; and then it denotes a state of “ignorance” and “crime,” and is synonymous with the word “darkness,” as such deeds are committed commonly in the night; 1 Thessalonians 5:5. In this place it seems to denote our present imperfect and obscure condition in this world as contrasted with the pure light of heaven The…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 11-14Verses 11-14 Four things are here taught, as a Christian's directory for his day's work. When to awake; Now; and to awake out of the sleep of carnal security, sloth, and negligence; out of the sleep of spiritual death, and out of the sleep of spiritual deadness. Considering the time; a busy time; a perilous time. Also the salvation nigh at hand. Let us mind our way, and mend our pace, we are nearer our journey's end. Also to make ourselves ready. The…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12-13the day has drawn near: The word day comes from two sources: First, the Old Testament repeatedly predicts the Day of the LORD. This is the time when God brings his plan to its completion (see Isaiah 13:4–13; Jeremiah 3:18; 30:8–9; Joel 2:1–32; Obadiah 1:15–18). Second, moral teaching in the ancient world often used day and light to represent what is good. Night and darkness represented what is evil. Greeks, Romans, and Jews all used this contrast. Because…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. The night--of evil is far spent, the day--of consummated triumph over it is at hand: let us therefore cast off--as a dress the works of darkness--all works holding of the kingdom and period of darkness, with which, as followers of the risen Saviour, our connection has been dissolved. and let us put on the armour of light--described at length in Ep 6:11-18.Read the comment
Topics related to Romans 13:12
In the dictionaries
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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries