Romans 13:10
What does Romans 13:10 mean?
A plain-English look at Romans 13:10 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Romans 13:10 means
Love never harms a neighbor, so love fulfills the law. Paul draws a firm conclusion: when love governs the heart, it steers us away from every injury we could do to another. This is fulfillment, not abolition—the law’s righteous requirements are met as love actively seeks the neighbor’s good. Love is thus the mature way of holiness, the internal power that aligns outward actions with God’s will. When believers walk in love, they do not need constant external compulsion; they are guided by the Spirit-shaped desire to bless, protect, and build up those around them.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: love therefore is the fulfilment of the law.
KJV
King James Version · 1611Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: love therefore is the fulfilment of the law.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949Love does no wrong to his neighbour, so love makes the law complete.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862the love to the neighbour doth work no ill; the love, therefore, <FI>is<Fi> the fulness of law.
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752The love of our neighbour worketh no evil. Love therefore is the fulfilling of the law.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890Love works no ill to its neighbour; love therefore [is the] whole law.
Context
Having illustrated love’s relation to specific commandments in verse 9, verse 10 states the summary: love is the law’s fulfillment. This wraps up the ethical center of the chapter before Paul turns to eschatological urgency. Verses 11–14 will call readers to wakefulness and purity because the day is near. The shift from the ethic of love to the timing of the hour is intentional: knowing what love requires, believers must live it urgently and visibly in light of Christ’s approaching day.
v.9For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not covet, and if there be any other commandment, it is summed up in this word, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
v.10This passage
v.11And this, knowing the season, that already it is time for you to awake out of sleep: for now is salvation nearer to us than when wefirstbelieved.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Matthew 22:39
And a second like unto it is this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
- 1 Corinthians 13:4
Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
- Romans 13:8
Owe no man anything, save to love one another: for he that loveth his neighbor hath fulfilled the law.
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