Romans

Romans 13:1–5

1Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which is from God. The authorities that exist have been appointed by God. 2Consequently, whoever resists authority is opposing what God has set in place, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.

3For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you want to be unafraid of the one in authority? Then do what is right, and you will have his approval. 4For he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not carry the sword in vain. He is God’s servant, an agent of retribution to the wrongdoer.

5Therefore it is necessary to submit to authority , not only to avoid punishment, but also as a matter of conscience.

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Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Greek it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Romans 13:1

EnglishGreekSounds likeGrammarWord study
EveryoneΠᾶσαPasaAdjective - Nominative Feminine SingularG3956 all, the whole, every kind of
must submit himselfὑποτασσέσθωhypotassesthōVerb - Present Imperative Passive - 3rd Person SingularG5293 I place under, subject to
to the governing authoritiesἐξουσίαιςexousiaisNoun - Dative Feminine PluralG1849 power, authority, weight
forγὰρgarConjunctionG1063 for
there isἔστινestinVerb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularG1510 I am, exist
noοὐouAdverbG3756 no, not
authorityἐξουσίαexousiaNoun - Nominative Feminine SingularG1849 power, authority, weight
exceptεἰeiConjunctionG1487 if
GodΘεοῦTheouNoun - Genitive Masculine SingularG2316 God, a god
thatαἱhaiArticle - Nominative Feminine PluralG3588 the
existοὖσαιousaiVerb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Feminine PluralG1510 I am, exist
have been appointedτεταγμέναιtetagmenaiVerb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Feminine PluralG5021 I assign, arrange
byὑπὸhypoPrepositionG5259 by, under, about
GodΘεοῦTheouNoun - Genitive Masculine SingularG2316 God, a god

Romans 13:2

EnglishGreekSounds likeGrammarWord study
ConsequentlyὥστεhōsteConjunctionG5620 so that, therefore
whoeverὁhoArticle - Nominative Masculine SingularG3588 the
resistsἀντιτασσόμενοςantitassomenosVerb - Present Participle Middle - Nominative Masculine SingularG498 I set myself against, resist
authorityἐξουσίᾳexousiaNoun - Dative Feminine SingularG1849 power, authority, weight
is opposingἀνθέστηκενanthestēkenVerb - Perfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularG436 I take a stand against, oppose, resist
whatτῇtēArticle - Dative Feminine SingularG3588 the
GodΘεοῦTheouNoun - Genitive Masculine SingularG2316 God, a god
has set in placeδιαταγῇdiatagēNoun - Dative Feminine SingularG1296 ordaining, ordinance, disposition
andδὲdeConjunctionG1161 but, on the other hand, and
those whoοἱhoiArticle - Nominative Masculine PluralG3588 the
will bringλήμψονταιlēmpsontaiVerb - Future Indicative Middle - 3rd Person PluralG2983 I receive, take
judgmentκρίμαkrimaNoun - Accusative Neuter SingularG2917 a judgment, verdict, lawsuit
on themselvesἑαυτοῖςheautoisReflexive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person PluralG1438 himself, herself, itself

Romans 13:3

EnglishGreekSounds likeGrammarWord study
ForγὰρgarConjunctionG1063 for
rulersἄρχοντεςarchontesNoun - Nominative Masculine PluralG758 a ruler, prince, leader
areεἰσὶνeisinVerb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluralG1510 I am, exist
notοὐκoukAdverbG3756 no, not
a terrorφόβοςphobosNoun - Nominative Masculine SingularG5401 fear, terror, reverence
to goodἀγαθῷagathōAdjective - Dative Neuter SingularG18 good
conductἔργῳergōNoun - Dative Neuter SingularG2041 work, labor, action, deed
butἀλλὰallaConjunctionG235 but, except
to badκακῷkakōAdjective - Dative Neuter SingularG2556 bad, evil
Do you wantθέλειςtheleisVerb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person SingularG2309 I will, wish, desire
to be unafraidφοβεῖσθαιphobeisthaiVerb - Present Infinitive Middle or PassiveG5399 I fear, am terrified
of theτὴνtēnArticle - Accusative Feminine SingularG3588 the
one in authorityἐξουσίανexousianNoun - Accusative Feminine SingularG1849 power, authority, weight
doποίειpoieiVerb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person SingularG4160 I do, make
whatτὸtoArticle - Accusative Neuter SingularG3588 the
rightἀγαθὸνagathonAdjective - Accusative Neuter SingularG18 good
andκαὶkaiConjunctionG2532 and, even, also, namely
you will haveἕξειςhexeisVerb - Future Indicative Active - 2nd Person SingularG2192 I have, hold, possess
hisαὐτῆςautēsPersonal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Feminine 3rd Person SingularG846 he, she, it, they, them, same
approvalἔπαινονepainonNoun - Accusative Masculine SingularG1868 commendation, praise

