Romans 13 · Verse 12

Romans 13:12

The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
Romans 13:12, King James Version

Romans 13:12 in other translations

BSBThe night is nearly over; the day has drawn near. So let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
WEBThe night is far gone, and the day is near. Let’s therefore throw off the deeds of darkness, and let’s put on the armor of light.
ASVThe night is far spent, and the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.
YLTthe night did advance, and the day came nigh; let us lay aside, therefore, the works of the darkness, and let us put on the armour of the light;
DARBYThe night is far spent, and the day is near; let us cast away therefore the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
BBEThe night is far gone, and the day is near: so let us put off the works of the dark, arming ourselves with light,
WebsterThe night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.

What does Romans 13:12 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
12. The night--of evil is far spent, the day--of consummated triumph over it is at hand: let us therefore cast off--as a dress the works of darkness--all works holding of the kingdom and period of darkness, with which, as followers of the risen Saviour, our connection has been dissolved. and let us put on the armour of light--described at length in Ep 6:11-18.

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

Barnes' Notes
Verse 12. The night. The word night, in the New Testament, is used to denote night literally, (Mt 2:14, etc.;) the starry heavens, (Rev 8:12;) and then it denotes a state of ignorance and crime, and is synonymous with the word darkness, as such deeds are committed commonly in the night, 1Thes 5:5. In this place it seems to denote our present imperfect and obscure condition in this world as contrasted with the pure light of heaven. The night, the time of comparative security and sin in which we live even under the gospel, is far gone in relation to us, and the pure splendours of heaven are at hand.

Is far spent. Literally, "is cut off." It is becoming short; it is hastening to a close.

The day. The full splendours and glory of redemption in heaven. Heaven is often thus represented as a place of pure and splendid day, Rev 21:23,25, 22:5. The times of the gospel are represented as times of light, (Isa 60:1,2,19,20, etc.;) but the reference here seems to be rather to the still brighter glory and splendour of heaven, as the place of pure, unclouded, and eternal day.

Is at hand. Is near; or is drawing near. This is true respecting all Christians. The day is near, or the time when they shall be admitted to heaven is not remote. This is the uniform representation of the New Testament, Heb 10:25, 1Pet 4:7, Jas 5:8, Rev 22:20, 1Thes 5:2-6, Php 4:5. That the apostle did not mean, however, that the end of the world was near, or that the day of judgment would come soon, is clear from his own explanations. See 1Thes 5:2-6. Comp. 2Thes 2.

Let us therefore. As we are about to enter on the glories of that eternal day, we should be pure and holy. The expectation of it will teach us to seek purity; and a pure life alone will fit us to enter there, Heb 12:14.

Cast off. Lay aside, or put away.

The works of darkness. Dark, wicked deeds, such as are specified in the next verse. They are called works of darkness, because darkness in the Scriptures is an emblem of crime, as well as of ignorance, and because such deeds are commonly committed in the night. 1Thes 5:7, "They that be drunken, are drunken in the night." Comp. Jn 3:20, Eph 5:11-13.

Let us put on. Let us clothe ourselves with.

The armour of light. The word armour--(οπλα)--properly means arms, or instruments of war, including the helmet, sword, shield, etc., Eph 6:11-17. It is used in the New Testament to denote the aids which the Christian has, or the means of defence in his warfare, where he is represented as a soldier contending with his foes, and includes truth, righteousness, faith, hope, etc., as the instruments by which he is to gain his victories. In 2Cor 6:7, it is called "the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left." It is called armour of light, because it is not to accomplish any deeds of darkness or of crime; it is appropriate to one who is pure, and who is seeking a pure and noble object. Christians are represented as the children of light, 1Thes 5:5. Note, Lk 16:8. By the armour of light, therefore, the apostle means those graces which stand opposed to the deeds of darkness, (Rom 13:13;) those graces of faith, hope, humility, etc., which shall be appropriate to those who are the children of the day, and which shall be their defence in their struggles with their spiritual foes. See the description in full in Eph 6:11-17.

