Romans 1:13
What does Romans 1:13 mean?
A plain-English look at Romans 1:13 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Romans 1:13 means
Paul informs them that he has often planned to visit but has been hindered, indicating his desire is genuine and longstanding. He aims to have some fruit among them as he has among other Gentiles—conversions, growth in holiness, strengthened witness. He is not seeking novelty in Rome but the same gospel results seen elsewhere. The mention of hindrance suggests God’s providence or pressing obligations, without blaming anyone. By explaining this, Paul honors them, assuring that their church is part of his mission scope and not an afterthought. He longs for spiritual harvest in the empire’s capital as in other fields.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000And I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you (and was hindered hitherto), that I might have some fruit in you also, even as in the rest of the Gentiles.
KJV
King James Version · 1611Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901And I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you (and was hindered hitherto), that I might have some fruit in you also, even as in the rest of the Gentiles.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949You may be certain, my brothers, that it has frequently been in my mind to come to you (but till now I was kept from it), so that I might have some fruit from you in the same way as I have had it from the other nations.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862And I do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, that many times I did purpose to come unto you--and was hindered till the present time--that some fruit I might have also among you, even as also among the other nations.
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752And I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that I have often purposed to come unto you (and have been hindered hitherto) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890But I do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, that I often proposed to come to you, (and have been hindered until the present time,) that I might have some fruit among you too, even as among the other nations also.
Context
After expressing mutual encouragement (v.12), Paul addresses practical history (v.13): he tried to come but was prevented. This underlines the sincerity behind his prayers (vv.9–10) and his pastoral aims (v.11). Verses 14–15 will now state his sense of obligation and readiness to preach in Rome, leading directly to the gospel’s thesis in verses 16–17, the pivot from personal matters to doctrinal exposition.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Acts 15:12
And all the multitude kept silence; and they hearkened unto Barnabas and Paul rehearsing what signs and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles through them.
- 1 Corinthians 12:1
Now concerning spiritualgifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.
- Acts 14:27
And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all things that God had done with them, and that he had opened a door of faith unto the Gentiles.
- John 12:24
Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a grain of wheat fall into the earth and die, it abideth by itself alone; but if it die, it beareth much fruit.
- 2 Corinthians 10:13
But we will not glory beyond our measure, but according to the measure of the province which God apportioned to us as a measure, to reach even unto you.
- 2 Corinthians 2:14
But thanks be unto God, who always leadeth us in triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest through us the savor of his knowledge in every place.
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