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KING JAMES BIBLE · PCE

Romans 13:4

TEXT EDITION
Pure Cambridge Edition selected
For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.
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SCRIPTURE WITH SCRIPTURE

Cross References

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From verse 4

  1. Romans 12:19Rank 1 from verse 4
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    19Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

  2. 2 Chronicles 19:6Rank 2 from verse 4
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    6And said to the judges, Take heed what ye do: for ye judge not for man, but for the Lord, who is with you in the judgment.

  3. Proverbs 24:23–24Rank 3 from verse 4
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    23These things also belong to the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.

    24He that saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous; him shall the people curse, nations shall abhor him:

  4. Proverbs 16:14Rank 4 from verse 4
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    14The wrath of a king is as messengers of death: but a wise man will pacify it.

  5. Proverbs 20:2Rank 5 from verse 4
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    2The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion: whoso provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soul.

  6. 1 Thessalonians 4:6Rank 6 from verse 4
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    6That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.

  7. Isaiah 1:17Rank 7 from verse 4
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    17Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.

  8. Psalms 82:2–4Rank 8 from verse 4
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    2How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah.

    3Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy.

    4Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked.

  9. Romans 13:6Rank 9 from verse 4
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    6For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.

  10. Ezekiel 22:27Rank 10 from verse 4
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    27Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain.

  11. Ezekiel 25:14Rank 11 from verse 4
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    14And I will lay my vengeance upon Edom by the hand of my people Israel: and they shall do in Edom according to mine anger and according to my fury; and they shall know my vengeance, saith the Lord God.

  12. Jeremiah 5:28Rank 12 from verse 4
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    28They are waxen fat, they shine: yea, they overpass the deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge.

  13. Micah 3:1–4Rank 13 from verse 4
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    1AND I said, Hear, I pray you, O heads of Jacob, and ye princes of the house of Israel; Is it not for you to know judgment?

    2Who hate the good, and love the evil; who pluck off their skin from off them, and their flesh from off their bones;

    3Who also eat the flesh of my people, and flay their skin from off them; and they break their bones, and chop them in pieces, as for the pot, and as flesh within the caldron.

    4Then shall they cry unto the Lord, but he will not hear them: he will even hide his face from them at that time, as they have behaved themselves ill in their doings.

  14. Micah 3:9Rank 14 from verse 4
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    9Hear this, I pray you, ye heads of the house of Jacob, and princes of the house of Israel, that abhor judgment, and pervert all equity.

  15. Proverbs 31:8–9Rank 15 from verse 4
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    8Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction.

    9Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.

  16. 1 Kings 10:9Rank 16 from verse 4
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    9Blessed be the Lord thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the Lord loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice.

  17. Ecclesiastes 8:2–5Rank 17 from verse 4
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    2I counsel thee to keep the king’s commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God.

    3Be not hasty to go out of his sight: stand not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him.

    4Where the word of a king is, there is power: and who may say unto him, What doest thou?

    5Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man’s heart discerneth both time and judgment.

  18. Joshua 20:9Rank 18 from verse 4
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    9These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them, that whosoever killeth any person at unawares might flee thither, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation.

  19. Numbers 35:19–27Rank 19 from verse 4
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    19The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him.

    20But if he thrust him of hatred, or hurl at him by laying of wait, that he die;

    21Or in enmity smite him with his hand, that he die: he that smote him shall surely be put to death; for he is a murderer: the revenger of blood shall slay the murderer, when he meeteth him.

    22But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or have cast upon him any thing without laying of wait,

    23Or with any stone, wherewith a man may die, seeing him not, and cast it upon him, that he die, and was not his enemy, neither sought his harm:

    24Then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the revenger of blood according to these judgments:

    25And the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the revenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to the city of his refuge, whither he was fled: and he shall abide in it unto the death of the high priest, which was anointed with the holy oil.

    26But if the slayer shall at any time come without the border of the city of his refuge, whither he was fled;

    27And the revenger of blood find him without the borders of the city of his refuge, and the revenger of blood kill the slayer; he shall not be guilty of blood:

  20. Proverbs 20:26Rank 20 from verse 4
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    26A wise king scattereth the wicked, and bringeth the wheel over them.

  21. Proverbs 20:8Rank 21 from verse 4
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    8A king that sitteth in the throne of judgment scattereth away all evil with his eyes.

  22. Joshua 20:5Rank 22 from verse 4
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    5And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver the slayer up into his hand; because he smote his neighbour unwittingly, and hated him not beforetime.

WORDS IN THIS PASSAGE

Definitions

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DEFINED WORDS

Romans 13:4

COMBINED MEANING

for

↗

1. In behalf of or in the place of. 2. With respect to, concerning, or toward. 3. Because of or on account of. 4. During or throughout. 5. In order to obtain or reach. 6. As a conjunction, because or seeing that.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

minister

↗

Sense 1: As a noun, one who serves, attends, or executes an appointed charge or office. Sense 2: As a verb, to serve, attend, or perform service. Sense 3: To give, afford, supply, convey, or cause what is named to be supplied.

Meaning drawn from: Direct Scripture definition · KJV context and cross-references · Skeat 1893 · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

good

↗

Sense 1: Right, morally upright, beneficial, pleasing, useful, suitable, sound, favourable, or excellent. Sense 2: A good thing, benefit, welfare, possession, or goods. Sense 3: In ‘make good,’ to repair, repay, fulfil, establish, or prove.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

but

↗

Sense 1: However; marking contrast or qualification. Sense 2: Except or unless; excluding all others or alternatives. Sense 3: Only; no more than what follows.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Skeat 1893 · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

thou

↗

The singular second-person subject pronoun, meaning you when directly addressing one person, being, or individually treated addressee.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

which

↗

1. An interrogative or relative pronoun identifying one or more persons or things from a stated or implied set. 2. That which; what.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

evil

↗

Sense 1: Moral wickedness, sin, wrong, or corruption. Sense 2: Harm, misery, calamity, adversity, or punishment.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

in

↗

1. A preposition marking position, presence, state, circumstance, manner, means, sphere, reference, relation, association, or participation. 2. As an adverb, inward, inside, or into the place or position referred to.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

vain

↗

Empty, fruitless, ineffective, unprofitable, worthless, false, unsubstantial, or conceited.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

revenger

↗

One who executes vengeance or punishment; an appointed avenger or a minister executing judgment.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

execute

↗

To carry out, perform, or put into effect, especially a judgment or command.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Cawdrey 1604

COMBINED MEANING

wrath

↗

Fierce anger, indignation, displeasure, rage, or the punitive judgment and destructive action that proceed from it.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

upon

↗

1. Marks the person, place, thing, or basis to which something is related: on or onto; above or over; toward or against as the target of action, speech, thought, attention, or force; resting on, assigned to, or affecting as a state, gift, burden, duty, guilt, or judgment; supported by or based on; or one placed, added, or repeated on or after another. 2. With a stated time or occasion, or a preceding event, at that time or point, or at or after that event: on, at, when, then, or following it.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

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Suggested context · Romans 13:1–10

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13:1LET every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

13:2Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.

13:3For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:

13:4For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.

Selected passage

13:5Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.

13:6For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.

13:7Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.

13:8Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.

13:9For 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.

13:10Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

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