Romans 14:18 — Greek interlinear

1. Greek word
2. Greek lemma
3. OET-LV words
4. OET-RV words
5. Strong's
6. Role/Morphology
7. OET Gloss
8. VLT Gloss
9. CAPS codes
10. Confidence
11. OET tags
12. OET word #
1. ὁ
2. ὁ
3. the one
4. -
5. G3588 ↗
6. R-····NMS
7. the ‹one›
8. the ‹one›
9. -
10. Y60
11. 111671
1. Γάρ
2. γάρ
3. For/Because
4. -
5. G1063 ↗
6. C-·······
7. for
8. for
9. S
10. Y60
11. 111672
1. ἐν
2. ἐν
3. in
4. -
5. G1722 ↗
6. P-·······
7. in
8. in
9. -
10. Y60
11. 111673
1. τούτοις
2. οὗτος
3. -
4. -
5. G3778 ↗
6. R-····DNP
7. these
8. these
9. -
10. -
11. 111674
1. τούτῳ
2. οὗτος
3. this
4. -
5. G3778 ↗
6. R-····DNS
7. this
8. this
9. -
10. Y60
11. 111675
1. δουλεύων
2. δουλεύω
3. serving
4. serving
5. G1398 ↗
6. V-PPA·NMS
7. serving
8. serving
9. -
10. Y60
11. 111676
1. τῷ
2. ὁ
3. for the
4. the
5. G3588 ↗
6. E-····DMS
7. ˱for˲ the
8. ˱for˲ the
9. -
10. Y60
11. 111677
1. Θεῷ
2. θεός
3. -
4. -
5. G2316 ↗
6. N-····DMS
7. ˱for˲ god
8. ˱for˲ God
9. GN
10. Person=God
11. 111678
1. Χριστῷ
2. χριστός
3. chosen one messiah
4. anyone messiah
5. G5547 ↗
6. N-····DMS
7. chosen_one/messiah
8. Messiah
9. WN
10. Y60; Person=Jesus
11. 111679
1. εὐάρεστος
2. εὐάρεστος
3. well pleasing
4. pleases
5. G2101 ↗
6. S-····NMS
7. well_pleasing
8. well_pleasing
9. -
10. Y60
11. 111680
1. τῷ
2. ὁ
3. the
4. -
5. G3588 ↗
6. E-····DMS
7. ¬the
8. ¬the
9. -
10. Y60
11. 111681
1. Θεῷ
2. θεός
3. to god is
4. God is
5. G2316 ↗
6. N-····DMS
7. ˱to˲ god ‹is›
8. ˱to˲ God ‹is›
9. GN
10. Y60; Person=God
11. 111682
1. καί
2. καί
3. and
4. and
5. G2532 ↗
6. C-·······
7. and
8. and
9. -
10. Y60
11. 111683
1. δόκιμος
2. δόκιμος
3. approved
4. approved
5. G1384 ↗
6. S-····NMS
7. approved
8. approved
9. -
10. Y60
11. 111684
1. δοκίμοις
2. δόκιμος
3. -
4. -
5. G1384 ↗
6. S-····DMP
7. approved
8. approved
9. -
10. -
11. 111685
1. τοῖς
2. ὁ
3. by the
4. by the
5. G3588 ↗
6. E-····DMP
7. ˱by˲ the
8. ˱by˲ the
9. -
10. Y60
11. 111686
1. ἀνθρώποις
2. ἄνθρωπος
3. people
4. people
5. G444 ↗
6. N-····DMP
7. people
8. people
9. -
10. Y60
11. 111687

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 14:13–23: Do not cause others to sin

In this section, Paul told the believers in Rome to stop considering some of their fellow believers as bad people. Instead they should choose not to hinder them. He told them that God does not consider any kind of food or any other kind of thing as not acceptable, but people who think that that food or thing is unacceptable, they should not eat it or use it. But those who find those things acceptable, they should not hurt the faith of those who find those things unacceptable. Righteousness, peace, and joy are the important things in God’s kingdom, not what you eat or drink. God is pleased when those who follow Jesus live in that way.

Paul encouraged the believers to do things that bring peace and encouragement for each other. They are not to hurt other believers over what they eat. They are not to cause other believers to stumble in their faith because of what they eat. Foods that might cause problems for other believers are to be eaten privately. A believer should not eat food if he has doubts about whether he should eat it or not. Everything that is not done in faith is sin.

Here are other possible headings for this section:

Do Not Cause Another to Stumble (ESV)

Don’t Cause Problems for Others (CEV)

14:18a

For whoever serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God

For anyone who serves Christ in that way is pleasing to God
For God is pleased with the person who does the will of Christ,

For: Here this word introduces a consequence of living in the Holy Spirit with righteousness and peace and joy (14:17).See Cranfield (page 719).

whoever serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God: The Greek word that the BSB translates as pleasing can also mean “acceptable.” Many languages must choose one meaning or the other:

It means pleasing here, as in the BSB. (BSB, GNT, NIV, NLT, GW, CEV, NET, NCV, NABRE)
It means acceptable here, as in the ESV. (RSV, KJV, NASB, ESV, REB)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), because many English versions and scholars choose it. But this author found no scholar who explains their choice. If the major language version in your area follows interpretation (2), you may want to follow that.

