Romans 16:17

Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
Now	δὲ de	G1161	but · conjunction
beseech	Παρακαλῶ Parakalō	G3870	to call near · verb — present active indicative, 1st person singular
you	ὑμᾶς hymâs	G5209	you (as the objective of a verb or preposition)
brethren	ἀδελφοί, adelphoi	G80	a brother (literally or figuratively) near or remote (m… · noun — vocative plural masculine
mark	σκοπεῖν skopein	G4648	to take aim at (spy) · verb — present active infinitive
cause	ποιοῦντας poiountas	G4160	to make or do (in a very wide application · verb — present active participle, accusative plural masculine
divisions	διχοστασίας dichostasias	G1370	disunion · noun — accusative plural feminine
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
offences	σκάνδαλα skandala	G4625	a trap-stick (bent sapling) · noun — accusative plural neuter
to	παρὰ para	G3844	properly · preposition
doctrine	διδαχὴν didachēn	G1322	instruction (the act or the matter) · noun — accusative singular feminine
which	ἣν hēn	G3739	the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun · relative pronoun — accusative singular feminine
ye	ὑμεῖς hymeîs	G5210	you (as subjective of verb)
learned	ἐμάθετε emathete	G3129	to learn (in any way) · verb — second aorist active indicative, 2nd person plural
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
avoid	ἐκκλίνετε ekklinete	G1578	to deviate · verb — present active imperative, 2nd person plural
them	αὐτῶν. autōn	G846	the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — genitive plural masculine

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

Jude 1:19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.
2 Thessalonians 3:6 Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly,…
1 Timothy 6:3-5 If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is accord…
2 Timothy 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not afte…
Titus 3:10 A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;
2 Thessalonians 3:14-15 And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.
2 John 1:7-11 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

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

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Romans 16:17-20

The apostle having endeavoured by his endearing salutations to unite them together, it was not improper to subjoin a caution to take heed of those whose principles and practices were destructive to Christian love. And we may observe, I. The caution itself, which is given in the most obliging manner that could be: I beseech you, brethren. He does not will and command, as one that lorded it over God's heritage, but for love's sake beseeches. How earnest, how endearing, are Paul's exhortations! He teaches them, 1. To see their danger: Mark those who cause divisions and offences. Our Master had himself foretold that divisions and offences would come, but had entailed a woe on those by whom they…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Romans 16:17

Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned--"which ye learned." and avoid them--The fomentors of "divisions" here referred to are probably those who were unfriendly to the truths taught in this epistle, while those who caused "offenses" were probably those referred to in Rom 14:15 as haughtily disregarding the prejudices of the weak. The direction as to both is, first, to "mark" such, lest the evil should be done ere it was fully discovered; and next, to "avoid" them (compare Th2 3:6, Th2 3:14), so as neither to bear any responsibility for their procedure, nor seem to give them the least countenance.

Adam Clarke on Romans 16:17

Mark them which cause divisions - Several MSS. read ασφαλως σκοπειτε, look sharply after them; let them have no kiss of charity nor peace, because they strive to make divisions, and thus set the flock of Christ at variance among themselves; and from these divisions, offenses (σκανδαλα, scandals) are produced; and this is contrary to that doctrine of peace, unity, and brotherly love which you have learned. Look sharply after such that they do you no evil, and avoid them - give them no countenance, and have no religious fellowship with them.

John Gill on Romans 16:17

The Church Fathers

The people Paul is referring to here were men who defended the law.
— Theodoret of Cyrus, INTERPRETATION OF THE LETTER TO THE ROMANS

Paul is here discussing the same people he wrote about to Timothy and to Titus. See also Philippians [3:19].
— Augustine of Hippo, AUGUSTINE ON ROMANS 84

Now Paul goes on to mention the false apostles, whom he warns against throughout the epistle just as he does here as well. But he attacks their teaching without saying what it is. They were forcing believers to become Jews and thereby making the benefits of God worthless.… They compiled long genealogies and used them to support their teaching, by which they were deceiving the hearts of the simple.
— Ambrosiaster, COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES

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

Hermas — Mercury, a Roman Christian to whom Paul sends greetings (Rom. 16: 14). Some suppose him to have been the author of the celebrated religious romance called The Shepherd, but it is very probable that…
Alliance And Society With The Enemies Of God · Exhortations to hate and avoid — Exhortations to hate and avoid
Company · EVIL — EVIL
Divisions · Avoid those who cause — Avoid those who cause
Doctrines · FALSE — FALSE
Doctrines Of The Gospel, The · Those who oppose are: To be avoided — Those who oppose are: To be avoided
Doctrines, False · Teachers of: Should be avoided — Teachers of: Should be avoided
Missionaries, All Christians Should Be As · Exemplified: Various individuals — Exemplified: Various individuals
Offence · Saints should: Avoid those who cause — Saints should: Avoid those who cause
Rome · Christians in — Christians in
Strife · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning

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 16:17

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Romans 16:17-20

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Romans 16:17

Adam Clarke on Romans 16:17

John Gill on Romans 16:17

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Romans 16:17

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Romans 16:17-20

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Romans 16:17

Adam Clarke on Romans 16:17

John Gill on Romans 16:17

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Calvin on Romans 16:17-20

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Romans 16:17