Romans 13:3

For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
For	γὰρ gar	G1063	properly · conjunction
rulers	ἄρχοντες archontes	G758	a first (in rank or power) · noun — nominative plural masculine
are	εἰσί eisí	G1526	they are
not	οὐκ ouk	G3756	the absolute negative (compare G3361 (μή)) adverb · particle — negative
terror	φόβος phobos	G5401	alarm or fright · noun — nominative singular masculine
to	ἔργῳ ergō	G2041	toil (as an effort or occupation) · noun — dative singular neuter
good	ἀγαθῷ agathō	G18	"good" (in any sense · adjective — dative singular neuter
works	ἔργον érgon	G2041	toil (as an effort or occupation)
but	ἀλλὰ alla	G235	properly · conjunction
evil	κακῷ. kakō	G2556	worthless (intrinsically · adjective — dative singular neuter
thou	θέλεις theleis	G2309	to determine (as an active option from subjective impul… · verb — present active indicative, 2nd person singular
then	δὲ de	G1161	but · conjunction
not	μὴ mē	G3361	(adverb) not · particle — negative
of	φοβεῖσθαι phobeisthai	G5399	to frighten · verb — present middle or passive deponent infinitive
power	ἐξουσίαν; exousian	G1849	privilege · noun — accusative singular feminine
do	ποίει poiei	G4160	to make or do (in a very wide application · verb — present active imperative, 2nd person singular
good	ἀγαθὸν agathon	G18	"good" (in any sense · adjective — accusative singular neuter
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
have	ἕξεις hexeis	G2192	to hold (used in very various applications · verb — future active indicative, 2nd person singular
praise	ἔπαινον epainon	G1868	laudation · noun — accusative singular masculine
of	ἐξ ex	G1537	literal or figurative · preposition
same	αὐτῆς· autēs	G846	the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — genitive singular feminine

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Ecclesiastes 10:4-6 If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding pacifieth great offences.
Proverbs 14:35 The king’s favour is toward a wise servant: but his wrath is against him that causeth shame.
Proverbs 20:2 The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion: whoso provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soul.
1 Peter 2:13-14 Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;
Deuteronomy 25:1 If there be a controversy between men, and they come unto judgment, that the judges may judge them; then they shall justify the righteous, a…
Jeremiah 22:15-18 Shalt thou reign, because thou closest thyself in cedar? did not thy father eat and drink, and do judgment and justice, and then it was well…
1 Peter 3:13-14 And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?
Romans 13:4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he i…

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Romans 13:1-6

We are here taught how to conduct ourselves towards magistrates, and those that are in authority over us, called here the higher powers, intimating their authority (they are powers), and their dignity (they are higher powers), including not only the king as supreme, but all inferior magistrates under him: and yet it is expressed, not by the persons that are in that power, but the place of power itself, in which they are. However the persons themselves may be wicked, and of those vile persons whom the citizen of Zion contemneth (Psa 15:4), yet the just power which they have must be submitted to and obeyed. The apostle had taught us, in the foregoing chapter, not to avenge ourselves, nor to re…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Romans 13:3

For rulers are not a terror to good works--"to the good work," as the true reading appears to be but to the evil.

Adam Clarke on Romans 13:3

For rulers are not a terror to good works - Here the apostle shows the civil magistrate what he should be: he is clothed with great power, but that power is entrusted to him, not for the terror and oppression of the upright man, but to overawe and punish the wicked. It is, in a word, for the benefit of the community, and not for the aggrandizement of himself, that God has entrusted the supreme civil power to any man. If he should use this to wrong, rob, spoil, oppress, and persecute his subjects, he is not only a bad man, but also a bad prince. He infringes on the essential principles of law and equity. Should he persecute his obedient, loyal subjects, on any religious account, this is contr…

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John Gill on Romans 13:3

For rulers are not a terror to good works,.... That is, to them that do good works in a civil sense; who behave well in the neighbourhoods, towns, cities, and countries where they dwell. The apostle seems to anticipate an objection made against governors, as if there was something very terrible and formidable in them; and which might be taken up from the last clause of the preceding verse; and which he removes by observing, that governors neither do, nor ought to inject terror into men that behave well, obey the laws, and keep a good decorum among their fellow subjects, not doing any injury to any man's person, property, and estate. The Jews (a) have a saying, "that a governor that injects…

The Church Fathers

It is right to submit to higher authority whenever a command of God is not violated thereby.
— Basil of Caesarea, THE MORALS 79.1

Rulers here are kings who are created in order to correct behavior and prevent bad things from happening. They have the image of God, because everyone else is under one head.
— Ambrosiaster, COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES

That the servant of God ought to be innocent, lest he fall into secular punishment. In the Epistle of Paul to the Romans: "Wilt thou not be afraid of the power? Do that which is good, and thou shall have praise of it."
— Cyprian, Treatise XII Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Taxes — First mentioned in the command (Ex. 30:11-16) that every Jew from twenty years and upward should pay an annual tax of “half a shekel for an offering to the Lord.” This enactment was faithfully…
Character Of Saints · Bold — Bold
Citizens · DUTIES OF — DUTIES OF
Conduct, Christian · Submitting to Authorities — Submitting to Authorities
Courts Of Justice · Have authority from God — Have authority from God
Magistrates · Are not a terror to the good, but to the evil — Are not a terror to the good, but to the evil
Rulers · CHARACTER AND QUALIFI — CHARACTER AND QUALIFI

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Romans 13:3

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Romans 13:1-6

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Romans 13:3

Adam Clarke on Romans 13:3

John Gill on Romans 13:3

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Romans 13:3

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Romans 13:1-6

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Romans 13:3

Adam Clarke on Romans 13:3

John Gill on Romans 13:3

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Calvin on Romans 13:3-4

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Romans 13:3