Romans 12:20

“But if your enemy hungers, feed him, if he thirsts, give him to drink, for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”

These words are based on Proverbs 25:21, and the first part is certainly indicative of the kind of response urged by Jesus towards our enemies. The idea is that we should not only give hospitality to those who love us, but also to those who hate us, and the thought is probably intended to be interpreted more widely as signifying that we should always do good in response to evil.

The problem clearly lies with the meaning of the last clause, “for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.” There are a number of suggested alternatives:

1) That this signifies that by showing love to them we will be pouring out judgment on them. This does not mean that we are to do these things with a view to this, in other words in order to obtain vengeance, but simply indicates that that is what will necessarily follow if they do not repent of their ways. ‘The wicked will be brought into judgment'. This would tie in with the fact that coals of fire are seen in the Old Testament as manifestations of the approach of God in judgment on the enemies of the Psalmist (2 Samuel 22:9; 2 Samuel 22:13; Psalms 18:8; Psalms 18:12; Psalms 140:10; Psalms 11:6).

2) That it signifies that we will be covering them with ‘burning pangs of shame', in that it will result in remorse burning within them as they see our reaction to their enmity. This was possibly to be seen as having a hope of bringing them to repentance. This might be seen as supported by the ancient Egyptian practise of carrying a tray of burning coals on the head in order to indicate contrition.

3) That it refers to a practise of demonstrating gratitude or giving praise to a slave by pouring literal coals of fire into a bowl which they had placed on their head, indicating an act of kindness to someone who might otherwise have no access to fire. This idea is not as yet attested anywhere, but it would certainly go along with the spirit of what Paul has previously been saying, and with Romans 12:21.