Romans 16:1 BSB — MannaFest

Romans 16:1

I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church in Cenchrea.

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

I commend unto you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church that is at Cenchreæ:

KJV

I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea:

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Commentary

4 voices

John Gill

1697–1771

Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748)

I commend unto you Phebe our sister,.... This chapter chiefly consists of commendations and salutations of persons, and begins with the former. It was usual to give letters of commendation of a member of one church to those of another; see 2Co 3:1; The person who is here recommended was, as appears from the subscription of this epistle, if that may be depended on, the bearer of this letter, and is described by her name, Phebe; as she dwelt at Cenchrea, it is probable she was a Grecian, as is her name.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)

A servant - The Greek word is a deaconness. Of the church in Cenchrea - In the apostolic age, some grave and pious women were appointed deaconnesses in every church. It was their office, not to teach publicly, but to visit the sick, the women in particular, and to minister to them both in their temporal and spiritual necessities.

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

He gives a very good character of her. (1.) As a sister to Paul: Phebe our sister; not in nature, but in grace; not in affinity or consanguinity, but in pure Christianity: his own sister in the faith of Christ, loving Paul, and beloved of him, with a pure and chaste and spiritual love, as a sister; for there is neither male nor female, but all are one in Christ Jesus, Gal. iii.

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

Albert Barnes

1798–1870

Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)

I commend - It was common then, as now, to bear letters of introduction to strangers, commending the person thus introduced to the favorable regards and attentions of those to whom the letters were addressed; 2Co 3:1; Act 18:27. This Epistle, with the apostle’s commendation, was designed thus to introduce its bearer to the Roman Christians. The mention of Phebe in this manner leaves it beyond a doubt that she was either the bearer of this Epistle, or accompanied those who bore it to Rome. The Epistle was therefore written, probably, at Corinth. (See Introduction.)

Voices on this verse

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Original language & word study

15 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
Συνίστημι	Sunistēmi	I commend	G4921 →
δὲ	de	now	G1161 →
ὑμῖν	humin	to you	G4771 →
Φοίβην	Phoibēn	Phoebe	G5402 →
τὴν	tēn	the	G3588 →
ἀδελφὴν	adelphēn	sister	G79 →
ἡμῶν	hēmōn	of us	G3165 →
οὖσαν	ousan	being	G1510 →
καὶ	kai	also	G2532 →
διάκονον	diakonon	a servant	G1249 →
τῆς	tēs	of the	G3588 →
ἐκκλησίας	ekklēsias	church	G1577 →
τῆς	tēs	<the>	G3588 →
ἐν	en	in	G1722 →
Κεγχρεαῖς,	Kegchreais	Cenchrea,	G2747 →

Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread: the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.

The walk

The walk8

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
Matthew 12:50
For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”
leads to
- Luke 8:21
  But He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear the word of God and carry it out.”
- Mark 3:35
  For whoever does the will of God is My brother and sister and mother.”
- John 15:14
  You are My friends if you do what I command you.
- Luke 11:27–28
  As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said, “Blessed is the womb that bore You, and blessed are the breasts that nursed You!”
- 1 John 3:23–24
  And this is His commandment: that we should believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and we should love one another just as He commanded us.
Through
1 Timothy 5:2
older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.
leads to
- 1 Timothy 4:12
  Let no one despise your youth, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.
- Matthew 12:50
  For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”
Through
Acts 18:18
Paul remained in Corinth for quite some time before saying goodbye to the brothers. He had his head shaved in Cenchrea to keep a vow he had made, and then he sailed for Syria,…
leads to
- Acts 21:24
  Take these men, purify yourself along with them, and pay their expenses so they can have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know that there is no truth to these rumors about you, but…

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About Romans

The Crucifixion — Gustave Doré (engraving, public domain)

Romans: the study guide →Read chapter 16 →The featured study →

PersonPhoebeA deaconess of the church at Cenchreae whom Paul commended, and the likely carrier of the letter to the Romans (Rom 16:1-2).

Continue: Romans 16 →

01Commentary

The record, by era

Voices on this verse

02Original language & word study

03The walk

Where the connections lead

04Related verses

05Featured studies on this passage

06About Romans

The record, by era

Where the connections lead

Commentary

Original language & word study

The walk

Related verses

Featured studies on this passage

About Romans