Romans 13:7-10

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Romans 13:7-10

We are here taught a lesson of justice and charity. I. Of justice (Rom. 13:7): Render therefore to all their dues, especially to magistrates, for this refers to what goes before; and likewise to all with whom we have to do. To be just is to give to all their due, to give every body his own. What we have we have as stewards; others have an interest in it, and must have their dues. ?Render to God his due in the first place, to yourselves, to you families, your relations, to the commonwealth, to... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Romans 13:1-7

13:1-7 Let everyone render due obedience to those who occupy positions of outstanding authority, for there is no authority which is not allotted its place by God, for the authorities which exist have been set in their places by God. So he who sets himself up against authority has really set himself up against God's arrangement of things. Those who do set themselves against authority will receive condemnation upon themselves. For the man who does good has nothing to fear from rulers, but the... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Romans 13:8-10

13:8-10 Owe no man anything, except to love each other; for he who loves the other man has fulfilled the law. The commandments, You must not commit adultery, You must not kill, You must not steal, You must not covet, and any other commandment there may be, are all summed up in this saying--You must love your neighbour as yourself. Love does no harm to its neighbour. Love is, therefore, the complete fulfilment of the law. The previous passage dealt with what might be called a man's public... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Romans 13:7

Render therefore to all their dues ,.... To all princes, magistrates, and officers, that are placed over us, from the supreme governor to the lowest officer under him, should we render as a due debt, and not as a mere gift, whatever belongs to them, or is proper for them for the due discharge of their office, to encourage in it, and support the dignity of it, whether external or internal: tribute to whom tribute is due, custom to whom custom . These two words include all sorts of levies,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Romans 13:8

Owe no man anything ,.... From the payment of dues to magistrates the apostle proceeds to a general exhortation to discharge all sorts of debts; as not to owe the civil magistrate any thing, but render to him his dues, so to owe nothing to any other man, but make good all obligations whatever, as of a civil, so of a natural kind. There are debts arising from the natural and civil relations subsisting among men, which should be discharged; as of the husband to the wife, the wife to the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Romans 13:9

For this, thou shalt not commit adultery ,.... The apostle here reckons up the several laws of the second table, with this view, that it might appear that so far as a man loves his neighbour, whether more near or distantly related, he fulfils the law, or acts according to it. He omits the first of these, the fifth commandment, either because he had urged this before, so far as it may be thought to regard magistrates; or because, according to the division of the Jews, who reckon five commands... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Romans 13:10

Love worketh no ill to his neighbour ,.... That is, the man that truly loves his neighbour, will contrive no ill against him, nor do any to him; he will not injure his person, nor defile his bed, nor deprive or defraud him of his substance; or do hurt to his character, bear false testimony against him, or covet with an evil covetousness anything that is his; but, on the contrary, will do him all the good he is capable of: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law : so far as a man... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Romans 13:7

Render therefore to all their dues - This is an extensive command. Be rigidly just; withhold neither from the king nor his ministers, nor his officers of justice and revenue, nor from even the lowest of the community, what the laws of God and your country require you to pay. Tribute to whom tribute - Φορον· This word probably means such taxes as were levied on persons and estates. Custom to whom custom - Τελος· This word probably means such duties as were laid upon goods,... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Romans 13:8

Owe 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, obedience, and tribute; to the latter they... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Romans 13:9

For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery - He that loves another will not deprive him of his wife, of his life, of his property, of his good name; and will not even permit a desire to enter into his heart which would lead him to wish to possess any thing that is the property of another: for the law - the sacred Scripture, has said: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. It is remarkable that ου ψευδομαρτυρησεις , thou shalt not bear false witness, is wanting here in ABDEFG, and several... read more

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