Focused Passage

Romans 13:8-14

Submission to Governing Authorities, Love as the Fulfillment of the Law, and Life in the Light of the Coming Day

Paul moves from submission to governing authorities, to paying what is owed, to the continuing debt of love, to love as the fulfillment of the law, and finally to eschatological wakefulness, casting off darkness, putting on the armor of light, and clothing oneself with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

8Be indebted to no one, except to one another in love. For he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.

9The commandments “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and any other commandments, are summed up in this one decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

10Love does no wrong to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

11And do this, understanding the occasion. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.

12The night is nearly over; the day has drawn near. So let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.

13Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.

14Instead, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 8

Original words

Be indebtedὀφείλετεG3784Verb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person Pluralto no oneΜηδενὶG3367Adjective - Dative Masculine Singular. . .μηδὲνG3367Adjective - Accusative Neuter SingularexceptεἰG1487Conjunction. . .μὴG3361Adverb-τὸG3588Article - Accusative Neuter Singularto one anotherἀλλήλουςG240Personal / Reciprocal Pronoun - Accusative Masculine Plural[in] loveἀγαπᾶνG25Verb - Present Infinitive ActiveForγὰρG1063Conjunctionhe whoG3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularlovesἀγαπῶνG25Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular[his]τὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine SingularneighborἕτερονG2087Adjective - Accusative Masculine Singularhas fulfilledπεπλήρωκενG4137Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular[the] lawνόμονG3551Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Verse 9

Original words

-γάρG1063ConjunctionThe [commandments]τὸG3588Article - Nominative Neuter SingularvvvΟὐG3756AdverbDo not commit adulteryμοιχεύσειςG3431Verb - Future Indicative Active - 2nd Person SingularvvvΟὐG3756AdverbDo not murderφονεύσειςG5407Verb - Future Indicative Active - 2nd Person SingularvvvΟὐG3756AdverbDo not stealκλέψειςG2813Verb - Future Indicative Active - 2nd Person SingularvvvΟὐκG3756AdverbDo not covetἐπιθυμήσειςG1937Verb - Future Indicative Active - 2nd Person SingularandκαὶG2532Conjunction-εἴG1487ConjunctionanyτιςG5100Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Feminine SingularotherἑτέραG2087Adjective - Nominative Feminine SingularcommandmentsἐντολήG1785Noun - Nominative Feminine Singularare summed upἀνακεφαλαιοῦταιG346Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person SingularinἐνG1722PrepositionthisτούτῳG3778Demonstrative Pronoun - Dative Masculine Singular[one]τῷG3588Article - Dative Masculine SingulardecreeλόγῳG3056Noun - Dative Masculine Singular-ἐνG1722Preposition-τῷG3588Article - Dative Masculine SingularLoveἈγαπήσειςG25Verb - Future Indicative Active - 2nd Person SingularyourσουG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Singular-τὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine SingularneighborπλησίονG4139AdverbasὡςG5613AdverbyourselfσεαυτόνG4572Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 2nd Person Singular

BSB notes

  • Exodus 20:13–17; Deuteronomy 5:17–21
  • Leviticus 19:18
Verse 10

Original words

-G3588Article - Nominative Feminine SingularLoveἀγάπηG26Noun - Nominative Feminine SingularvvvοὐκG3756AdverbvvvἐργάζεταιG2038Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singulardoes no wrongκακὸνG2556Adjective - Accusative Neuter Singularto [its]τῷG3588Article - Dative Masculine SingularneighborπλησίονG4139AdverbThereforeοὖνG3767Conjunction-G3588Article - Nominative Feminine Singularlove [is]ἀγάπηG26Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular[the] fulfillmentπλήρωμαG4138Noun - Nominative Neuter Singularof [the] lawνόμουG3551Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Verse 11

Original words

And [do]ΚαὶG2532ConjunctionthisτοῦτοG3778Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter SingularunderstandingεἰδότεςG1492Verb - Perfect Participle Active - Nominative Masculine PluraltheτὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine SingularoccasionκαιρόνG2540Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular[The] hourὥραG5610Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular-ὅτιG3754Conjunctionhas comeἤδηG2235Adverbfor youὑμᾶςG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 2nd Person Pluralto wake upἐγερθῆναιG1453Verb - Aorist Infinitive PassivefromἐξG1537Preposition[your] slumberὕπνουG5258Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularforγὰρG1063ConjunctionourἡμῶνG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Plural-G3588Article - Nominative Feminine SingularsalvationσωτηρίαG4991Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular[is] nearerἐγγύτερονG1452AdverbnowνῦνG3568AdverbthanG2228ConjunctionwhenὅτεG3753Adverbwe {first} believedἐπιστεύσαμενG4100Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural
Verse 12

Original words

TheG3588Article - Nominative Feminine SingularnightνὺξG3571Noun - Nominative Feminine Singularis nearly overπροέκοψενG4298Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular-δὲG1161ConjunctiontheG3588Article - Nominative Feminine SingulardayἡμέραG2250Noun - Nominative Feminine Singularhas drawn nearἤγγικενG1448Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularSoοὖνG3767Conjunctionlet us lay asideἀποθώμεθαG659Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Middle - 1st Person PluraltheτὰG3588Article - Accusative Neuter PluraldeedsἔργαG2041Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Neuter Singularof darknessσκότουςG4655Noun - Genitive Neuter SingularandδὲG1161Conjunctionput onἐνδυσώμεθαG1746Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Middle - 1st Person PluraltheτὰG3588Article - Accusative Neuter PluralarmorὅπλαG3696Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Neuter Singularof lightφωτόςG5457Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular
Verse 13

Original words

Let us behaveπεριπατήσωμενG4043Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 1st Person PluraldecentlyεὐσχημόνωςG2156AdverbasὡςG5613AdverbinἐνG1722Preposition[the] daytimeἡμέρᾳG2250Noun - Dative Feminine SingularnotμὴG3361Adverbin carousingκώμοιςG2970Noun - Dative Masculine PluralandκαὶG2532ConjunctiondrunkennessμέθαιςG3178Noun - Dative Feminine PluralnotμὴG3361Adverbin sexual immoralityκοίταιςG2845Noun - Dative Feminine PluralandκαὶG2532ConjunctiondebaucheryἀσελγείαιςG766Noun - Dative Feminine PluralnotμὴG3361Adverbin dissensionἔριδιG2054Noun - Dative Feminine SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctionjealousyζήλῳG2205Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Verse 14

Original words

InsteadἀλλὰG235Conjunctionclothe yourselves withἐνδύσασθεG1746Verb - Aorist Imperative Middle - 2nd Person PluraltheτὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine SingularLordΚύριονG2962Noun - Accusative Masculine SingularJesusἸησοῦνG2424Noun - Accusative Masculine SingularChristΧριστόνG5547Noun - Accusative Masculine SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctionmakeποιεῖσθεG4160Verb - Present Imperative Middle - 2nd Person PluralnoμὴG3361AdverbprovisionπρόνοιανG4307Noun - Accusative Feminine SingularforεἰςG1519Preposition[the] desiresἐπιθυμίαςG1939Noun - Accusative Feminine Pluralof theτῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingularfleshσαρκὸςG4561Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular

BSB notes

  • Or put on; see verse 12.

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.