Romans 14 · Verse 6

Romans 14:6

He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.
Romans 14:6, King James Version

Romans 14:6 in other translations

BSBHe who observes a special day does so to the Lord; he who eats does so to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.
WEBHe who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks. He who doesn’t eat, to the Lord he doesn’t eat, and gives God thanks.
ASVHe that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord: and he that eateth, eateth unto the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, unto the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.
YLTHe who is regarding the day, to the Lord he doth regard it, and he who is not regarding the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He who is eating, to the Lord he doth eat, for he doth give thanks to God; and he who is not eating, to the Lord he doth not eat, and doth give thanks to God.
DARBYHe that regards the day, regards it to the Lord. And he that eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he that does not eat, it is to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks.
BBEHe who keeps the day, keeps it to the Lord; and he who takes food, takes it as to the Lord, for he gives praise to God; and he who does not take food, to the Lord he takes it not, and gives praise to God.
WebsterHe that regardeth the day, regardeth it to the Lord: and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.

What does Romans 14:6 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
6. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it to the Lord--the Lord Christ, as before. and he ... not, to the Lord he doth not--each doing what he believes to be the Lord's will. He that earth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks--The one gave thanks to God for the flesh which the other scrupled to use; the other did the same for the herbs to which, for conscience' sake, he restricted himself. From this passage about the observance of days, Alford unhappily infers that such language could not have been used if the sabbath law had been in force under the Gospel in any form. Certainly it could not, if the sabbath were merely one of the Jewish festival days; but it will not do to take this for granted merely because it was observed under the Mosaic economy. And certainly, if the sabbath was more ancient than Judaism; if, even under Judaism, it was enshrined among the eternal sanctities of the Decalogue, uttered, as no other parts of Judaism were, amidst the terrors of Sinai; and if the Lawgiver Himself said of it when on earth, "The Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day" (see Mr 2:28)--it will be hard to show that the apostle must have meant it to be ranked by his readers among those vanished Jewish festival days, which only "weakness" could imagine to be still in force--a weakness which those who had more light ought, out of love, merely to bear with.

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

Barnes' Notes
Verse 6. He that regardeth. Greek, Thinketh of; or pays attention to; that is, he that observes it as a festival, or as holy time.

The day. Any of the days under discussion; the days that the Jews kept as religious occasions.

Regardeth it unto the Lord. Regards it as holy, or as set apart to the service of God. He believes that he is required by God to keep it, i.e., that the laws of Moses in regard to such days are binding on him.

He that regardeth not the day. Or who does not observe such distinctions of days as are demanded in the laws of Moses.

To the Lord, etc. That is, he does not believe that God requires such an observance.

He that eateth. The Gentile Christian, who freely eats all kinds of meat, Rom 14:2.

Eateth to the Lord. Because he believes that God does not forbid it; and because he desires, in doing it, to glorify God, 1Cor 10:31. To eat to the Lord, in this case, is to do it believing that such is his will. In all other cases, it is to do it feeling that we receive our food from him; rendering thanks for his goodness, and desirous of being strengthened that we may do his commands.

He giveth God thanks. This is an incidental proof that it is our duty to give God thanks at our meals for our food. It shows that it was the practice of the early Christians, and has the commendation of the apostle. It was also uniformly done by the Jews, and by the Lord Jesus, Mt 14:19, 26:26, Mk 6:41, 14:22, Lk 9:16, 24:30.

To the Lord he eateth not. He abstains from eating because he believes that God requires him to do it, and with a desire to obey and honour him.

And giveth God thanks. That is, the Jew thanked God for the law, and for the favour he had bestowed on him in giving him more light than he had the Gentiles. For this privilege they valued themselves highly, and this feeling, no doubt, the converted Jews would continue to retain; deeming themselves as specially favoured in having a peculiar acquaintance with the law of God.