(d) "therefore cast off" Eph 5:11 (e) "put on the armour of light" Eph 6:13

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 12 The night is far spent - If we understand this in reference to the heathen state of the Romans, it may be paraphrased thus: The night is far spent - heathenish darkness is nearly at an end. The day is at hand - the full manifestation of the Sun of righteousness, in the illumination of the whole Gentile world approaches rapidly. The manifestation of the Messiah is regularly termed by the ancient Jews יום yom, day, because previously to this all is night, Bereshith rabba sect. 91, fol. 89. Cast off the works of darkness - prepare to meet this rising light, and welcome its approach, by throwing aside superstition, impiety, and vice of every kind: and put on the armor of light - fully receive the heavenly teaching, by which your spirits will be as completely armed against the attacks of evil as your bodies could be by the best weapons and impenetrable armor. This sense seems most suitable to the following verses, where the vices of the Gentiles are particularly specified; and they are exhorted to abandon them, and to receive the Gospel of Christ. The common method of explanation is this: The night is far spent - our present imperfect life, full of afflictions, temptations, and trials, is almost run out; the day of eternal blessedness is at hand - is about to dawn on us in our glorious resurrection unto eternal life. 'Therefore, let us cast off - let us live as candidates for this eternal glory. But this sense cannot at all comport with what is said below, as the Gentiles are most evidently intended.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Romans 13:11-14

Four things are here taught, as a Christian's directory for his day's work. When to awake; Now; and to awake out of the sleep of carnal security, sloth, and negligence; out of the sleep of spiritual death, and out of the sleep of spiritual deadness. Considering the time; a busy time; a perilous time. Also the salvation nigh at hand. Let us mind our way, and mend our pace, we are nearer our journey's end. Also to…

Read the full comment on Romans 13:11-14 →

Romans 13:12 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.

ἡhēTheG3588
νὺξnuxnightG3571
προέκοψενproekopsenis nearly overG4298
ἡhē<the>G3588
δὲdeandG1161
ἡμέραhēmerathe dayG2250
ἤγγικεν.ēngikenhas drawn near.G1448
ἀποθώμεθαapothōmethaWe may cast offG659
οὖνounthereforeG3767
τὰtatheG3588
ἔργαergaworksG2041
τοῦtou<the>G3588
σκότους,skotousof darkness,G4655
ἐνδυσώμεθαendusōmethawe may put onG1746
τὰtatheG3588
ὅπλαhoplaarmorG3696
τοῦtou<the>G3588
φωτός.phōtosof light.G5457

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

Cross references for Romans 13:12

  • Ezekiel 18:31-32

    Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.

  • Ephesians 5:11

    And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

  • 2 Corinthians 6:7

    By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,

  • Colossians 3:8-17

    But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. …

  • Ephesians 6:11-18

    Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; …

  • James 1:21

    Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

  • Romans 13:14

    But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

  • Ephesians 4:22

    That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

  • Isaiah 30:22

    Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven images of silver, and the ornament of thy molten images of gold: thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth; thou shalt say unto it, Get thee hence.

  • 1 Thessalonians 5:5-8

    Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.

  • John 3:19-21

    And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

  • 1 John 2:8-9

    Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth. He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
night.
So 2:17; 1Jo 2:8
cast.
Isa 2:20; 30:22; Eze 18:31,32; Eph 4:22; Col 3:8,9; Jas 1:21
1Pe 2:1
works.
Job 24:14-17; Joh 3:19-21; Eph 5:11; 1Th 5:5-7; 1Jo 1:5-7; 2:8,9
put.
14; 2Co 6:7; Eph 6:11-18; Col 3:10-17; 1Th 5:8

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

Context

  • Romans 13:11

    And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

  • Romans 13:12

    The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

  • Romans 13:13

    Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.

Read all of Romans 13

Romans 13:12 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		La noche ha pasado, y ha llegado el día: echemos, pues, las obras de las tinieblas, y vistámonos las armas de luz.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		la nuit est fort avancée, et le jour s’est approché; rejetons donc les œuvres des ténèbres, et revêtons les armes de la lumière.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Die Nacht ist weit vorgerückt, und der Tag ist nahe. Laßt uns nun die Werke der Finsternis ablegen und die Waffen des Lichts anziehen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Nox præcessit, dies autem appropinquavit. Abjiciamus ergo opera tenebrarum, et induamur arma lucis.