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 he is God’s servant to you for your good. But if you do evil, be afraid—for he does not carry the sword for no reason; for he is God’s servant, an avenger who inflicts punishment on the evildoer. 5Therefore it is necessary to be in submission—not only because of punishment but also because of conscience. For this reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, attending diligently to this very thing. 7Pay to everyone what is due them—tribute to whom tribute is due; tax to whom tax 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 another has fulfilled the Torah.

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 4:13“Furthermore, let it be known to the king, that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are completed, no more tribute, taxes or duty will be paid and the royal revenue will suffer.
• Ezra 6:8“Moreover, I hereby issue a decree as to what you are to do for these elders of the Jews to rebuild this House of God. The complete costs are to be paid to these men from the royal treasury, from the tribute from Trans-Euphrates so that they are not hindered.
• Nehemiah 5:4Still others were saying, “We have borrowed money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards.
• Matthew 17:24When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the Temple tax came to Peter and said, “Your teacher pays the Temple tax, doesn’t He?”
• Matthew 22:17Tell us therefore, what do You think? Is it permitted to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”
• Mark 12:14They come and say to Him, “Teacher, we know that You are honest, and what others think doesn’t concern You. You don’t look at men’s appearance, but teach the way of God according to the truth. Is it permitted to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?
• Luke 20:21And they asked Him, saying, “Teacher, we know that You tell it straight and You teach it straight. You show no partiality, but teach the way of God according to the truth.
• Luke 23:2And they began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this fellow subverting our nation, forbidding payment of taxes to Caesar and saying that He Himself is Messiah—a king.”
• Romans 12:8or the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who gives, in generosity; the one who leads, with diligence; the one who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
• Exodus 18:13The next day, Moses sat to judge the people, and they stood around Moses from morning till evening.
• Deuteronomy 1:9“I spoke to you at that time saying: ‘I am not able to bear the burden of you by myself.
• 1 Samuel 7:16He used to go annually on a circuit to Beth-el and Gilgal and Mizpah, and would judge over Israel in all those places.
• 2 Samuel 8:5When the Arameans of Damascus came to the aid of King Hadadezer of Zobah, David struck down 22,000 Aramean men.
• 1 Chronicles 18:14David reigned over all Israel and he administered justice and righteousness to 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