Romans 13 · Verse 8

Romans 13:8

Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.

Romans 13:8, King James Version

Romans 13:8 in other translations

BSB	Be indebted to no one, except to one another in love. For he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.
WEB	Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.
ASV	Owe no man anything, save to love one another: for he that loveth his neighbor hath fulfilled the law.
YLT	To no one owe anything, except to love one another; for he who is loving the other--law he hath fulfilled,
DARBY	Owe no one anything, unless to love one another: for he that loves another has fulfilled the law.
BBE	Be in debt for nothing, but to have love for one another: for he who has love for his neighbour has kept all the law.
Webster	Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.

What does Romans 13:8 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

8. Owe no man anything, but to love one another--"Acquit yourselves of all obligations except love, which is a debt that must remain ever due" [Hodge]. for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law--for the law itself is but love in manifold action, regarded as matter of duty.

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

Barnes' Notes

Verse 8. Owe no man any thing. Be not in debt to any one. In the previous verse the apostle had been discoursing of the duty which we owe to magistrates, he had particularly enjoined on Christians to pay to them their just dues. From this command to discharge fully this obligation, the transition was natural to the subject of debts in general, and to an injunction not to be indebted to any one. This law is enjoined in this place,

(1.) because it is a part of our duty as good citizens; and

(2.) because it is a part of that law which teaches us to love our neighbour, and to do no injury to him, Rom 13:10. The interpretation of this command is to be taken with this limitation, that we are not to be indebted to him so as to injure him, or to work ill to him.

This rule, together with the other rules of Christianity, would propose a remedy for all the evils of bad debts in the following manner:

(1.) It would teach men to be industrious, and this would commonly prevent the necessity of contracting debts.

(2.) It would make them frugal, economical, and humble in their views and manner of life.

(3.) It would teach them to bring up their families in habits of industry. The Bible often enjoins that. Rom 12:11, comp. Php 4:8, Prov 24:30-34, 1Thes 4:11, 2Thes 3:10, Eph 4:28;

(4.) Religion would produce sober, chastened views of the end of life, of the great design of living; and would take off the affections from the splendour, gaiety, and extravagances which lead often to the contraction of debts, 1Thes 5:6,8, 1Pet 1:13, 4:7, Tit 2:12, 1Pet 3:3,5; 1Timm 2:9.

(5.) Religion would put a period to the vices and unlawful desires which now prompt men to contract debts.

(6.) It would make them honest in paying them. It would make them conscientious, prompt, friends of truth, and disposed to keep their promises.

But to love one another. Love is a debt which can, never be discharged. We should feel that we owe this to all men; and though by acts of kindness we may be constantly discharging it, yet we should feel that it can never be fully met while there is opportunity to do good.

For he that loveth, etc. In what way this is done is stated in Rom 13:10. The law in relation to our neighbour is there said to be simply that we do no ill to him. Love to him would prompt to no injury. It would seek to do him good, and would thus fulfil all the purposes of justice and truth which we owe to him. In order to illustrate this, the apostle, in the next verse, runs over the laws of the ten commandments in relation to our neighbour, and shows that all those laws proceed on the principle that we are to love him, and that love would prompt to them all.

(z) "for he that loveth" Jas 2:8

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another - In the preceding verses the apostle has been showing the duty, reverence, and obedience, which all Christians, from the highest to the lowest, owe to the civil magistrate; whether he be emperor, king, proconsul, or other state officer; here he shows them their duty to each other: but this is widely different from that which they owe to the civil government: to the first they owe subjection, reverence, obedience, and tribute; to the latter they owe nothing but mutual love, and those offices which necessarily spring from it. Therefore, the apostle says, Owe no man; as if he had said: Ye owe to your fellow brethren nothing but mutual love, and this is what the law of God requires, and in this the law is fulfilled. Ye are not bound in obedience to them as to the civil magistrate; for to him ye must needs be subject, not merely for fear of punishment, but for conscience sake: but to these ye are bound by love; and by that love especially which utterly prevents you from doing any thing by which a brother may sustain any kind of injury.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Romans 13:8-10

Christians must avoid useless expense, and be careful not to contract any debts they have not the power to discharge. They are also to stand aloof from all venturesome speculations and rash engagements, and whatever may expose them to the danger of not rendering to all their due. Do not keep in any one's debt. Give every one his own. Do not spend that on yourselves, which you owe to others. But many who are very sensible of the trouble, think little of the sin, of being in debt. Love to others includes all the duties of the second table. The last five of the ten commandments are all summed up in this royal law, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself; with the same sincerity that thou lovest thyself, though not in the same measure and degree. He that loves his neighbour as himself, will desire the welfare of his neighbour. On this is built that golden rule, of doing as we would be done by. Love is a living, active principle of obedience to the whole law. Let us not only avoid injuries to the persons, connexions, property, and characters of men; but do no kind or degree of evil to any man, and study to be useful in every station of life.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Romans 13:8 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.

μηδενὶmēdeniTo no oneG3367

μηδὲνmēdennothingG3367

ὀφείλετεopheiletedo oweG3784

εἰeionlyG1487

μὴmēexceptG3361

τὸto<the>G3588

ἀλλήλουςallēlousone anotherG240

ἀγαπᾶν·agapanto love;G25

ὁhothe [one]G3588

γὰρgarforG1063

ἀγαπῶνagapōnlovingG25

τὸνtontheG3588

ἕτερονheteronotherG2087

νόμονnomon[the] LawG3551

πεπλήρωκεν·peplērōkenhas fulfilled;G4137

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

Cross references for Romans 13:8

Romans 13:10
Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
Matthew 22:39-40
And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Galatians 5:14
For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Matthew 7:12
Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.
Proverbs 3:27-28
Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it. Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.
John 13:34
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
Romans 13:7
Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.
James 2:8
If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:
Colossians 3:14
And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
Deuteronomy 24:14-15
Thou shalt not oppress an hired servant that is poor and needy, whether he be of thy brethren, or of thy strangers that are in thy land within thy gates: At his day thou shalt give him his hire, neither shall the sun go down upon it; for he is poor, and setteth his heart upon it: lest he cry against thee unto the Lord, and it be sin unto thee.
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:

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Owe.
7; De 24:14,15; Pr 3:27,28; Mt 7:12; 22:39,40
for.
10; Ga 5:14; Col 3:14; 1Ti 1:5; Jas 2:8

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

Context

Romans 13:7
Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.
Romans 13:8
Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
Romans 13:9
For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Read all of Romans 13

Romans 13:8 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	No debáis á nadie nada, sino amaros unos á otros; porque el que ama al prójimo, cumplió la ley.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Ne devez rien à personne, sinon de vous aimer les uns les autres, car celui qui aime les autres a accompli la loi.
German Elberfelder 1871	Seid niemandem irgend etwas schuldig, als nur einander zu lieben; denn wer den anderen liebt, hat das Gesetz erfüllt.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Nemini quidquam debeatis, nisi ut invicem diligatis: qui enim diligit proximum, legem implevit.