Romans 12 · Verse 9

Romans 12:9

Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
Romans 12:9, King James Version

Romans 12:9 in other translations

BSBLove must be sincere. Detest what is evil; cling to what is good.
WEBLet love be without hypocrisy. Abhor that which is evil. Cling to that which is good.
ASVLet love be without hypocrisy. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
YLTThe love unfeigned: abhorring the evil; cleaving to the good;
DARBYLet love be unfeigned; abhorring evil; cleaving to good:
BBELet love be without deceit. Be haters of what is evil; keep your minds fixed on what is good.
WebsterLet love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.

What does Romans 12:9 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
9. Let love be without dissimulation--"Let your love be unfeigned" (as in 2Co 6:6; 1Pe 2:22; and see 1Jo 3:18). Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good--What a lofty tone of moral principle and feeling is here inculcated! It is not, Abstain from the one, and do the other; nor, Turn away from the one, and draw to the other; but, Abhor the one, and cling, with deepest sympathy, to the other.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 9. Let love. The apostle proceeds to specify the duties of Christians in general, that they might secure the beauty and order of the church. The first which he specifies is love. This word here evidently refers to benevolence, or to good-will toward all mankind. In Rom 12:10, he specifies the duty of brotherly love; and there can be no doubt that he here refers to the benevolence which we ought to cherish towards all men, A similar distinction is found in 2Pet 1:7, "And to brotherly kindness add charity," i.e., benevolence, or good will, and kind feelings to others.

Without dissimulation. Without hypocrisy. Let it be sincere and unfeigned. Let it not consist in words or professions only, but let it be manifested in acts of kindness and in deeds of charity, 1Jn 3:18, Comp. 1Pet 1:22. Genuine benevolence is not that which merely professes attachment, but which is evinced by acts of kindness and affection.

Abhor that which is evil. The word abhor means, to hate; to turn from; to avoid. The word evil here has reference to malice, or unkindness, rather than to evil in general. The apostle is exhorting to love, or kindness; and between the direction to love all men, and the particular direction about brotherly love, he places this general direction to abhor that which is evil--that which is evil in relation to the subject under discussion, that is, malice or unkindness. The word evil is not unfrequently used, in this limited sense, to denote some particular or special evil, Mt 5:37,39, etc. Comp. Ps 34:14 2Ti 2:19 Ps 97:10 1Th 5:22.

Cleave to that which is good. The word rendered cleave to denotes, properly, the act of gluing, or uniting firmly by glue. It is then used to denote a very firm adherence to an object; to be firmly fitted to it. There it means, that Christians should be firmly attached to that which is good, and not separate or part from it. The good here referred to is particularly that which pertains to benevolence --to all men, and especially to Christians. It should not be occasional only, or irregular; but it should be constant, active, decided.

