20
Butἀλλὰifἐὰνyourσουenemyὁ ἐχθρόςis hungry,πεινᾷfeedψώμιζεhim;αὐτόνifἐὰνhe is thirsty,διψᾷgive him a drink;πότιζε αὐτόνforγὰρby doingποιῶνthisτοῦτοyou will heapσωρεύσειςcoalsἄνθρακαςof fireπυρὸςonἐπὶhis head.τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ
Romans 12:20
Study it in the app“But if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for by doing this you will heap coals of fire on his head.”
Do not repay evil with evil; overcome evil with goodForgivenessDo not repay evil for evil; overcome evil with goodLoveDo not take revenge: overcome evil with goodConflict and Reconciliation
With the Greek beneath
Romans 12:20, word by word
- enemyἐχθρόςechthros
enemy
Someone who hates another or wars against them.
Where else “echthros” appears- is hungryπεινᾷpeinai
be hungry
To feel in the body the lack of food.
Where else “peinai” appears- feedψώμιζεpsōmize
feed
To give nourishment to the hungry.
Where else “psōmize” appears- he is thirstyδιψᾷdipsai
thirst
Be thirsty; long for something.
Where else “dipsai” appears- give him a drinkπότιζεpotize
give a drink
To hand another something to drink.
Where else “potize” appears- by doingποιῶνpoiōn
do
To carry out an action or cause an effect.
Where else “poiōn” appears- you will heapσωρεύσειςsōreuseis
heap up
To pile things one on another, on top of something.
Where else “sōreuseis” appears- coalsἄνθρακαςanthrakas
burning coal
Burning coal, a live coal.
Where else “anthrakas” appears- of fireπυρὸςpyros
fire
Fire.
Where else “pyros” appears- his headκεφαλὴνkephalēn
head
The top part of the body, where the face and hair are.
Where else “kephalēn” appears
Translation note
Proverbs 25:21-22. Probably: you will make him feel a shame that can lead him to change.
The context
19Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but give place to the wrath; for it is written: Vengeance is mine; I will repay, says the Lord.
20 · This verse (above)
21Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.
To study Romans 12 in a group
1. What it says
What does Paul ask in vv. 1-2, and what does he say about the mind?
2. What it means
What does it mean to you not to be conformed to this age but to be transformed by the renewal of the mind? (v. 2)
3. How I live it
Paul says: "If possible, as far as it depends on you, be at peace with all people" (v. 18). With whom can you take a step toward peace?