Romans 13:1

Romans 13:1 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
• New International Version (NIV)Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.

Context of Romans 13:1

Every person is to be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. 2Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. 3For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same;

Romans 13:1 word by word

Πᾶσα ψυχὴ ἐξουσίαις ὑπερεχούσαις ὑποτασσέσθω. οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν ἐξουσία εἰ μὴ ὑπὸ θεοῦ, αἱ δὲ οὖσαι ὑπὸ θεοῦ τεταγμέναι εἰσίν.Read the interlinear

• Everyπᾶςpas · allG3956
• personψυχήpsuchē · soul: personG5590
• subjectὑποτάσσωhupotassō · to subjectG5293
• to the governingὑπερέχωhuperechō · be higherG5242
• authoritiesἐξουσίαexousia · authorityG1849
• there is noοὐou · noG3756
• exceptεἰ μήei mē · exceptG1508
• from Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• and thoseὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• which existεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• are establishedτάσσωtassō · to appointG5021

Cross-references for Romans 13:1

• Deuteronomy 17:12But the person who acts insolently by not listening to the priest who stands there to serve the Lord your God, nor to the judge, that person shall die; so you shall eliminate the evil from Israel.
• Ephesians 5:21and subject yourselves to one another in the fear of Christ.
• 1 Peter 2:13Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority,
• 2 Peter 2:10and especially those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt passion, and despise authority. Reckless, self-centered, they speak abusively of angelic majesties without trembling,
• Jude 1:8Yet in the same way these people also, dreaming, defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak abusively of angelic majesties.
• 1 Samuel 2:8He raises the poor from the dust, He lifts the needy from the garbage heap To seat them with nobles, And He gives them a seat of honor as an inheritance; For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, And He set the world on them.
• 1 Chronicles 28:4Yet, the Lord, the God of Israel, chose me from all the household of my father to be king over Israel forever. For He has chosen Judah to be a leader; and in the house of Judah, my father’s house, and among the sons of my father He took pleasure in me to make me king over all Israel.
• Psalms 62:11God has spoken once; Twice I have heard this: That power belongs to God;
• Proverbs 8:15By me kings reign, And rulers decree justice.
• Jeremiah 27:5‘I have made the earth, mankind, and the animals which are on the face of the earth by My great power and by My outstretched arm, and I will give it to the one who is pleasing in My sight.
• Daniel 2:21It is He who changes the times and the periods; He removes kings and appoints kings; He gives wisdom to wise men, And knowledge to people of understanding.
• Daniel 4:32and you will be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling place will be with the animals of the field. You will be given grass to eat like cattle, and seven periods of time will pass over you until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes.’
• Daniel 5:18O king, the Most High God granted sovereignty, greatness, honor, and majesty to Nebuchadnezzar your father.
• Matthew 6:13And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.’
• John 19:11Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over Me at all, if it had not been given to you from above; for this reason the one who handed Me over to you has the greater sin.”
• Revelation 1:5and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood--

Commentaries on Romans 13:1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers - This is a very strong saying, and most solemnly introduced; and we must consider the apostle as speaking, not from his own private judgment, or teaching a doctrine of present expediency, but declaring the mind of God on a subject of the utmost importance to the peace of the world; a doctrine which does not exclusively belong to any class of people, order of the community, or official situations, but to…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1Let every soul - Every person. In the seven first verses of this chapter, the apostle discusses the subject of the duty which Christians owe to civil government; a subject which is extremely important, and at the same time exceedingly difficult. There is no doubt that he had express reference to the special situation of the Christians at Rome; but the subject was of so much importance that he gives it a “general” bearing, and states the great principles…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1The duty of subjection to governors. (1-7) Exhortations to mutual love. (8-10) To temperance and sobriety. (11-14) Verses 1-7 The grace of the gospel teaches us submission and quiet, where pride and the carnal mind only see causes for murmuring and discontent. Whatever the persons in authority over us themselves may be, yet the just power they have, must be submitted to and obeyed. In the general course of human affairs, rulers are not a terror to honest…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-2The main command in 13:1–7 is to submit to governing authorities. In God’s ordering of the world, people are accountable to those who hold positions of authority. This submission usually takes the form of obedience. However, God stands above all governments. For this reason, submission to governing authorities is always shaped by our ultimate obedience to God (see Acts 4:19–20). Some Christians in Rome may have been resisting the government. They may have…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-141-2. Let every soul--every man of you be subject unto the higher powers--or, "submit himself to the authorities that are above him." For there is no power--"no authority" but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God--"have been ordained of God."Read the comment

Topics related to Romans 13:1

• Citizens
• Government
• Loyalty
• Rulers

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Chamber
• Chambering
• Comprehend
• Custom
• Fear
• Near
• Owe
• Sword

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