complete verse (Romans 13:7)

Following are a number of back-translations of Romans 13:7:

  • Uma: “Give to all people what is appropriate to give them, whether it is tax or other payment. Submit to people whom it is appropriate to submit to. Honor people whom it is appropriate to honor.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Therefore pay what is right to be paid, land tax or any tax, and respect/treat-according-to-custom and honor the ones who rule your land/place.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And because of this, it’s necessary that we pay taxes and the other things that the government asks us to pay. And also let us respect the people in the government, and let’s show our great respect for their rank.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “So let us pay the various-kinds of taxes that we are obligated to pay while at-the-same-time we also properly respect those who rule us.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Concerning all to whom you owe, pay them. Those to whom you owe the taxes, pay your taxes. Respect those who have positions.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
  • Isthmus Zapotec: “Pay everything (or everyone) you owe. Where you owe a hand (that is, a day’s work to help build a house, or town work) give it, and where you owe a tax pay it. Where you owe respect, give it, and where you owe esteem, give esteem.”
  • Teutila Cuicatec: “All authorities who ask taxes of you, pay them, and all officials and authorities respect and love them.” (Source for this and above: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)

Translation commentary on Romans 13:7

It is difficult to know what distinction Paul makes between the two words that he uses for taxes in this verse. Traditionally, the first word is taken to refer to those taxes paid by a subject nation to a nation that ruled over it (see Luke 20.22), while the second word is a more general term, referring to the taxes paid in support of a government (see Matthew 17.25). Some suggest that the first word refers to direct taxes and the second to taxes paid indirectly, but it is doubtful that Paul makes any real distinction. For this reason it is best to select general terms that cover wide areas of meaning. The Good News Translation renders these terms as personal and property taxes, the New English Bible as “tax and toll,” and the Jerusalem Bible as “direct tax or indirect.” An appropriate equivalent may be “the various kinds of taxes,” “the different kinds of taxes,” or “whatever kind of taxes there are.” The expression for taxes may be closely related to the first clause—for example, “whatever taxes are assessed against you, pay them.”

By rendering the last part of this verse literally, many translations intimate that Paul is speaking of two different classes of persons, one to whom respect is due and another to whom honor is due (see, for example, Revised Standard Version “respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due”). The style of this sentence in Greek reflects certain special rhetorical features, and to translate it literally may result in a misleading expression. The Good News Translation takes this verse specifically in the context of giving what is due to government officials, whether it be honor or money. Most translations, however, make this verse into a general maxim. See, for example, the New English Bible: “discharge your obligations to all men; pay tax and toll, reverence and respect, to those to whom they are due.” In a number of languages respect and honor must be coalesced into a single expression: “show complete respect to all authorities.” In the Greek text the use of the two terms is primarily a means of emphasis, not a technique for making distinctions. The manner in which one shows respect may be expressed quite differently depending upon cultural practices and attitudes—for example, “stoop before,” “crouch beneath the seat of,” or “sit on the heels before.” In some languages one may employ direct discourse: “Say to them, You are great.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Romans. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1973. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Romans 13:7

13:7a

Pay: This Greek word refers to giving something because one is required to give. Here are other ways to translate this word:

Give (New International Version)
-or-
Pay, as you should,

The New International Version allows the context to imply giving something you should give. The Berean Standard Bible does a similar thing with Pay.

everyone: Considering the list of things to do in 13:7b–e, the word everyone here refers to all government authorities, not everyone in the world. For example:

all of them (Revised Standard Version)

what you owe him: The Greek word refers to things that someone should repay or give. 13:7b–e has four examples of what you owe him. Your translation should clearly allow taxes, revenue, respect, and honor to be examples of the word or phrase you translate here.

General Comment on 13:7a

With the colon (:) after the word “him” and not repeating the word “pay,” the Berean Standard Bible indicates that 13:7b–e are four things that the believer should pay. In some languages a different way to translate that meaning must be used. For example:

Pay everyone what you owe him. ⌊So,⌋ ⌊pay⌋ taxes to whom taxes are due, ⌊and⌋ ⌊pay⌋ revenue to whom revenue is due, ⌊and⌋ ⌊pay⌋ respect to whom respect is due, ⌊and⌋ ⌊pay⌋ honor to whom honor is due.
-or-
Pay everyone what you owe him. ⌊That is,⌋ ⌊pay⌋ taxes to whom taxes are due, ⌊and⌋ revenue to whom revenue is due, ⌊and⌋ respect to whom respect is due, ⌊and⌋ honor to whom honor is due.

13:7b

taxes to whom taxes are due: The word “pay” is implied here. In some languages that word must be explicit here. For example:

⌊pay⌋ taxes to whom taxes are owed

You may want to use the same word here for “pay” as you did in 13:7a.

taxes: See how you translated this word in 13:6.

13:7c

revenue to whom revenue is due: The word “pay” is implied here. In some languages that word must be explicit here. For example:

⌊pay⌋ revenue to whom revenue is owed

This is the second item in a list. In some languages an “and” must begin this phrase. For example:

⌊and⌋ revenue to whom revenue is owed

revenue: The Greek word refers to money other than taxes that government authorities ask people to pay. This includes duty, fees, and other such things. Here are other ways to translate this word:

duty
-or-
fees

13:7d

respect to whom respect is due: The word “pay” is implied here. In some languages that word must be explicit here. But in many languages a different word than “pay” must be used for the correct meaning. For example:

⌊pay/give/show⌋ respect to whom respect is owed
-or-
respect the person/leader you should respect

This is the third item in a list. In some languages an “and” must begin this phrase. For example:

⌊and⌋ respect to whom respect is owed

respect: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as respect is more literally “fear.” It refers to a necessary attitude to have toward powerful people because their power can put us in danger. People of lower status and power must act in ways that do not make powerful people angry or feel humiliated. For example:

fear (New American Standard Bible)

But many English versions translate the Greek word as respect here.

13:7e

honor to whom honor is due: The word “pay” is implied here. In some languages that word must be explicit here. But in many languages a different word than “pay” must be used for the correct meaning. For example:

⌊pay/give/show⌋ honor to whom honor is owed
-or-
honor the person/leader you should honor

This is the fourth item in a list. In some languages an “and” must begin this phrase. For example:

⌊and⌋ honor to whom honor is owed

honor: This word refers to showing that you respect someone. This may be praising him or speaking highly of him to others. Here are other ways to translate this word:

praise
-or-
lift up the name

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