Romans 12:20 (DBY)

Passage

If therefore thine enemy should hunger, feed him; if he should thirst, give him drink; for, so doing, thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head.

Nearby Context

Romans 12:18 if possible, as far as depends on you, living in peace with all men;

Romans 12:19 not avenging yourselves, beloved, but give place to wrath; for it is written, Vengeance [belongs] to me, *I* will recompense, saith the Lord.

Romans 12:20 If therefore thine enemy should hunger, feed him; if he should thirst, give him drink; for, so doing, thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head.

Romans 12:21 Be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "therefore", "thine", "enemy", "should", "hunger", "feed", and "thirst". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "therefore" and "thine", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 19's "not avenging yourselves beloved but give place..." into verse 21's "Be not overcome by evil but overcome...", so "therefore" and "thine" belong inside that flow. In Romans context, the local focus is righteousness by faith, union with Christ, life in the Spirit, and God's covenant faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "therefore" and "thine" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.