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Romans

About this book
Chapter 12

1 Therefore I exhort you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice—alive, holy, and pleasing to God—which is your reasonable service.⁠ 2 Do not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God—what is good and well-pleasing and perfect. 3 For by the grace given to me I say to every one of you not to think more highly of yourself than you ought to think, but to think with sober discernment, as God has distributed to each of you a measure of faith. 4 For just as in one body we have many members, and not all the members serve the same function, 5 so we who are many are one body in Christ, and individually we are members who belong to one another. 6 And we have different gifts according to the grace given to us. If the gift is prophecy, that individual must use it in proportion to his faith. 7 If it is service, he must serve; if it is teaching, he must teach; 8 if it is exhortation, he must exhort; if it is contributing, he must do so with sincerity; if it is leadership, he must do so with diligence; if it is showing mercy, he must do so with cheerfulness. 9 Love must be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil, cling to what is good.⁠ 10 Be devoted to one another with mutual love, showing eagerness in honoring one another. 11 Do not lag in zeal, be enthusiastic in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, endure in suffering, persist in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints, pursue hospitality.⁠ 14 Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty but associate with the lowly. Do not be conceited. 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil; consider what is good before all people.⁠ 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all people. 19 Do not avenge yourselves, dear friends, but give place to God’s wrath, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay,”⁠ says the Lord.⁠ 20 Rather, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing this you will be heaping burning coals on his head.⁠ 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.⁠

Texts in conversation

Compare LXX Proverbs 25:21 and Romans 12:20

Septuagint · New Testament

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Summary

Proverbs 25 teaches to give food and drink to enemies to heap burning coals on their heads, a means of shaming them. In Romans, Paul quotes Proverbs to command non-retaliation and a non-violent approach towards one’s enemies.

Passages

LXX Proverbs 25:21

Septuagint
20 As vinegar is bad for a sore, so trouble befalling the body afflicts the heart. 20a As a moth in a garment, and a worm in wood, so the grief of a man hurts the heart. 21 If your enemy hungers, feed him; if he thirsts, give him drink; 22 for so doing you shall heap coals of fire upon his head, and the Lord shall reward you with good.
100–1 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in LXX Proverbs

Romans 12:20

New Testament
19 Do not avenge yourselves, dear friends, but give place to God’s wrath, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 Rather, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing this you will be heaping burning coals on his head. 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
55–58 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in Romans

References

... The only actual "antithesis" of this section of the Sermon on the Mount is Matthew 5:43–44: "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." No law commands hatred of enemies. On the contrary, Proverbs 25:21 advises, "If your enemies are hungry, give them bread to eat, and if they are thirsty, give them water to drink." Granted, there is a compensatory aspect to this bit of wisdom, for the proverb does indicate that those who do behave in such a beneficent manner toward enemies "will heap coals of fire on their heads, and the Lord will reward you" (25:22). Jesus therefore goes a step beyond the biblical tradition. ...
Amy-Jill Levine, The Misunderstood Jew: The Church and the Scandal of the Jewish Jesus (San Francisco: Harper San Francisco, 2006), 47.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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LXX Proverbs 25:21 and Romans 12:20

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