Romans 14:21

Romans 14:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.
• New International Version (NIV)It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall.
• English Standard Version (ESV)It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.
• New King James Version (NKJV)It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak.

Context of Romans 14:21

19So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up. 20Don’t tear apart the work of God over what you eat. Remember, all foods are acceptable, but it is wrong to eat something if it makes another person stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything else if it might cause another believer to stumble. 22You may believe there’s nothing wrong with what you are doing, but keep it between yourself and God. Blessed are those who don’t feel guilty for doing something they have decided is right. 23But if you have doubts about whether or not you should eat something, you are sinning if you go ahead and do it. For you are not following your convictions. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning.

Romans 14:21 word by word

καλὸν τὸ μὴ φαγεῖν κρέα μηδὲ πιεῖν οἶνον μηδὲ ἐν ᾧ ὁ ἀδελφός σου προσκόπτειRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• goodκαλόςkalos · goodG2570
• neitherμήmē · notG3361
• to eatφαγεῖνphagō · to eatG5315
• fleshκρέαςkreas · meatG2907
• norμηδέmēde · norG3366
• to drinkπίνωpinō piō poō · to drinkG4095
• wineοἶνοςoinos · wineG3631
• wherebyἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• ·ὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• thyσύsu · youG4771
• brotherἀδελφόςadelphos · brotherG80
• stumblethπροσκόπτωproskoptō · to strikeG4350
• orἤē · orG2228
• is offendedσκανδαλίζωskandalizō · to cause to stumbleG4624
• is made weakἀσθενέωastheneō · be weak: weakG770

Cross-references for Romans 14:21

• Romans 14:17For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
• Romans 15:1We who are strong must be considerate of those who are sensitive about things like this. We must not just please ourselves.
• 1 Corinthians 8:13So if what I eat causes another believer to sin, I will never eat meat again as long as I live—for I don’t want to cause another believer to stumble.
• Romans 14:13So let’s stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall.
• Malachi 2:8But you priests have left God’s paths. Your instructions have caused many to stumble into sin. You have corrupted the covenant I made with the Levites,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
• Matthew 16:23Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”
• Matthew 18:7“What sorrow awaits the world, because it tempts people to sin. Temptations are inevitable, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting.
• Luke 17:1One day Jesus said to his disciples, “There will always be temptations to sin, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting!
• Philippians 1:10For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return.
• Hebrews 12:13Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong.
• Revelation 2:14“But I have a few complaints against you. You tolerate some among you whose teaching is like that of Balaam, who showed Balak how to trip up the people of Israel. He taught them to sin by eating food offered to idols and by committing sexual sin.

Commentaries on Romans 14:21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21It is good neither to eat flesh, etc. - The spirit and self-denying principles of the Gospel teach us, that we should not only avoid every thing in eating or drinking which may be an occasion of offense or apostasy to our brethren, but even to lay down our lives for them should it be necessary. Whereby thy brother stumbleth - , from , against, and , to strike, to hit the foot against a stone in walking, so as to halt, and be impeded in one's journey. It…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21It is good - It is right; or it is better. This verse is an explanation or enlarged specification of the meaning of the former. To eat flesh - That is, such flesh as the “Jewish” convert regarded as unclean; Romans 14:2. Nor to drink wine - Wine was a common drink among the Jews, and usually esteemed lawful. But the Nazarites were not allowed to drink it Numbers 6:3, and the Rechabites Romans 11:11. It means here that by eating, a Jewish convert might be…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 19-23Verses 19-23 Many wish for peace, and talk loudly for it, who do not follow the things that make for peace. Meekness, humility, self-denial, and love, make for peace. We cannot edify one another, while quarrelling and contending. Many, for meat and drink, destroy the work of God in themselves; nothing more destroys the soul than pampering and pleasing the flesh, and fulfilling the lusts of it; so others are hurt, by wilful offence given. Lawful things may…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21or drink wine: Some Jews chose not to drink wine to avoid appearing ritually unclean. Wine was often used in pagan religious ceremonies, which could make its use seem improper (see Daniel 1:3–16).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2121. It is good not to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing--"nor to do any thing" whereby--"wherein" thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak--rather, "is weak." These three words, it has been remarked, are each intentionally weaker than the other:--"Which may cause a brother to stumble, or even be obstructed in his Christian course, nay--though neither of these may follow--wherein he continues weak; unable wholly to disregard the…Read the comment

Topics related to Romans 14:21

• Charitableness
• Commandments
• Conscience
• Evil
• Expediency
• Fellowship
• Food
• Love
• Self-Denial
• Strife
• Temptation
• Wine

In the dictionaries

• Esteem
• Faith
• Receive
• Regard
• Revive
• Unclean
• Bible, the
• Drunkenness
• Flesh
• Holiness

Commentaries on Romans 14

• 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