What Does Romans 12:19 Mean?

In Romans 12:14-21, Paul writes for believers in Rome to do good to their enemies and to not seek revenge against them but to leave room for God’s wrath.

He seems to be echoing the words of Jesus.

The teaching of Jesus about loving your enemies and doing good to them is in Matthew 5:43-44 and Luke 6:27-36.

The historical and biblical setting is the persecution of Christ-rejecting, unbelieving Israel on Christ-accepting, believing Israel.

The specific enemies Jesus referred to was unbelieving Israel.

They were the enemies of believing Israel, and they persecuted believing Israel.

Jesus is teaching believing Israel to love, be kind, and pray for unbelieving Israel.

Paul picks up on this same theme of loving your enemies in Romans 12:14-21.

In the context of Romans 12:14-21, Paul writes (Romans 12:19 NIV),

Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.

A more accurate translation is from the Berean Standard Bible, which reads,

Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.”

Concerning the vengeance of God, Paul quotes directly from Deuteronomy 32:35 which is the Song of Moses that God gave to the people of Israel about the final generation of old covenant Israel.

God's vengeance would be poured out on that generation.

Deuteronomy 32:41 and 45 (NKJV) are also about God's vengeance.

This vengeance is on God's enemies (unbelieving Israel) who shed the blood of his servants (believing Israel).

In Deuteronomy 32, there are two groups of Israelites that would make up Israel in the final generation: believing Israel and unbelieving Israel.

Unbelieving Israel would be enemies of God and of believing Israel.

According to Deuteronomy 32:25, God would take vengeance upon unbelieving Israel.

Isaiah 61:1-2 foretells God's vengeance on unbelieving Israel.

Before vengeance on them, the year of God's favor would be proclaimed to Israel by Jesus.

Yet Jesus would also proclaim the day of God's vengeance.

At the beginning of his ministry to Israel, Jesus proclaimed the year of God's favor as we read about in Luke 4:16-30.

The people of his synagogue tried to kill him. At the end of his ministry to Israel, Jesus proclaimed the day of vengeance (Luke 20:23 NKJV) upon the people and land of Israel in what is called the great tribulation.

The vengeance pronounced by Jesus was directly connected to Leviticus 26:25 when God would bring the sword of vengeance against old covenant Israel for violating the covenant.

This sword of vengeance God used was the Roman armies that he sent against unbelieving Israel. This was from AD 66-70.

Jesus talked about this sword of vengeance in Luke 21:20-24 (NKJV).

Revelation records God's vengeance on unbelieving Israel in Revelation 6:9-11; 18:20; and 19:2.

Vengeance is the topic of the Parable of the Persistent Widow (Luke 18:1-8 NKJV) when the widow asks for vengeance upon her adversary.

This parable is directly connected to Revelation 6:9-11 when the first-century, persecuted and murdered believers were praying for vengeance upon their killers.

Their killers were unbelieving Israel. The first believer killed by unbelieving Israel was Stephen (Acts 7).

Both Jesus and Paul communicate in the time when unbelieving Israel was persecuting believing Israel.

Both exhort believers to show kindness to their enemies and to bless and pray for those who persecute them.

Showing this kind of grace to their persecutors did not remove the persecutors from God's vengeance upon unbelieving Israel.

They were still accountable for their crimes under the law. God was giving them time (the year of God's favor) to repent of their rejection of Jesus and killing of believers before he poured out this judgment.

Both Jesus and Paul talk about God's vengeance.

The Book of Revelation is the fulfillment of God's law-based vengeance upon old covenant, unbelieving Israel.

God's vengeance occurred in AD 70 when he brought the Roman armies as his sword of vengeance.

This marked the end of the old covenant age, leaving the new covenant of grace that is now being poured out from heaven to earth (Revelation 21-22).