Bible Strands
Romans 12:9
Love must be sincere. Detest what is evil; cling to what is good.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Paul addresses the Roman congregation in the practical exhortation that follows his theological argument (Rom 1–11), opening a series of concrete ethical commands. This verse is the first in that series, setting the tone for what follows.
The words — Anupokritos (ἄνυπόκριτος) compounds the prefix an- (without) with hypokritos (actor), literally "without acting" or "not feigned." It frames love as the opposite of performance.
The thread — The pairing of hating evil and doing good echoes Psalms 34:14, while the demand for sincerity in love connects to 1 Timothy 1:5 ("love that comes from a pure heart") and 1 Peter 4:8 ("love one another deeply").
Why it lands — It removes the option of performing affection while remaining indifferent to what is actually good or evil. The reader is asked to take a side: detest evil, stick to good, and mean it.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
Cross-references
- Psalms 34:14 Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.
- 1 Peter 4:8 Above all, love one another deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
- 1 Timothy 1:5 The goal of our instruction is the love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and a sincere faith.
- 1 John 3:18 Little children, let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth.
- 1 Peter 3:10 For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:21 but test all things. Hold fast to what is good.
- Psalms 101:3 I will set no worthless thing before my eyes. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me.
- Amos 5:15 Hate evil and love good; establish justice in the gate. Perhaps the LORD, the God of Hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.”
- 1 Peter 1:22 Since you have purified your souls by obedience to the truth so that you have a genuine love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from a pure heart.
- Psalms 97:10 Hate evil, O you who love the LORD! He preserves the souls of His saints; He delivers them from the hand of the wicked.