(1) "regardeth" or "observeth"

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 6 He that regardeth the day - A beautiful apology for mistaken sincerity and injudicious reformation. Do not condemn the man for what is indifferent in itself: if he keep these festivals, his purpose is to honor God by the religious observance of them. On the other hand, he who finds that he cannot observe them in honor of God, not believing that God has enjoined them, he does not observe them at all. In like manner, he that eateth any creature of God, which is wholesome and proper food, gives thanks to God as the author of all good. And he who cannot eat of all indiscriminately, but is regulated by the precepts in the Mosaic law relative to clean and unclean meats, also gives God thanks. Both are sincere; both upright; both act according to their light; God accepts both; and they should bear with each other.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Romans 14:1-6

Differences of opinion prevailed even among the immediate followers of Christ and their disciples. Nor did St. Paul attempt to end them. Compelled assent to any doctrine, or conformity to outward observances without being convinced, would be hypocritical and of no avail. Attempts for producing absolute oneness of mind among Christians would be useless. Let not Christian fellowship be disturbed with strifes of words…

Read the full comment on Romans 14:1-6 →

Romans 14:6 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.

ὁhoThe [one]G3588
φρονῶνphronōnregardingG5426
τὴνtēntheG3588
ἡμέρανhēmerandayG2250
κυρίῳkuriōto [the] LordG2962
φρονεῖphroneiregards [it]G5426
καὶkaiandG2532
ὁhothe [one]G3588
μὴmēnotG3361
φρονῶνphronōnregardingG5426
τὴνtēntheG3588
ἡμέρανhēmerandayG2250
κυρίῳkuriōto [the] LordG2962
οὐounotG3756
φρονεῖ·phroneiregards [it];G5426
ὁhothe [one]G3588
ἐσθίωνesthiōneatingG2068
κυρίῳkuriōto [the] LordG2962
ἐσθίει,esthieieats,G2068
εὐχαριστεῖeucharisteihe gives thanksG2168
γὰρgarforG1063
τῷtō<the>G3588
θεῷ·theōto God;G2316
καὶkaiandG2532
ὁhothe [one]G3588
μὴmēnotG3361
ἐσθίωνesthiōneatingG2068
κυρίῳkuriōto [the] LordG2962
οὐκouknotG3756
ἐσθίει,esthieihe eats,G2068
καὶkaiandG2532
εὐχαριστεῖeucharisteihe gives thanksG2168
τῷtō<the>G3588
θεῷ.theōto God.G2316

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

Cross references for Romans 14:6

  • 1 Corinthians 10:30-31

    For if I by grace be a partaker, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks? Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

  • 1 Timothy 4:3-5

    Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

  • John 6:28

    Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?

  • Matthew 14:19

    And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.

  • Isaiah 58:5

    Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord?

  • Exodus 12:42

    It is a night to be much observed unto the Lord for bringing them out from the land of Egypt: this is that night of the Lord to be observed of all the children of Israel in their generations.

  • Matthew 15:36

    And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.

  • Exodus 16:25

    And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the Lord: to day ye shall not find it in the field.

  • Galatians 4:10

    Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.

  • Exodus 12:14

    And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.

  • Zechariah 7:5-6

    Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me? And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves?

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
regardeth. or, observeth.
Ga 4:10
regardeth it.
Ex 12:14,42; 16:25; Isa 58:5; Zec 7:5,6
for.
Mt 14:19; 15:36; Joh 6:28; 1Co 10:30,31; 1Ti 4:3-5

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

Context

  • Romans 14:5

    One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.

  • Romans 14:6

    He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.

  • Romans 14:7

    For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.

Read all of Romans 14

Romans 14:6 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		El que hace caso del día, háce lo para el Señor: y el que no hace caso del día, no lo hace para el Señor. El que come, come para el Señor, porque da gracias á Dios; y el que no come, no come para el Señor, y da gracias á Dios.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Celui qui a égard au jour, y a égard à cause du Seigneur; et celui qui mange, mange à cause du Seigneur, car il rend grâces à Dieu; et celui qui ne mange pas, ne mange pas à cause du Seigneur, et il rend grâces à Dieu.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Wer den Tag achtet, achtet ihn dem Herrn. Und wer ißt, ißt dem Herrn, denn er danksagt Gott; und wer nicht ißt, ißt dem Herrn nicht und danksagt Gott.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Qui sapit diem, Domino sapit, et qui manducat, Domino manducat: gratias enim agit Deo. Et qui non manducat, Domino non manducat, et gratias agit Deo.