Romans 6 · Verse 13

Romans 6:13

Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
Romans 6:13, King James Version

Romans 6:13 in other translations

BSBDo not present the parts of your body to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and present the parts of your body to Him as instruments of righteousness.
WEBAlso, do not present your members to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.
ASVneither present your members unto sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves unto God, as alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
YLTneither present ye your members instruments of unrighteousness to the sin, but present yourselves to God as living out of the dead, and your members instruments of righteousness to God;
DARBYNeither yield your members instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but yield yourselves to God as alive from among the dead, and your members instruments of righteousness to God.
BBEAnd do not give your bodies to sin as the instruments of wrongdoing, but give yourselves to God, as those who are living from the dead, and your bodies as instruments of righteousness to God.
WebsterNeither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin: but yield yourselves to God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God:

What does Romans 6:13 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
13. Neither yield ye your members instruments of unrighteousness unto Sin, but yield yourselves--this is the great surrender. unto God as those that are alive from the dead, and--as the fruit of this. your members--till now prostituted to sin. instruments of righteousness unto God--But what if indwelling sin should prove too strong for us? The reply is: But it will not.

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

Barnes' Notes
Verse 13.

Neither yield ye your members. Do not give up, or devote, or employ your members, etc. The word members here refers to the members of the body--the hands, feet, tongue, etc. It is a specification of what in Rom 6:12 is included under the general term "body." See Rom 7:5,23, 1Cor 6:15, 12:12,18,20.

As instruments. This word--(οπλα)--properly signifies arms, or implements of war; but it also denotes an instrument of any kind which we use for defence or aid. Here it means that we should not devote our members--our hands, tongue, etc. --as if under the direction of sinful passions and corrupt desires, to accomplish purposes of iniquity. We should not make the members of our bodies the slaves of sin reigning within us.

Unto sin. In the service of sin; to work iniquity.

But yield yourselves, etc. Give or devote yourselves to God.

That are alive. Rom 6:11.

And your members, etc. Christians should devote every member of the body to God, and to his service. Their tongue should be consecrated to his praise, and to the office of truth, and kindness, and benevolence; their hands should be employed in useful labour for him and his cause; their feet should be swift in his service, and should not go in the paths of iniquity; their eyes should contemplate his works, to excite thanksgiving and praise; their ears should not be employed to listen to words of deceit, or songs of dangerous and licentious tendency, or to persuasion that would lead astray, but should be open to catch the voice of God as he utters his will in the Book of Truth, or as he speaks in the gale, the zephyr, the rolling thunder, the ocean, or in the great events of his providence. He speaks to us every day, and we should hear him; he spreads his glories before us, and we should survey them to praise him; he commands, and our hands, and heart, and feet should obey.

(v) "members as" Col 3:5 (1) "instruments" or "arms, or weapons" (w) "but yield yourselves" Rom 12:1

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 13 Neither yield ye your members - Do not yield to temptation. It is no sin to be tempted, the sin lies in yielding. While the sin exists only in Satan's solicitation, it is the devil's sin, not ours: when we yield, we make the devil's sin our own: then we Enter Into temptation. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Satan himself cannot force you to sin: till he wins over your will, he cannot bring you into subjection. You may be tempted; but yield not to the temptation. Yield yourselves unto God - Let God have your wills; keep them ever on his side; there they are safe, and there they will be active. Satan cannot force the will, and God will not. Indeed it would cease to be will were it forced by either: it is essential to its being that it be free. And your members as instruments, etc. - Let soul and body be employed in the service of your Maker; let him have your hearts; and with them, your heads, your hands, your feet. Think and devise what is pure; speak what is true, and to the use of edifying; work that which is just and good; and walk steadily in the way that leads to everlasting felicity. Be holy within and holy without.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Romans 6:11-15

The strongest motives against sin, and to enforce holiness, are here stated. Being made free from the reign of sin, alive unto God, and having the prospect of eternal life, it becomes believers to be greatly concerned to advance thereto. But, as unholy lusts are not quite rooted out in this life, it must be the care of the Christian to resist their motions, earnestly striving, that, through Divine grace, they may…

Read the full comment on Romans 6:11-15 →

Romans 6:13 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.

μηδὲmēdeNeitherG3366
παριστάνετεparistanetedo yieldG3936
τὰtatheG3588
μέληmelēmembersG3196
ὑμῶνhumōnof youG4771
ὅπλαhopla[as] instrumentsG3696
ἀδικίαςadikiasof unrighteousnessG93
τῇtēa<the>G3588
ἁμαρτίᾳ,hamartiato sin,G266
ἀλλὰallabutG235
παραστήσατεparastēsatedo yieldG3936
ἑαυτοὺςhe'autousyourselvesG1438
τῷtō<the>G3588
θεῷtheōto GodG2316
ὡσεὶhōseiasG5616
ἐκekout fromG1537
νεκρῶνnekrōn[the] deadG3498
ζῶνταςzōntaslivingG2198
καὶkaiandG2532
τὰtatheG3588
μέληmelēmembersG3196
ὑμῶνhumōnof youG4771
ὅπλαhopla[as] instrumentsG3696
δικαιοσύνηςdikaiosunēsof righteousnessG1343
τῷtō<the>G3588
θεῷ.theōto God.G2316

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

Cross references for Romans 6:13

  • Romans 12:1

    I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

  • Romans 6:16

    Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

  • Colossians 3:5

    Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

  • 1 Peter 2:24

    Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

  • Romans 7:5

    For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.

  • 1 Peter 4:2

    That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.

  • 1 Corinthians 6:20

    For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

  • Colossians 2:13

    And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

  • 1 John 1:9

    If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

  • James 3:5-6

    Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.

  • 1 Corinthians 6:15

    Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.

  • 1 Corinthians 6:9

    Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Neither.
16,19; 7:5,23; 1Co 6:15; Col 3:5; Jas 3:5,6; 4:1
instruments. Gr. arms, or weapons.
2Co 10:4
unrighteousness.
1:29; 2:8,9; De 25:16; Isa 3:10,11; 55:7; Eze 18:4; 1Co 6:9; 2Th 2:12
2Pe 2:13-15; 1Jo 1:9
but yield.
12:1; 2Ch 30:8; Da 3:28; 1Co 6:20; 2Co 8:5; Php 1:20
alive.
11; Lu 15:24,32; Joh 5:24; 2Co 5:15; Eph 2:5; 5:14; Col 2:13
1Pe 2:24; 4:2
and your.
Ps 37:30; Pr 12:18; Jas 3:5,6

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

Context

  • Romans 6:12

    Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

  • Romans 6:13

    Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

  • Romans 6:14

    For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

Read all of Romans 6

Romans 6:13 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Ni tampoco presentéis vuestros miembros al pecado por instrumentos de iniquidad; antes presentaos á Dios como vivos de los muertos, y vuestros miembros á Dios por instrumentos de justicia.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		et ne livrez pas vos membres au péché comme instruments d’iniquité, mais livrez-vous vous-mêmes à Dieu, comme d’entre les morts étant faits vivants, – et vos membres à Dieu, comme instruments de justice.
German
Elberfelder 1871		stellet auch nicht eure Glieder der Sünde dar zu Werkzeugen der Ungerechtigkeit, sondern stellet euch selbst Gott dar als Lebende aus den Toten, und eure Glieder Gott zu Werkzeugen der Gerechtigkeit.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Sed neque exhibeatis membra vestra arma iniquitatis peccato: sed exhibete vos Deo, tamquam ex mortuis viventes: et membra vestra arma justitiæ Deo.