“If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, given him water to drink; for you will heap coals of fire on his head, and Yahweh will reward you.”
(Proverbs 25:21-22, WEB)
Paul quotes the passage from Proverbs in Romans 12:20 and then goes on to say in verse 21,
”Don’t be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Heaping coals on the heads of our enemies is often misconstrued as a harmful act, inflicting pain and causing physical harm. In truth, it is love in action, a good thing, not a harmful thing; a returning of good for evil, not evil for evil.
“To feed an enemy and give him drink was like heaping the empty brazier with live coals - which meant food, warmth and almost life itself to the person or home needing it, and was the symbol of finest generosity.”
(B.M. Biwen, Strange Scriptures that Perplex the Western Mind, p. 29)
”If your enemy hungers, feed him; If he thirsts, give water to drink, And a fire besides for his needs; and the LORD will repay you.”
(The Ferrar Fenton Bible)
Heaping coals on the heads of our enemies is a Hebraic metaphor for providing the basic needs of survival to our enemies.
“But I tell you, love your enemies, bless your those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust.”
(Matthew 5:44-45)
(Proverbs 25:21-22, WEB)
Paul quotes the passage from Proverbs in Romans 12:20 and then goes on to say in verse 21,
”Don’t be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Heaping coals on the heads of our enemies is often misconstrued as a harmful act, inflicting pain and causing physical harm. In truth, it is love in action, a good thing, not a harmful thing; a returning of good for evil, not evil for evil.
“To feed an enemy and give him drink was like heaping the empty brazier with live coals - which meant food, warmth and almost life itself to the person or home needing it, and was the symbol of finest generosity.”
(B.M. Biwen, Strange Scriptures that Perplex the Western Mind, p. 29)
”If your enemy hungers, feed him; If he thirsts, give water to drink, And a fire besides for his needs; and the LORD will repay you.”
(The Ferrar Fenton Bible)
Heaping coals on the heads of our enemies is a Hebraic metaphor for providing the basic needs of survival to our enemies.
“But I tell you, love your enemies, bless your those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust.”
(Matthew 5:44-45)
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