God’s Word Translation
Romans 13:7
7Pay everyone whatever you owe them. If you owe taxes, pay them. If you owe tolls, pay them. If you owe someone respect, respect that person. If you owe someone honor, honor that person.
Romans 13:7 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.
- New International Version (NIV)Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.
Context of Romans 13:7
5Therefore, it is necessary for you to obey, not only because you’re afraid of God’s anger but also because of your own conscience. 6That is also why you pay your taxes. People in the government are God’s servants while they do the work he has given them. Pay everyone whatever you owe them. If you owe taxes, pay them. If you owe tolls, pay them. If you owe someone respect, respect that person. If you owe someone honor, honor that person. 8Pay your debts as they come due. However, one debt you can never finish paying is the debt of love that you owe each other. The one who loves another person has fulfilled Moses’ Teachings. 9The commandments, “Never commit adultery; never murder; never steal; never have wrong desires,” and every other commandment are summed up in this statement: “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.”
Read all of Romans 13Romans 13:7 word by word
ἀπόδοτε πᾶσιν τὰς ὀφειλάς, τῷ τὸν φόρον τὸν φόρον, τῷ τὸ τέλος τὸ τέλος, τῷ τὸν φόβον τὸν φόβον, τῷ τὴν τιμὴν τὴν τιμήν.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Romans 13:7
- Luke 20:25He said to them, “Well, then give the emperor what belongs to the emperor, and give God what belongs to God.”
- Leviticus 19:3“Respect your mother and father. Observe my days of rest as holy days. I am the Lord your God.
- 1 Samuel 12:18Then Samuel called on the Lord. That day the Lord sent thunder and rain so that all the people feared the Lord and Samuel very much.
- Proverbs 24:21Fear the Lord, my son. Fear the king as well. Do not associate with those who always insist upon change,
- Ephesians 5:33But every husband must love his wife as he loves himself, and wives should respect their husbands.
- Ephesians 6:5Slaves, obey your earthly masters with proper respect. Be as sincere as you are when you obey Christ.
- 1 Peter 2:18Slaves, place yourselves under the authority of your owners and show them complete respect. Obey not only those owners who are good and kind, but also those who are unfair.
- Exodus 20:12“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live for a long time in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
- Leviticus 19:32“Show respect to the elderly, and honor older people. In this way you show respect for your God. I am the Lord.
- Ephesians 6:2“Honor your father and mother
- 1 Timothy 5:13At the same time, they learn to go around from house to house since they have nothing else to do. Not only this, but they also gossip and get involved in other people’s business, saying things they shouldn’t say.
- 1 Timothy 6:1All slaves who believe must give complete respect to their own masters. In this way no one will speak evil of God’s name and what we teach.
- 1 Peter 2:17Honor everyone. Love your brothers and sisters in the faith. Fear God. Honor the emperor.
- 1 Peter 3:7Husbands, in a similar way, live with your wives with understanding since they are weaker than you are. Honor your wives as those who share God’s life-giving kindness so that nothing will interfere with your prayers.
Commentaries on Romans 13:7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7Render therefore to all their dues - This is an extensive command. Be rigidly just; withhold neither from the king nor his ministers, nor his officers of justice and revenue, nor from even the lowest of the community, what the laws of God and your country require you to pay. Tribute to whom tribute - · This word probably means such taxes as were levied on persons and estates. Custom to whom custom - · This word probably means such duties as were laid upon…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7Render therefore - This injunction is often repeated in the Bible; see the notes at Matthew 22:21; see also Matthew 17:25-27; 1 Peter 2:13-17; Proverbs 24:21. It is one of the most lovely and obvious of the duties of religion. Christianity is not designed to break in upon the proper order of society, but rather to establish and confirm that order. It does not rudely assail existing institutions: but it comes to put them on a proper footing, to diffuse a…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-14This section of Romans explains the moral and ethical demands of the gospel. God’s gift of salvation in Christ calls for a response from believers. God not only forgives sin. He also wants to transform how people live. Much of what Paul teaches here about the moral duties of believers also appears in his other letters. However, Paul also addresses issues that were especially important for the church in Rome. One key issue was the disagreement between…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 6-76-7. For, for this cause pay ye--rather, "ye pay" tribute also--that is, "This is the reason why ye pay the contributions requisite for maintaining the civil government." for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing--"to this very thing."Read the comment
Topics related to Romans 13:7
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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