Here are other ways to translate this clause according to interpretation (1):

the one who serves Christ in that way, by those deeds pleases God

God is pleased with the one who serves Christ in that way

serves Christ: The word serves refers to doing the things that Jesus commands us to do. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

lives as a servant of Christ

lives doing the will of Christ

in this way: There is a textual issue in 14:18a: (1) Some Greek manuscripts have the word to/in-this (BSB, RSV, NIV, GNT, NASB, NABRE, ESV, REB, NLT, GW, NET, NCV). (2) Some later Greek manuscripts have the word to/in-these (KJV and possibly the NJB). It is recommended that you follow option (1). This phrase refers back to the previous verse. Some languages must use “that” here for the correct meaning. For example:

in that way

Here this phrase probably refers to living in the Holy Spirit with righteousness and peace and joy (14:17).See Dunn (page 824) or Jewett (page 864). For example:

by living this way (NCV)

14:18b

and approved by men.

and is respected by people.
and people regard him as a very good person too.

approved by men: This clause indicates that these men approve of the believers who serve Christ in that way. Some languages must use an active clause. For example:

men/people approve him

approved: The Greek word refers to considering someone worthy of high regard.BDAG, sense 2. Here are other ways to translate this word:

respected (NJB)

highly regarded

men: Here the word men refers to men and women. See the example above.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-words-phrases

γὰρ

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὁ Γάρ ἐν τούτῳ δουλεύων τῷ Χριστῷ εὐάρεστος τῷ Θεῷ καί δόκιμος τοῖς ἀνθρώποις)

For indicates that what follows this word explains what came before it. For here indicates that what follows in this verse explains what Paul said in the previous verse. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a different expression. Alternate translation: [In fact,]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ἐν τούτῳ

in this

Here, this way refers to the “righteousness and peace and joy” mentioned in the previous verse. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: [in this righteous, peaceful, and joyful way]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

δόκιμος τοῖς ἀνθρώποις

approved ˱by˲_the people

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you can state this in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: [men approve it]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / gendernotations

τοῖς ἀνθρώποις

˱by˲_the people

Although the term men is masculine, Paul is using the word here in a generic sense that includes both men and women. Alternate translation: [by people]

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

1. OET-LV words
2. OET-RV words
3. Strong's
4. Greek word
5. Greek lemma
6. Role/Morphology
7. OET Gloss
8. VLT Gloss
9. CAPS codes
10. Confidence
11. OET tags
12. OET word #
1. For/Because
2. -
3. G1063 ↗
4. Γάρ
5. γάρ
6. C-·······
7. for
8. for
9. S
10. Y60
11. 111672
1. the one
2. -
3. G3588 ↗
4. ὁ
5. ὁ
6. R-····NMS
7. the ‹one›
8. the ‹one›
9. -
10. Y60
11. 111671
1. in
2. -
3. G1722 ↗
4. ἐν
5. ἐν
6. P-·······
7. in
8. in
9. -
10. Y60
11. 111673
1. this
2. -
3. G3778 ↗
4. τούτῳ
5. οὗτος
6. R-····DNS
7. this
8. this
9. -
10. Y60
11. 111675
1. serving
2. serving
3. G1398 ↗
4. δουλεύων
5. δουλεύω
6. V-PPA·NMS
7. serving
8. serving
9. -
10. Y60
11. 111676
1. for the
2. the
3. G3588 ↗
4. τῷ
5. ὁ
6. E-····DMS
7. ˱for˲ the
8. ˱for˲ the
9. -
10. Y60
11. 111677
1. chosen one messiah
2. anyone messiah
3. G5547 ↗
4. Χριστῷ
5. χριστός
6. N-····DMS
7. chosen_one/messiah
8. Messiah
9. WN
10. Y60; Person=Jesus
11. 111679
1. well pleasing
2. pleases
3. G2101 ↗
4. εὐάρεστος
5. εὐάρεστος
6. S-····NMS
7. well_pleasing
8. well_pleasing
9. -
10. Y60
11. 111680
1. to
2. God is
3. G2316 ↗
4. Θεῷ
5. θεός
6. N-····DMS
7. ˱to˲ god ‹is›
8. ˱to˲ God ‹is›
9. GN
10. Y60; Person=God
11. 111682
1. the
2. -
3. G3588 ↗
4. τῷ
5. ὁ
6. E-····DMS
7. ¬the
8. ¬the
9. -
10. Y60
11. 111681
1. god is
2. God is
3. G2316 ↗
4. Θεῷ
5. θεός
6. N-····DMS
7. ˱to˲ god ‹is›
8. ˱to˲ God ‹is›
9. GN
10. Y60; Person=God
11. 111682
1. and
2. and
3. G2532 ↗
4. καί
5. καί
6. C-·······
7. and
8. and
9. -
10. Y60
11. 111683
1. approved
2. approved
3. G1384 ↗
4. δόκιμος
5. δόκιμος
6. S-····NMS
7. approved
8. approved
9. -
10. Y60
11. 111684
1. by the
2. by the
3. G3588 ↗
4. τοῖς
5. ὁ
6. E-····DMP
7. ˱by˲ the
8. ˱by˲ the
9. -
10. Y60
11. 111686
1. people
2. people
3. G444 ↗
4. ἀνθρώποις
5. ἄνθρωπος
6. N-····DMP
7. people
8. people
9. -
10. Y60
11. 111687

Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.

Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.

OET interlinear ROM 14:18

SR Greek word order (including unused variant words in grey)

Section 14:13–23: Do not cause others to sin

14:18a

14:18b

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)