(v) "dissimulation" 1Pet 1:22 (w) "that which is evil" Ps 34:14

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 9 Let love be without dissimulation - Ἡ αγαπη ανυποκριτος· Have no hypocritical love; let not your love wear a mask; make no empty professions. Love God and your neighbor; and, by obedience to the one and acts of benevolence to the other, show that your love is sincere. Abhor that which is evil - Αποστυγουντες το πονηρον· Hate sin as you would hate that hell to which it leads. Στυγεω signifies to hate or detest with horror; the preposition απο greatly strengthens the meaning. Στυξ, Styx, was a feigned river in hell by which the gods were wont to swear, and if any of them falsified this oath he was deprived of his nectar and ambrosia for a hundred years; hence the river was reputed to be hateful, and στυγεω signified to be as hateful as hell. Two MSS. read μισουντες, which signifies hating in the lowest sense of the term. The word in the text is abundantly more expressive, and our translation is both nervous and appropriate. Cleave to that which is good - Κολλωμενοι τῳ αγαθῳ· Be Cemented or Glued to that which is good; so the word literally signifies. Have an unalterable attachment to whatever leads to God, and contributes to the welfare of your fellow creatures.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Romans 12:9-16
The professed love of Christians to each other should be sincere, free from deceit, and unmeaning and deceitful compliments. Depending on Divine grace, they must detest and dread all evil, and love and delight in whatever is kind and useful. We must not only do that which is good, but we must cleave to it. All our duty towards one another is summed up in one word, love. This denotes the love of parents to their children; which is more tender and natural than any other; unforced, unconstrained. And love to God and man, with zeal for the gospel, will make the wise Christian diligent in all his wordly business, and in gaining superior skill. God must be served with the spirit, under the influences of the Holy Spirit. He is honoured by our hope and trust in him, especially when we rejoice in that hope. He is served, not only by working for him, but by sitting still quietly, when he calls us to suffer. Patience for God's sake, is true piety. Those that rejoice in hope, are likely to be patient in tribulation. We should not be cold in the duty of prayer, nor soon weary of it. Not only must there be kindness to friends and brethren, but Christians must not harbour anger against enemies. It is but mock love, which rests in words of kindness, while our brethren need real supplies, and it is in our power to furnish them. Be ready to entertain those who do good: as there is occasion, we must welcome strangers. Bless, and curse not. It means thorough good will; not, bless them when at prayer, and curse them at other times; but bless them always, and curse not at all. True Christian love will make us take part in the sorrows and joys of each other. Labour as much as you can to agree in the same spiritual truths; and when you come short of that, yet agree in affection. Look upon worldly pomp and dignity with holy contempt. Do not mind it; be not in love with it. Be reconciled to the place God in his providence puts you in, whatever it be. Nothing is below us, but sin. We shall never find in our hearts to condescend to others, while we indulge conceit of ourselves; therefore that must be mortified.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Romans 12:9 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ἩHē<the>G3588
ἀγάπηagapē[Let] love [be]G26
ἀνυπόκριτος.anupokritosunfeigned.G505
ἀποστυγοῦντεςapostugountesabhorringG655
τὸto<the>G3588
πονηρόν,ponēronevil,G4190
κολλώμενοιkollōmenoicleaving toG2853
τῷtō<the>G3588
ἀγαθῷ·agathōgood;G18

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Romans 12:9

  • Psalms 34:14

    Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.

  • 1 Peter 4:8

    And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.

  • 1 Timothy 1:5

    Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:

  • 1 John 3:18-20

    My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.

  • 1 Peter 3:10-11

    For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.

  • 1 Thessalonians 5:21

    Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.

  • Amos 5:15

    Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the Lord God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.

  • Psalms 101:3

    I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.

  • 1 Peter 1:22

    Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

  • Hebrews 12:14

    Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

  • Psalms 97:10

    Ye that love the Lord, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.

  • Proverbs 8:13

    The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
love.
2Sa 20:9,10; Ps 55:21; Pr 26:25; Eze 33:31; Mt 26:49; Joh 12:6
2Co 6:6; 8:8; 1Th 2:3; 1Ti 1:5; Jas 2:15,16; 1Pe 1:22; 4:8
1Jo 3:18-20
Abhor.
Ps 34:14; 36:4; 45:7; 97:10; 101:3; 119:104,163; Pr 8:13; Am 5:15
Heb 1:9
cleave.
Ac 11:23; 1Th 5:15; Heb 12:14; 1Pe 3:10,11

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Romans 12:8

    Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

  • Romans 12:9

    Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.

  • Romans 12:10

    Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;

Read all of Romans 12

Romans 12:9 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		El amor sea sin fingimiento: aborreciendo lo malo, llegándoos á lo bueno;
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Que l’amour soit sans hypocrisie; ayez en horreur le mal, tenez ferme au bien;
German
Elberfelder 1871		Die Liebe sei ungeheuchelt. Verabscheuet das Böse, haltet fest am Guten.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Dilectio sine simulatione: odientes malum, adhærentes bono: