Romans 14:6

He who observes a special day does so to the Lord; he who eats does so to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Paul addresses the Roman church to resolve disputes over calendar observances and dietary practices. He frames these personal convictions as matters of direct accountability to God.

The words — φρονῶν (phronōn) means regarding and φρονεῖ (phronei) means regards it, both from G5426. These verbs anchor the verse’s instruction to direct personal choices toward the Lord.

The thread — The pattern of acting to the Lord with thanksgiving runs through 1 Corinthians 10:30 regarding meals, 1 Timothy 4:3 concerning foods created for thanksgiving, and Exodus 12:14 establishing a feast as a permanent statute to the LORD.

Why it lands — The text requires that every decision regarding days, eating, or abstaining be performed for the Lord with thanksgiving, not for personal preference or public judgment.

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

He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.

Cross-references

1 Corinthians 10:30 If I partake in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks?
1 Timothy 4:3 They will prohibit marriage and require abstinence from certain foods that God has created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.
Exodus 12:14 And this day will be a memorial for you, and you are to celebrate it as a feast to the LORD, as a permanent statute for the generations to come.
Exodus 12:42 Because the LORD kept a vigil that night to bring them out of the land of Egypt, this same night is to be a vigil to the LORD, to be observed by all the Israelites for the generations to come.
Exodus 16:25 “Eat it today,” Moses said, “because today is a Sabbath to the LORD. Today you will not find anything in the field.
Isaiah 58:5 Is this the fast I have chosen: a day for a man to deny himself, to bow his head like a reed, and to spread out sackcloth and ashes? Will you call this a fast and a day acceptable to the LORD?
Zechariah 7:5 “Ask all the people of the land and the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months for these seventy years, was it really for Me that you fasted?
Matthew 14:19 And He directed the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, He spoke a blessing. Then He broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.
Matthew 15:36 Taking the seven loaves and the fish, He gave thanks and broke them. Then He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.
John 6:28 Then they inquired, “What must we do to perform the works of God?”