New International Version
Romans 13:8
8Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.
Romans 13:8 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law.
Context of Romans 13:8
6This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. 7Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. 9The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 10Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Read all of Romans 13Romans 13:8 word by word
μηδενὶ μηδὲν ὀφείλετε εἰ μὴ τὸ ἀλλήλους ἀγαπᾶν· ὁ γὰρ ἀγαπῶν τὸν ἕτερον νόμον πεπλήρωκεν·Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Oweὀφείλωopheilō opheileō · to oweG3784
- no manμηδείςmēdeis mēdemia mēden · nothingG3367
- butεἰei · if: notG1487
- butμήmē · notG3361
- to loveὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- to loveἀγαπάωagapaō · to loveG25
- one anotherἀλλήλωνallēlōn · one anotherG240
- forγάρgar · forG1063
- anotherἕτεροςheteros · otherG2087
- hath fulfilledπληρόωplēroō · to fulfillG4137
- the lawνόμοςnomos · lawG3551
Cross-references for Romans 13:8
- Romans 13:7Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.
- Deuteronomy 24:14Do not take advantage of a hired worker who is poor and needy, whether that worker is a fellow Israelite or a foreigner residing in one of your towns.
- Proverbs 3:27Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act.
- Matthew 7:12So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
- Matthew 22:39And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
- Romans 13:10Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
- Galatians 5:14For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
- Colossians 3:14And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
- 1 Timothy 1:5The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.
- James 2:8If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right.
Commentaries on Romans 13:8
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8Owe no man any thing, but to love one another - In the preceding verses the apostle has been showing the duty, reverence, and obedience, which all Christians, from the highest to the lowest, owe to the civil magistrate; whether he be emperor, king, proconsul, or other state officer; here he shows them their duty to each other: but this is widely different from that which they owe to the civil government: to the first they owe subjection, reverence…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8Owe no man anything - Be not “in debt” to anyone. In the previous verse the apostle had been discoursing of the duty which we owe to magistrates. He had particularly enjoined on Christians to pay to “them” their just dues. From this command to discharge fully this obligation, the transition was natural to the subject of debts “in general,” and to an injunction not to be indebted to “any one.” This law is enjoined in this place: (1)Because it is a part of…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 8-10Verses 8-10 Christians must avoid useless expense, and be careful not to contract any debts they have not the power to discharge. They are also to stand aloof from all venturesome speculations and rash engagements, and whatever may expose them to the danger of not rendering to all their due. Do not keep in any one's debt. Give every one his own. Do not spend that on yourselves, which you owe to others. But many who are very sensible of the trouble, think…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8The idea of obligation connects 13:1–7 and 13:8–10. Christians should “pay everyone what you owe him” (13:7). At the same time, Christians always owe love to their neighbors. Be indebted to no one: Debt is not wrong, but Christians should avoid it. If a Christian does incur debt, it should be repaid promptly. This allows the believer to remain free to serve others in love (see Proverbs 22:7). to one another in love: Christians are called to love all…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. Owe no man anything, but to love one another--"Acquit yourselves of all obligations except love, which is a debt that must remain ever due" [Hodge]. for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law--for the law itself is but love in manifold action, regarded as matter of duty.Read the comment
Topics related to Romans 13:8
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
New International Version — © NIV® 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica
Commentaries