Romans 13:12

Romans 13:12 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
• New International Version (NIV)The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
• English Standard Version (ESV)The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.
• New King James Version (NKJV)The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.

Context of Romans 13:12

10Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law. 11This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living. 13Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy. 14Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.

Romans 13:12 word by word

ἡ νὺξ προέκοψεν ἡ δὲ ἡμέρα ἤγγικεν. ἀποθώμεθα οὖν τὰ ἔργα τοῦ σκότους, ἐνδυσώμεθα δὲ τὰ ὅπλα τοῦ φωτός.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• The nightνύξnux · nightG3571
• is far spentπροκόπτωprokoptō · to advanceG4298
• ·δέde · thenG1161
• the dayἡμέραhēmera · dayG2250
• is at handἐγγίζωeggizō · to come nearG1448
• let usἀποτίθημιapotithēmi · to put asideG659
• thereforeοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
• the worksἔργονergon · workG2041
• of darknessσκότοςskotos · darknessG4655
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• let us put onἐνδύωenduō · to put onG1746
• the armourὅπλονhoplon · weaponG3696
• of lightφῶςphōs · lightG5457

Cross-references for Romans 13:12

• 1 John 2:8Yet it is also new. Jesus lived the truth of this commandment, and you also are living it. For the darkness is disappearing, and the true light is already shining.
• Isaiah 2:20On that day of judgment they will abandon the gold and silver idols they made for themselves to worship. They will leave their gods to the rodents and bats,
• Isaiah 30:22Then you will destroy all your silver idols and your precious gold images. You will throw them out like filthy rags, saying to them, “Good riddance!”
• Ezekiel 18:31Put all your rebellion behind you, and find yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O people of Israel?
• Ephesians 4:22throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception.
• Colossians 3:8But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language.
• James 1:21So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.
• 1 Peter 2:1So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech.
• Job 24:14The murderer rises in the early dawn to kill the poor and needy; at night he is a thief.
• John 3:19And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil.
• Ephesians 5:11Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them.
• 1 Thessalonians 5:5For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night.
• 1 John 1:5This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all.
• Romans 13:14Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.
• 2 Corinthians 6:7We faithfully preach the truth. God’s power is working in us. We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack and the left hand for defense.
• Ephesians 6:11Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.

Commentaries on Romans 13:12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12The night is far spent - If we understand this in reference to the heathen state of the Romans, it may be paraphrased thus: The night is far spent - heathenish darkness is nearly at an end. The day is at hand - the full manifestation of the Sun of righteousness, in the illumination of the whole Gentile world approaches rapidly. The manifestation of the Messiah is regularly termed by the ancient Jews יום yom, day, because previously to this all is night…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12The night - The word “night,” in the New Testament, is used to denote “night” literally (Matthew 2:14, etc.); the starry heavens Revelation 8:12; and then it denotes a state of “ignorance” and “crime,” and is synonymous with the word “darkness,” as such deeds are committed commonly in the night; 1 Thessalonians 5:5. In this place it seems to denote our present imperfect and obscure condition in this world as contrasted with the pure light of heaven The…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 11-14Verses 11-14 Four things are here taught, as a Christian's directory for his day's work. When to awake; Now; and to awake out of the sleep of carnal security, sloth, and negligence; out of the sleep of spiritual death, and out of the sleep of spiritual deadness. Considering the time; a busy time; a perilous time. Also the salvation nigh at hand. Let us mind our way, and mend our pace, we are nearer our journey's end. Also to make ourselves ready. The…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12-13the day has drawn near: The word day comes from two sources: First, the Old Testament repeatedly predicts the Day of the LORD. This is the time when God brings his plan to its completion (see Isaiah 13:4–13; Jeremiah 3:18; 30:8–9; Joel 2:1–32; Obadiah 1:15–18). Second, moral teaching in the ancient world often used day and light to represent what is good. Night and darkness represented what is evil. Greeks, Romans, and Jews all used this contrast. Because…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. The night--of evil is far spent, the day--of consummated triumph over it is at hand: let us therefore cast off--as a dress the works of darkness--all works holding of the kingdom and period of darkness, with which, as followers of the risen Saviour, our connection has been dissolved. and let us put on the armour of light--described at length in Ep 6:11-18.Read the comment

Topics related to Romans 13:12

• Armor
• Commandments
• Darkness
• Holiness
• Night
• Rising
• War

In the dictionaries

• Chamber
• Chambering
• Comprehend
• Custom
• Fear
• Near
• Owe
• Sword
• Terror
• Armor; Arms

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