The Meaning of Romans 16:12 Explained

Romans 16:12

KJV: Salute Tryphena and Tryphosa, who labour in the Lord. Salute the beloved Persis, which laboured much in the Lord.

YLT: salute Tryphaena, and Tryphosa, who are labouring in the Lord; salute Persis, the beloved, who did labour much in the Lord.

Darby: Salute Tryphaena and Tryphosa, who labour in the Lord. Salute Persis, the beloved, who has laboured much in the Lord.

ASV: Salute Tryphaena and Tryphosa, who labor in the Lord. Salute Persis the beloved, who labored much in the Lord.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Salute  Tryphena  and  Tryphosa,  who labour  in  the Lord.  Salute  the beloved  Persis,  which  laboured  much  in  the Lord. 

What does Romans 16:12 Mean?

Context Summary

Romans 16:1-16 - Personal Interest In Fellow-Christians
Here is a window into Paul's heart. He was apparently disowned by his own kindred, yet, as the Lord had promised, He had mothers, sisters, and brothers a hundred-fold. What a contrast there is between the spirit of this chapter and that of the mere disputant or theologian, the stoic or monk. We see also the courtesy, purity, thoughtfulness, and tenderness of Christian relationships.
Women are here-Phoebe, Priscilla, Mary, Junia, Persis, Julia, and others. The Apostle realized the immense help that holy women could furnish in the ministry of the gospel. Men are here-old and young, fathers, brothers, and sons. Lovely titles are given with a lavish, though a discriminating hand-succorer, helpers, beloved, approved in Christ, saints. How especially beautiful the appellation, the beloved Persis, who labored much in the Lord! The kiss was the common mode of greeting, but there was to be a new sanctity in it, as though Christ were between. This church in Rome was a model for other churches. Would that we could realize the same spiritual unity that presided over the gatherings of these early saints! [source]

Chapter Summary: Romans 16

1  Paul wills the brothers to greet many;
17  and advises them to take heed of those which cause dissension and offenses;
21  and after various salutations ends with praise and thanks to God

Greek Commentary for Romans 16:12

Tryphaena and Tryphosa [Τρυπαιναν και Τρυπωσαν]
Probably sisters and possibly twins. Both names come from the same root, the verb τρυπαω — truphaō to live luxuriously (James 5:5). Denney suggests “Dainty and Disdain.” [source]
Persis [Περσιδα]
A freedwoman was so named. She is not Paul‘s “beloved,” but the “beloved” of the whole church. [source]
Tryphaena and Tryphosa []
From τρυφάω tolive luxuriously. See on riot, 2 Peter 2:13. Perhaps sisters. Farrar says they are slave-names. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Romans 16:12

Romans 16:1 Servant [διάκονον]
The word may be either masculine or feminine. Commonly explained as deaconess. The term διακόνισσα deaconessis found only in ecclesiastical Greek. The “Apostolical Constitutions” distinguish deaconesses from widows and virgins, prescribe their duties, and a form for their ordination. Pliny the younger, about a.d. 104, appears to refer to them in his letter to Trajan, in which he speaks of the torture of two maids who were called minestrae (female ministers). The office seems to have been confined mainly to widows, though virgins were not absolutely excluded. Their duties were to take care of the sick and poor, to minister to martyrs and confessors in prison, to instruct catechumens, to assist at the baptism of women, and to exercise a general supervision over the female church-members. Tryphaena, Tryphosa, and Persis (Romans 16:12) may have belonged to this class. See on 1 Timothy 5:3-16. Conybeare (“Life and Epistles of St. Paul”) assumes that Phoebe was a widow, on the ground that she could not, according to Greek manners, have been mentioned as acting in the independent manner described, either if her husband had been living or she had been unmarried. Renan says: “Phoebe carried under the folds of her robe the whole future of Christian theology.” [source]
2 Peter 3:15 Is salvation [σωτηριαν]
Predicate accusative after ηγειστε — hēgeisthe in apposition with μακροτυμιαν — makrothumian (long-suffering), an opportunity for repentance (cf. 1 Peter 3:20). The Lord here is Christ.Our beloved brother Paul (ο αγαπητος αδελπος Παυλος — ho agapētos adelphos Paulos). Paul applies the verbal αγαπητος — agapētos (beloved) to Epaphras (Colossians 1:7), Onesimus (Colossians 4:9; Philemon 1:16), to Tychicus (Colossians 4:7; Ephesians 6:21), and to four brethren in Rom 16 (Epainetus Romans 16:5, Ampliatus Romans 16:8, Stachys Romans 16:9, Persis Romans 16:12). It is not surprising for Peter to use it of Paul in view of Galatians 2:9., in spite of Galatians 2:11-14.Given to him First aorist passive participle of διδωμι — didōmi with dative case. Peter claimed wisdom for himself, but recognises that Paul had the gift also. His language here may have caution in it as well as commendation. “St. Peter speaks of him with affection and respect, yet maintains the right to criticise” (Bigg). [source]
2 Peter 3:15 Our beloved brother Paul [ο αγαπητος αδελπος Παυλος]
Paul applies the verbal αγαπητος — agapētos (beloved) to Epaphras (Colossians 1:7), Onesimus (Colossians 4:9; Philemon 1:16), to Tychicus (Colossians 4:7; Ephesians 6:21), and to four brethren in Rom 16 (Epainetus Romans 16:5, Ampliatus Romans 16:8, Stachys Romans 16:9, Persis Romans 16:12). It is not surprising for Peter to use it of Paul in view of Galatians 2:9., in spite of Galatians 2:11-14. [source]
Revelation 2:2 Labor [κόπον]
Originally suffering, weariness; hence exhausting labor. The kindred verb κοπιάω is often used of apostolic and ministerial labor (Romans 16:12; 1 Corinthians 15:10; Galatians 4:11). [source]

What do the individual words in Romans 16:12 mean?

Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa those toiling in [the] Lord Persis the beloved who much toiled
Ἀσπάσασθε Τρύφαιναν καὶ Τρυφῶσαν τὰς κοπιώσας ἐν Κυρίῳ Περσίδα τὴν ἀγαπητήν ἥτις πολλὰ ἐκοπίασεν

Ἀσπάσασθε  Greet 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Middle, 2nd Person Plural
Root: ἀπασπάζομαι 
Sense: to draw to one’s self.
Τρύφαιναν  Tryphena 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: Τρύφαινα  
Sense: a Christian woman.
Τρυφῶσαν  Tryphosa 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: Τρυφῶσα  
Sense: a Christian woman.
τὰς  those 
Parse: Article, Accusative Feminine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
κοπιώσας  toiling 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Accusative Feminine Plural
Root: κοπιάω  
Sense: to grow weary, tired, exhausted (with toil or burdens or grief).
ἐν  in  [the] 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἐν 
Sense: in, by, with etc.
Κυρίῳ  Lord 
Parse: Noun, Dative Masculine Singular
Root: κύριος  
Sense: he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord.
Περσίδα  Persis 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: Περσίς  
Sense: a Christian woman at Rome.
ἀγαπητήν  beloved 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: ἀγαπητός  
Sense: beloved, esteemed, dear, favourite, worthy of love.
πολλὰ  much 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root: πολύς  
Sense: many, much, large.
ἐκοπίασεν  toiled 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: κοπιάω  
Sense: to grow weary, tired, exhausted (with toil or burdens or grief).