God’s Word Translation
Romans 12:15
15Be happy with those who are happy. Be sad with those who are sad.
Romans 12:15 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.
- New International Version (NIV)Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.
Context of Romans 12:15
13Share what you have with God’s people who are in need. Be hospitable. 14Bless those who persecute you. Bless them, and don’t curse them. Be happy with those who are happy. Be sad with those who are sad. 16Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be arrogant, but be friendly to humble people. Don’t think that you are smarter than you really are. 17Don’t pay people back with evil for the evil they do to you. Focus your thoughts on those things that are considered noble.
Read all of Romans 12Romans 12:15 word by word
χαίρειν μετὰ χαιρόντων, κλαίειν μετὰ κλαιόντων.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Romans 12:15
- Isaiah 66:10All who love Jerusalem, be happy and rejoice with her. All who mourn for her, be glad with her.
- Luke 1:58Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had been very kind to her, and they shared her joy.
- Luke 15:5When he finds it, he’s happy. He puts that sheep on his shoulders and
- Acts 11:23When he arrived there, he was pleased to see what God had done for them out of kindness. So he encouraged all the people to remain solidly committed to the Lord.
- 1 Corinthians 12:26If one part of the body suffers, all the other parts share its suffering. If one part is praised, all the others share in its happiness.
- 2 Corinthians 2:3This is the very reason I wrote to you. I didn’t want to visit you and be distressed by those who should make me happy. I’m confident about all of you that whatever makes me happy also makes you happy.
- Philippians 2:17My life is being poured out as a part of the sacrifice and service ⌞I offer to God⌟ for your faith. Yet, I am filled with joy, and I share that joy with all of you.
- Nehemiah 1:4When I heard this, I sat down and cried. I mourned for days. I continued to fast and pray to the God of heaven.
- Job 2:11When Job’s three friends heard about all the terrible things that had happened to him, each of them came from his home—Eliphaz of Teman, Bildad of Shuah, Zophar of Naama. They had agreed they would go together to sympathize with Job and comfort him.
- Psalms 35:13But when they were sick, I wore sackcloth. I humbled myself with fasting. When my prayer returned unanswered,
- Jeremiah 9:1“I wish that my head were ⌞filled with⌟ water and my eyes were a fountain of tears so that I could cry day and night for my dear people who have been killed.
- John 11:19Many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them about their brother.
- 2 Corinthians 11:29When anyone is weak, I’m weak too. When anyone is caught in a trap, I’m also harmed.
- Philippians 2:26He has been longing to see all of you and is troubled because you heard that he was sick.
- Hebrews 13:3Remember those in prison as if you were in prison with them. Remember those who are mistreated as if you were being mistreated.
Commentaries on Romans 12:15
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15Rejoice with them that do rejoice - Take a lively interest in the prosperity of others. Let it be a matter of rejoicing to you when you hear of the health, prosperity, or happiness of any brother. Weep with them that weep - Labour after a compassionate or sympathizing mind. Let your heart feel for the distressed; enter into their sorrows, and bear a part of their burdens. It is a fact, attested by universal experience, that by sympathy a man may receive…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15Rejoice with them - This command grows out of the doctrine stated in Romans 12:4-5, that the church is one; that it has one interest; and therefore that there should be common sympathy in its joys and sorrows. Or, enter into the welfare of your fellow-Christians, and show your attachment to them by rejoicing that they are made happy; compare 1 Corinthians 12:26, “And whether . one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it.” In this way…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. 1515. Rejoice with them that rejoice; and weep--the "and" should probably be omitted. with them that weep--What a beautiful spirit of sympathy with the joys and sorrows of others is here inculcated! But it is only one charming phase of the unselfish character which belongs to all living Christianity. What a world will ours be when this shall become its reigning spirit! Of the two, however, it is more easy to sympathize with another's sorrows than his joys…Read the comment
Topics related to Romans 12:15
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries