Romans 13:6

Romans 13:6 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.
• New International Version (NIV)This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing.
• English Standard Version (ESV)For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing.
• New King James Version (NKJV)For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing.

Context of Romans 13:6

4for it is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be in fear, for it does not bear the sword in vain. It is God’s servant to administer retribution on the wrongdoer. 5Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of the wrath of the authorities but also because of your conscience. For this reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants devoted to governing. 7Pay everyone what is owed: taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due. 8Owe no one anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.

Romans 13:6 word by word

διὰ τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ φόρους τελεῖτε· λειτουργοὶ γὰρ θεοῦ εἰσιν εἰς αὐτὸ τοῦτο προσκαρτεροῦντες.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Forγάρgar · forG1063
• forδιάdia · through/because ofG1223
• this causeοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• pay yeτελέωteleō · to finishG5055
• tributeφόροςphoros · taxG5411
• alsoκαίkai · andG2532
• they areεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• God’sθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• ministersλειτουργόςleitourgos · ministerG3011
• attending continuallyπροσκαρτερέωproskartereō · to continue in/withG4342
• uponεἰςeis · towardG1519
• very thingαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846

Cross-references for Romans 13:6

• Ezra 4:13Let the king also be aware that if this city is built and its walls are completed, no more tax, custom, or toll will be paid, and the royal treasury will suffer loss.
• Ezra 6:8“I also hereby issue orders as to what you are to do with those elders of the Jews in order to rebuild this temple of God. From the royal treasury, from the taxes of Trans-Euphrates the complete costs are to be given to these men, so that there may be no interruption of the work.
• Nehemiah 5:4Then there were those who said, “We have borrowed money to pay our taxes to the king on our fields and our vineyards.
• Matthew 17:24After they arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the temple tax came to Peter and said, “Your teacher pays the double drachma tax, doesn’t he?”
• Matthew 22:17Tell us then, what do you think? Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”
• Mark 12:14When they came they said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are truthful and do not court anyone’s favor, because you show no partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay or shouldn’t we?”
• Luke 20:21Thus they asked him, “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach correctly, and show no partiality, but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.
• Luke 23:2They began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man subverting our nation, forbidding us to pay the tribute tax to Caesar and claiming that he himself is Christ, a king.”
• Romans 12:8if it is exhortation, he must exhort; if it is contributing, he must do so with sincerity; if it is leadership, he must do so with diligence; if it is showing mercy, he must do so with cheerfulness.
• Exodus 18:13On the next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning until evening.
• Deuteronomy 1:9I also said to you at that time, “I am no longer able to sustain you by myself.
• 1 Samuel 7:16Year after year he used to travel the circuit of Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah; he used to judge Israel in all of these places.
• 2 Samuel 8:5The Arameans of Damascus came to help King Hadadezer of Zobah, but David killed 22,000 of the Arameans.
• 1 Chronicles 18:14David reigned over all Israel; he guaranteed justice for all his people.
• Job 29:7When I went out to the city gate and secured my seat in the public square,

Commentaries on Romans 13:6

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6For this cause pay ye tribute also - Because civil government is an order of God, and the ministers of state must be at considerable expense in providing for the safety and defense of the community, it is necessary that those in whose behalf these expenses are incurred should defray that expense; and hence nothing can be more reasonable than an impartial and moderate taxation, by which the expenses of the state may be defrayed, and the various officers…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6For this cause - Because they are appointed by God; for the sake of conscience, and in order to secure the execution of the laws. As they are appointed by God, the tribute which is needful for their support becomes an act of homage to God, an act performed in obedience to his will, and acceptable to him. Tribute also - Not only be subject Romans 13:5, but pay what may be necessary to support the government. “Tribute” properly denotes the “tax,” or annual…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6pay taxes: Jesus spoke about paying taxes in his well-known teaching on the disciples’ relationship to government (Matthew 22:21). A tax revolt took place in Rome around the time Paul was writing this letter. Paul may have known about this event. His discussion of the Christian responsibility toward government may have been prompted by reports that some Roman Christians were involved in this revolt (see Tacitus, Annals 13).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 13:6

• Citizens
• Government
• Rulers

In the dictionaries

• Chamber
• Chambering
• Comprehend
• Custom
• Fear
• Minister
• Near
• Owe
• Sword
• Taxes

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