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Selected Verse: Romans 12:14 - King James

Verse	Translation	Text
Ro 12:14	King James	Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.

Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse

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A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
Bless--that is, Call down by prayer a blessing on. them which persecute you, &c.--This is taken from the Sermon on the Mount (Mat 5:44), which, from the allusions made to it, seems to have been the storehouse of Christian morality among the churches.

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

Bless--that is, Call down by prayer a blessing on.

them which persecute you, &c.--This is taken from the Sermon on the Mount (Mat 5:44), which, from the allusions made to it, seems to have been the storehouse of Christian morality among the churches.

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
Bless them ... - see the note at Mat 5:44; compare Luk 6:28. Bless, and curse not - Bless only; or continue to bless, however long or aggravated may be the injury. Do not be provoked to anger, or to cursing, by any injury, persecution, or reviling. This is one of the most severe and difficult duties of the Christian religion; and it is a duty which nothing else but religion will enable people to perform. To curse denotes properly to devote to destruction. Where there is power to do it, it implies the destruction of the object. Thus, the fig-tree that was cursed by the Saviour soon withered away: Mar 11:21. Thus, those whom God curses will be certainly destroyed; Mat 25:41. Where there is not power to do it, to curse implies the invoking of the aid of God to devote to destruction. Hence, it means to imprecate; to implore a curse from God to rest on others; to pray that God would destroy them. In a larger sense still, it means to abuse by reproachful words; to calumniate; or to express oneself in a violent, profane, and outrageous manner. In this passage it seems to have special reference to this.

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]

Bless them ... - see the note at Mat 5:44; compare Luk 6:28.

Bless, and curse not - Bless only; or continue to bless, however long or aggravated may be the injury. Do not be provoked to anger, or to cursing, by any injury, persecution, or reviling. This is one of the most severe and difficult duties of the Christian religion; and it is a duty which nothing else but religion will enable people to perform. To curse denotes properly to devote to destruction. Where there is power to do it, it implies the destruction of the object. Thus, the fig-tree that was cursed by the Saviour soon withered away: Mar 11:21. Thus, those whom God curses will be certainly destroyed; Mat 25:41. Where there is not power to do it, to curse implies the invoking of the aid of God to devote to destruction. Hence, it means to imprecate; to implore a curse from God to rest on others; to pray that God would destroy them. In a larger sense still, it means to abuse by reproachful words; to calumniate; or to express oneself in a violent, profane, and outrageous manner. In this passage it seems to have special reference to this.

Vincent's Word Studies, by Marvin R. Vincent [1886]
Bless (εὐλογεῖτε) See on blessed, Pe1 1:3. Them that persecute (τοὺς διώκοντας) See on Joh 5:16. It has been suggested that the verb pursuing in Rom 12:13 may have suggested the persecutors here. Pursue hospitality toward the brethren as the wicked pursue them. Curse not Plutarch relates that when a decree was issued that Alcibiades should be solemnly cursed by all the priests and priestesses, one of the latter declared that her holy office obliged her to make prayers, but not execrations ("Alcibiades").

Vincent's Word Studies, by Marvin R. Vincent [1886]

Bless (εὐλογεῖτε)

See on blessed, Pe1 1:3.

Them that persecute (τοὺς διώκοντας)

See on Joh 5:16. It has been suggested that the verb pursuing in Rom 12:13 may have suggested the persecutors here. Pursue hospitality toward the brethren as the wicked pursue them.

Curse not

Plutarch relates that when a decree was issued that Alcibiades should be solemnly cursed by all the priests and priestesses, one of the latter declared that her holy office obliged her to make prayers, but not execrations ("Alcibiades").

Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65]
Curse not - No, not in your heart.

Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65]

Curse not - No, not in your heart.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826
Bless them which persecute you - Ευλογειτε, Give good words, or pray for them that give you bad words, καταρασθε, who make dire imprecations against you. Bless them, pray for them, and on no account curse them, whatever the provocation may be. Have the loving, forgiving mind that was in your Lord.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826

Bless them which persecute you - Ευλογειτε, Give good words, or pray for them that give you bad words, καταρασθε, who make dire imprecations against you. Bless them, pray for them, and on no account curse them, whatever the provocation may be. Have the loving, forgiving mind that was in your Lord.

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