Romans 13:4

EnglishGreekSounds likeGrammarWord study
ForγὰρgarConjunctionG1063 for
he isἐστινestinVerb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularG1510 I am, exist
God’sΘεοῦTheouNoun - Genitive Masculine SingularG2316 God, a god
servantδιάκονόςdiakonosNoun - Nominative Masculine SingularG1249 a waiter, servant, administrator
forεἰςeisPrepositionG1519 into, in, among, till, for
yourσοὶsoiPersonal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person SingularG4771 you
goodἀγαθόνagathonAdjective - Accusative Neuter SingularG18 good
ButδὲdeConjunctionG1161 but, on the other hand, and
ifἐὰνeanConjunctionG1437 if
you doποιῇςpoiēsVerb - Present Subjunctive Active - 2nd Person SingularG4160 I do, make
wrongκακὸνkakonAdjective - Accusative Neuter SingularG2556 bad, evil
be afraidφοβοῦphobouVerb - Present Imperative Middle or Passive - 2nd Person SingularG5399 I fear, am terrified
forγὰρgarConjunctionG1063 for
he does not carryφορεῖphoreiVerb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularG5409 I carry, wear
theτὴνtēnArticle - Accusative Feminine SingularG3588 the
swordμάχαιρανmachairanNoun - Accusative Feminine SingularG3162 a sword
in vainεἰκῇeikēAdverbG1500 without purpose, in vain
He isἐστινestinVerb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularG1510 I am, exist
God’sΘεοῦTheouNoun - Genitive Masculine SingularG2316 God, a god
servantδιάκονόςdiakonosNoun - Nominative Masculine SingularG1249 a waiter, servant, administrator
an agentἔκδικοςekdikosAdjective - Nominative Masculine SingularG1558 avenging, an avenger
ofεἰςeisPrepositionG1519 into, in, among, till, for
retributionὀργὴνorgēnNoun - Accusative Feminine SingularG3709 anger, wrath, passion
to theτῷtōArticle - Dative Masculine SingularG3588 the
wrongdoerκακὸνkakonAdjective - Accusative Neuter SingularG2556 bad, evil

Romans 13:5

EnglishGreekSounds likeGrammarWord study
ThereforeΔιὸDioConjunctionG1352 wherefore
necessaryἀνάγκηanankēNoun - Nominative Feminine SingularG318 necessity, constraint, compulsion
to submitὑποτάσσεσθαιhypotassesthaiVerb - Present Infinitive PassiveG5293 I place under, subject to
notοὐouAdverbG3756 no, not
onlyμόνονmononAdverbG3440 alone, but, only
to avoidδιὰdiaPrepositionG1223 through, on account of
punishmentὀργὴνorgēnNoun - Accusative Feminine SingularG3709 anger, wrath, passion
butἀλλὰallaConjunctionG235 but, except
alsoκαὶkaiConjunctionG2532 and, even, also, namely
as a matter ofδιὰdiaPrepositionG1223 through, on account of
conscienceσυνείδησινsyneidēsinNoun - Accusative Feminine SingularG4893 the conscience

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

Romans 13:1 Titus 3:1 · 1 Peter 2:13–17 · Daniel 2:21 · John 19:11 · Proverbs 8:15–16 · Jeremiah 27:5–8 · Jude 1:8 · Daniel 5:18–23 · Psalm 62:11 · Ephesians 5:21 · 1 Chronicles 28:4–5 · 1 Samuel 2:8

Romans 13:2 1 Peter 2:13 · Titus 3:1 · Romans 13:5 · James 3:1 · Luke 20:47 · Mark 12:40 · Matthew 23:13 · Jeremiah 44:14–17 · Jeremiah 23:8–17 · Isaiah 58:2

Romans 13:3 Ecclesiastes 10:4–6 · Proverbs 20:2 · Proverbs 14:35 · 1 Peter 2:13–14 · Deuteronomy 25:1 · Jeremiah 22:15–18 · 1 Peter 3:13–14 · Romans 13:4

Romans 13:4 Romans 12:19 · 2 Chronicles 19:6 · Proverbs 24:23–24 · Proverbs 20:2 · Proverbs 16:14 · 1 Thessalonians 4:6 · Romans 13:6 · Psalm 82:2–4 · Isaiah 1:17 · Micah 3:1–4 · Proverbs 31:8–9 · Micah 3:9

Romans 13:5 1 Peter 2:19 · Ecclesiastes 8:2 · Acts 24:16 · 1 Peter 2:13–15 · Titus 3:1–2 · 1 Samuel 24:5–6 · Hebrews 13:18 · 1 Peter 3:16

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.