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Romans 12:19

Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

KJV

μὴ ἑαυτοὺς ἐκδικοῦντες, ἀγαπητοί, ἀλλὰ δότε τόπον τῇ ὀργῇ, γέγραπται γάρ, ἐμοὶ ἐκδίκησις, ἐγὼ ἀνταποδώσω, λέγει κύριος.

Greek NT

non vosmetipsos defendentes carissimi, sed date locum iræ. Scriptum est enim : Mihi vindicta : ego retribuam, dicit Dominus.

Vulgate

Avenge not yourselves, beloved, but give place unto the wrath of God: for it is written, Vengeance belongeth unto me; I will recompense, saith the Lord.

ASV

Revenge not yourselves, my dearly beloved; but give place unto wrath, for it is written: Revenge is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord.

Douay-Rheims

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In the original Greek

16 distinct Greek words appear in this verse.

γάρ
gar
conjunction · 1036×
γράφω
grapho
verb · 192×
δίδωμι
didomi
verb · 414×
κύριος
kurios
noun · 717×
λέγω
lego
verb · 2256×
μή
me
particle · 1033×
τόπος
topos
noun · 95×
ἀγαπητός
agapetos
adjective · 61×
ἀλλά
alla
conjunction · 636×
ἀνταποδίδωμι
antapodidomi
verb · 7×
ἐγώ
ego
pronoun · 1720×
ἐκδίκησις
ekdikesis
noun · 9×
ἐκδικέω
ekdikeo
verb · 6×
ἑαυτοῦ
eautou
reflexive_pronoun · 316×
ὀργή
orge
noun · 36×
o
article · 19778×

Intertextual echoes

This verse quotes or alludes to 1 earlier text.

  • Deut 32:35 · exact_quote
    "To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste."
    Deuteronomy: vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord

Themes

Historic Christian voices

9 passages from patristic writers, Reformers, and church catechisms citing this verse.

2. They thought that He, thus speaking, did so with a view to the abrogation of the ancient institutions. This suspicion therefore He heals; nor here only does He so, but elsewhere also again. Thus, since they accounted Him no less than an adversary of God, from this sort of reason, namely, His not keeping the sabbath; He, to heal such their suspicion, there also again sets for…
1. They who come to the divine preaching and give heed to the faith, must manifest the desire of thirsty men for water, and kindle in themselves a similar longing; so will they be able also very carefully to retain what is said. For as thirsty men, when they have taken a bowl, eagerly drain it and then desist, so too they who hear the divine oracles if they receive them thirsti…
Source. Translated by J. Walker, J. Sheppard and H. Browne, and revised by George B. Stevens. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 11. Edited by Philip Schaff. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1889.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/210222.htm>. Contact information. The editor of New Adven…
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice. Calvin shows that the practical exhortations of chapters 12-16 flow directly from the doctrinal foundation of chapters 1-11. The life of the Christian is to be a living sacrifice — wholly consecrated to God. The renewing of the mind is the pattern by which believers are con…
Heidelberg Catechism · 2 passages
Q. What is God's will for you in the sixth commandment? A. I am not to belittle, insult, hate, or kill my neighbor — not by my thoughts, my words, my look or gesture, and certainly not by actual deeds — and I am not to be party to this in others; rather, I am to put away all desire for revenge. I am not to harm or recklessly endanger myself either. Prevention of murder is also …
Q. Does this commandment refer only to killing? A. By forbidding murder God teaches us that he hates the root of murder: envy, hatred, anger, vindictiveness. In God's eyes all such are murder.

Cross-references

  • 1Cor 10:14 — Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.
  • 1Pet 3:9 — Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.
  • 1Sam 24:12 — The LORD judge between me and thee, and the LORD avenge me of thee: but mine hand shall not be upon thee.
  • 1Sam 25:26 — Now therefore, my lord, as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, seeing the LORD hath withholden thee from coming to shed blood, and from avenging thyself with thine own hand, now let thine enemies
  • 1Sam 25:26 — Now therefore, my lord, as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, seeing the LORD hath withholden thee from coming to shed blood, and from avenging thyself with thine own hand, now let thine enemies
  • 1Sam 25:31 — That this shall be no grief unto thee, nor offence of heart unto my lord, either that thou hast shed blood causeless, or that my lord hath avenged himself: but when the LORD shall have dealt well with
  • 1Sam 25:33 — And blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself with mine own hand.
  • 1Sam 26:10 — David said furthermore, As the LORD liveth, the LORD shall smite him; or his day shall come to die; or he shall descend into battle, and perish.
  • 1Thess 4:6 — That 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.
  • 1Thess 4:6 — That 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.
  • 2Tim 4:14 — Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works:
  • Amos 1:7 — But I will send a fire on the wall of Gaza, which shall devour the palaces thereof:
  • Deut 7:10 — And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face.
  • Deut 32:35 — To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste.
  • Deut 32:35 — To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste.
  • Deut 32:43 — Rejoice, O ye nations, with his people: for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and will render vengeance to his adversaries, and will be merciful unto his land, and to his people.
  • Deut 32:43 — Rejoice, O ye nations, with his people: for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and will render vengeance to his adversaries, and will be merciful unto his land, and to his people.
  • Eph 4:26 — Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
  • Ezek 25:12 — Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because that Edom hath dealt against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and hath greatly offended, and revenged himself upon them;
  • Gen 50:19 — And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God?
  • Heb 10:30 — For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.
  • Heb 10:30 — For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.
  • Jer 15:15 — O LORD, thou knowest: remember me, and visit me, and revenge me of my persecutors; take me not away in thy longsuffering: know that for thy sake I have suffered rebuke.
  • Jer 51:36 — Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will plead thy cause, and take vengeance for thee; and I will dry up her sea, and make her springs dry.
  • Job 21:31 — Who shall declare his way to his face? and who shall repay him what he hath done?
  • Judg 15:7 — And Samson said unto them, Though ye have done this, yet will I be avenged of you, and after that I will cease.
  • Lev 19:18 — Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.
  • Lev 19:18 — Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.
  • Luke 6:27 — But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,
  • Luke 9:55 — But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.
  • Luke 22:50 — And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear.
  • Matt 5:39 — But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
  • Matt 26:52 — Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.
  • Nah 1:2 — God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies.
  • Nah 1:2 — God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies.
  • Prov 20:22 — Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the LORD, and he shall save thee.
  • Prov 24:17 — Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth:
  • Prov 24:29 — Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me: I will render to the man according to his work.
  • Ps 18:47 — It is God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me.
  • Ps 94:1 — O Lord God, to whom vengeance belongeth; O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, shew thyself.