New English Translation
Romans 12:11
11Do not lag in zeal, be enthusiastic in spirit, serve the Lord.
Romans 12:11 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;
- New International Version (NIV)Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.
- New King James Version (NKJV)not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;
Context of Romans 12:11
9Love must be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil, cling to what is good. 10Be devoted to one another with mutual love, showing eagerness in honoring one another. Do not lag in zeal, be enthusiastic in spirit, serve the Lord. 12Rejoice in hope, endure in suffering, persist in prayer. 13Contribute to the needs of the saints, pursue hospitality.
Read all of Romans 12Romans 12:11 word by word
τῇ σπουδῇ μὴ ὀκνηροί, τῷ πνεύματι ζέοντες, τῷ κυρίῳ δουλεύοντες,Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Romans 12:11
- Exodus 5:17But Pharaoh replied, “You are slackers! Slackers! That is why you are saying, ‘Let us go sacrifice to the Lord.’
- Proverbs 6:6Go to the ant, you sluggard; observe its ways and be wise!
- Proverbs 10:26Like vinegar to the teeth and like smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to those who send him.
- Proverbs 13:4The appetite of the sluggard craves but gets nothing, but the desire of the diligent will be abundantly satisfied.
- Proverbs 18:9The one who is slack in his work is a brother to one who destroys.
- Proverbs 22:29Do you see a person skilled in his work? He will take his position before kings; he will not take his position before obscure people.
- Proverbs 24:30I passed by the field of a sluggard, by the vineyard of one who lacks wisdom.
- Proverbs 26:13The sluggard says, “There is a lion in the road! A lion in the streets!”
- Ecclesiastes 9:10Whatever you find to do with your hands, do it with all your might, because there is neither work nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave, the place where you will eventually go.
- Isaiah 56:10All their watchmen are blind, they are unaware. All of them are like mute dogs, unable to bark. They pant, lie down, and love to snooze.
- Matthew 25:26But his master answered, ‘Evil and lazy slave! So you knew that I harvest where I didn’t sow and gather where I didn’t scatter?
- Acts 20:34You yourselves know that these hands of mine provided for my needs and the needs of those who were with me.
- Ephesians 4:28The one who steals must steal no longer; rather he must labor, doing good with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with the one who has need.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:11to aspire to lead a quiet life, to attend to your own business, and to work with your hands, as we commanded you.
- 2 Thessalonians 3:6But we command you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from any brother who lives an undisciplined life and not according to the tradition they received from us.
- 1 Timothy 5:13And besides that, going around from house to house they learn to be lazy, and they are not only lazy, but also gossips and busybodies, talking about things they should not.
Commentaries on Romans 12:11
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 11Not slothful in business - That God, who forbade working on the seventh day, has, by the same authority, enjoined it on the other six days. He who neglects to labor during the week is as culpable as he is who works on the Sabbath. An idle, slothful person can never be a Christian. Fervent in spirit - ͅ · Do nothing at any time but what is to the glory of God, and do every thing as unto him; and in every thing let your hearts be engaged. Be always in…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 11Not slothful - The word rendered “slothful” refers to those who are slow, idle, destitute of promptness of mind and activity; compare Matthew 25:16. In business - ͂ͅ ͂ͅ tē spoudēThis is the same word which in Romans 12:8 is rendered “diligence.” It properly denotes haste, intensity, ardor of mind; and hence, also it denotes industry, labor. The direction means that we should be diligently occupied in our proper employment. It does not refer to any…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. 11keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord: This means a deep commitment to God that motivates a person to serve faithfully and actively. Christians should eagerly serve the Lord by caring for and supporting others within the church.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1111. not slothful in business--The word rendered "business" means "zeal," "diligence," "purpose"; denoting the energy of action. serving the Lord--that is, the Lord Jesus (see Ep 6:5-8). Another reading--"serving the time," or "the occasion"--which differs in form but very slightly from the received reading, has been adopted by good critics [Luther, Olshausen, Fritzsche, Meyer]. But as manuscript authority is decidedly against it, so is internal evidence…Read the comment
Topics related to Romans 12:11
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
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