Romans 8:7

Romans 8:7 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
• New International Version (NIV)The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.
• English Standard Version (ESV)For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.

Context of Romans 8:7

5For those who are living according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh [which gratify the body], but those who are living according to the Spirit, [set their minds on] the things of the Spirit [His will and purpose]. 6Now the mind of the flesh is death [both now and forever—because it pursues sin]; but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace [the spiritual well-being that comes from walking with God—both now and forever]; the mind of the flesh [with its sinful pursuits] is actively hostile to God. It does not submit itself to God’s law, since it cannot, 8and those who are in the flesh [living a life that caters to sinful appetites and impulses] cannot please God. 9However, you are not [living] in the flesh [controlled by the sinful nature] but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God lives in you [directing and guiding you]. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him [and is not a child of God].

Romans 8:7 word by word

διότι τὸ φρόνημα τῆς σαρκὸς ἔχθρα εἰς θεόν· τῷ γὰρ νόμῳ τοῦ θεοῦ οὐχ ὑποτάσσεται, οὐδὲ γὰρ δύναται·Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Becauseδιότιdioti · becauseG1360
• the carnalσάρξsarx · fleshG4561
• mindφρόνημαphronēma · purposeG5427
• enmityἔχθραechthra · hostilityG2189
• againstεἰςeis · towardG1519
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• forγάρgar · forG1063
• it isὑποτάσσωhupotassō · to subjectG5293
• notοὐou · noG3756
• to the lawνόμοςnomos · lawG3551
• neitherοὐδέoude · norG3761
• can beδύναμαιdunamai · be ableG1410

Cross-references for Romans 8:7

• Romans 1:28And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God or consider Him worth knowing [as their Creator], God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do things which are improper and repulsive,
• Romans 5:10For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, it is much more certain, having been reconciled, that we will be saved [from the consequences of sin] by His life [that is, we will be saved because Christ lives today].
• Exodus 20:5You shall not worship them nor serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous (impassioned) God [demanding what is rightfully and uniquely mine], visiting (avenging) the iniquity (sin, guilt) of the fathers on the children [that is, calling the children to account for the sins of their fathers], to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,
• 2 Chronicles 19:2Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him and said to King Jehoshaphat, “Should you help the ungodly and love those who hate the Lord and in doing so bring wrath from the Lord on yourself?
• Psalms 53:1The [empty-headed] fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt and evil, and have committed repulsive injustice; There is no one who does good.
• John 7:7The world cannot hate you [since you are part of it], but it does hate Me because I denounce it and testify that its deeds are evil.
• John 15:23The one who hates Me also hates My Father.
• Ephesians 4:18for their [moral] understanding is darkened and their reasoning is clouded; [they are] alienated and self-banished from the life of God [with no share in it; this is] because of the [willful] ignorance and spiritual blindness that is [deep-seated] within them, because of the hardness and insensitivity of their heart.
• Colossians 1:21And although you were at one time estranged and alienated and hostile-minded [toward Him], participating in evil things,
• 2 Timothy 3:4traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of [sensual] pleasure rather than lovers of God,
• James 4:4You adulteresses [disloyal sinners—flirting with the world and breaking your vow to God]! Do you not know that being the world’s friend [that is, loving the things of the world] is being God’s enemy? So whoever chooses to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
• 1 John 2:15Do not love the world [of sin that opposes God and His precepts], nor the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
• Romans 8:4so that the [righteous and just] requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us who do not live our lives in the ways of the flesh [guided by worldliness and our sinful nature], but [live our lives] in the ways of the Spirit [guided by His power].
• Romans 3:31Do we then nullify the Law by this faith [making the Law of no effect, overthrowing it]? Certainly not! On the contrary, we confirm and establish and uphold the Law [since it convicts us all of sin, pointing to the need for salvation].
• Romans 7:7What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, if it had not been for the Law, I would not have recognized sin. For I would not have known [for example] about coveting [what belongs to another, and would have had no sense of guilt] if the Law had not [repeatedly] said, “You shall not covet.”
• Matthew 5:19So whoever breaks one of the least [important] of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least [important] in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever practices and teaches them, he will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Commentaries on Romans 8:7

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7Because the carnal mind is enmity against God - Because it is a carnal mind, and relishes earthly and sinful things, and lives in opposition to the pure and holy law of God: therefore, it is enmity against God; it is irreconcilable and implacable hatred. It is not subject to the law of God - It will come under no obedience; for it is sin, and the very principle of rebellion; and therefore it cannot be subject, nor subjected; for it is essential to sin to…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7Because - This is given as a reason for what is said in Romans 8:6. In that verse the apostle had affirmed that to be carnally minded was death, but he had not stated why it was. He now explains it by saying that it is enmity against God, and thus involves a sinner in conflict with him, and exposes to his condemnation. The carnal mind - This is the same expression as occurs in Romans 8:6 ̀ ́ ̀ ́ to phronēma tēs sarkosIt does not mean the mind itself…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 77. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God--The desire and pursuit of carnal ends is a state of enmity to God, wholly incompatible with true life and peace in the soul. for it is not subject--"doth not submit itself." to the law of God, neither indeed can be--In such a state of mind there neither is nor can be the least subjection to the law of God. Many things may be done which the law requires, but nothing either is or can be done because God's…Read the comment

Topics related to Romans 8:7

• Carnal Mindedness
• Character
• Depravity of Man
• Godlessness
• Heart
• Holy Spirit
• Religion
• Sin
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Allow
• Bondage
• Carnal
• Enmity
• Fear
• Flesh
• Foreknow
• Glorify

Commentaries on Romans 8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings