Bible Strands
Romans 16:6
Greet Mary, who has worked very hard for you.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Paul writes to the Roman congregation from Corinth, concluding his epistle with personal greetings to house church leaders and co-workers. He addresses the entire community while naming specific individuals who have served them.
The words — The Greek verb ἐκοπίασεν (ekopiasen) literally means "toiled" or "sweated," modified by πολλὰ (polla, "much") to quantify Mary’s effort. Paul pairs this with the imperative ἀσπασασθε (aspasasthe, "greet") to command communal recognition.
The thread — Paul repeats this labor terminology for Tryphena, Tryphosa, and Persis in Romans 16:12, while Matthew 27:55 and 1 Timothy 5:10 record women ministering through practical service. The pattern of costly, tangible work for the community appears across these passages.
Why it lands — The text states that Mary toiled much for the Roman believers, and the instruction is to greet her in acknowledgment of that work. It asks the reader to value and publicly recognize practical service within the community without abstracting it into mere spiritual sentiment.
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
Greet Mary, who bestowed much labour on us.
Cross-references
- Matthew 27:55 And many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to minister to Him.
- Romans 16:12 Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, women who have worked hard in the Lord. Greet my beloved Persis, who has worked very hard in the Lord.
- 1 Timothy 5:10 and well known for good deeds such as bringing up children, entertaining strangers, washing the feet of the saints, imparting relief to the afflicted, and devoting herself to every good work.