Romans 13:7

5 Therefore ^ayou must be subject, not only because of wrath ^bbut also for conscience’ sake.

6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing.

7 ^aRender therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.

Love Your Neighbor

8 Owe no one anything except to love one another, for ^ahe who loves another has fulfilled the law.

9 For the commandments, ^a“You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,”¹ “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, ^b“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

10 Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore ^alove is the fulfillment of the law.

Put on Christ

11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time ^ato awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.

12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. ^aTherefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and ^blet us put on the armor of light.

13 ^aLet us walk¹ properly, as in the day, ^bnot in revelry and drunkenness, ^cnot in lewdness and lust, ^dnot in strife and envy.

14 But ^aput on the Lord Jesus Christ, and ^bmake no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.

Commentaries:

Adam Clarke

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Romans 13:8 >>

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 - · This word probably means such taxes as were levied on persons and estates.

Custom to whom custom - · This word probably means such duties as were laid upon goods, merchandise, etc., on imports and exports; what we commonly call custom. Kypke on this place has quoted some good authorities for the above distinction and signification. Both the words occur in the following quotation from Strabo: , · It is necessary to lessen the Customs, if Taxes be imposed. Strabo, lib. ii., page 307. See several other examples in Kypke.

Fear to whom fear - It is likely that the word , which we translate fear, signifies that reverence which produces obedience. Treat all official characters with respect, and be obedient to your superiors.

Honour to whom honor - The word may here mean that outward respect which the principle reverence, from which it springs, will generally produce. Never behave rudely to any person; but behave respectfully to men in office: if you cannot even respect the man - for an important office may be filled by an unworthy person - respect the office, and the man on account of his office. If a man habituate himself to disrespect official characters, he will soon find himself disposed to pay little respect or obedience to the laws themselves.

Other Adam Clarke entries containing Romans 13:7:

Luke 1:65
Romans 7:7
2 Corinthians 5:11
Titus 3:1
1 Peter 2:17

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Romans 13:8 >>

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