Romans 1:26

Romans 1:26 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
• English Standard Version (ESV)For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature;
• New King James Version (NKJV)For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature.
• New Living Translation (NLT)That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other.

Context of Romans 1:26

24Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error. 28Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.

Romans 1:26 word by word

Διὰ τοῦτο παρέδωκεν αὐτοὺς ὁ θεὸς εἰς πάθη ἀτιμίας· αἵ τε γὰρ θήλειαι αὐτῶν μετήλλαξαν τὴν φυσικὴν χρῆσιν εἰς τὴν παρὰ φύσιν,Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Forδιάdia · through/because ofG1223
• thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• gaveπαραδίδωμιparadidōmi · to deliverG3860
• themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• untoεἰςeis · towardG1519
• vileἀτιμίαatimia · dishonourG819
• affectionsπάθοςpathos · passionG3806
• forγάρgar · forG1063
• evenτεte · and/bothG5037
• womenθῆλυςthēlus · femaleG2338
• did changeμεταλλάσσωmetallassō · to exchangeG3337
• the naturalφυσικόςphusikos · naturalG5446
• useχρῆσιςchrēsis · useG5540
• againstπαράpara · from/with/besideG3844
• natureφύσιςphusis · natureG5449

Cross-references for Romans 1:26

• Romans 1:24Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.
• Genesis 19:5They called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them.”
• Leviticus 18:22“ ‘Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable.
• Deuteronomy 23:17No Israelite man or woman is to become a shrine prostitute.
• Judges 19:22While they were enjoying themselves, some of the wicked men of the city surrounded the house. Pounding on the door, they shouted to the old man who owned the house, “Bring out the man who came to your house so we can have sex with him.”
• 1 Corinthians 6:9Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men
• Ephesians 4:19Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.
• Ephesians 5:12It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.
• 1 Timothy 1:10for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine
• Jude 1:7In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.

Commentaries on Romans 1:26

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 26For this cause God gave them up, etc. - Their system of idolatry necessarily produced all kinds of impurity. How could it be otherwise, when the highest objects of their worship were adulterers, fornicators, and prostitutes of the most infamous kind, such as Jupiter, Apollo, Mars, Venus, etc.? Of the abominable evils with which the apostle charges the Gentiles in this and the following verse I could produce a multitude of proofs from their own writings…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 26For this cause - On account of what had just been specified; to wit, that they did not glorify him as God, that they were unthankful, that they became polytheists and idolaters. In the previous verses he had stated their speculative belief. He now proceeds to show its practical influences on their conduct. Vile affections - Disgraceful passions or desires. That is, to those which are immediately specified. The great object of the apostle here, it will be…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 26-32Verses 26-32 In the horrid depravity of the heathen, the truth of our Lord's words was shown: "Light was come into the world, but men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil; for he that doeth evil hateth the light." The truth was not to their taste. And we all know how soon a man will contrive, against the strongest evidence, to reason himself out of the belief of what he dislikes. But a man cannot be brought to greater slavery…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 26Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones: In this context, the natural way refers to the nature of the world as God made it. As in the Old Testament, Paul refers to same-sex sexual behavior as one example of how people have turned away from honoring the true God (see Genesis 19:1–28; Leviticus 18:22; Leviticus 20:13; Deuteronomy 23:17–18). God created human beings as male and female, and engaging in same-sex sexual activity is a…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 26-2726-27. For this cause God gave them up--(See on Ro 1:24). for even their women--that sex whose priceless jewel and fairest ornament is modesty, and which, when that is once lost, not only becomes more shameless than the other sex, but lives henceforth only to drag the other sex down to its level. did change, &c.--The practices here referred to, though too abundantly attested by classic authors, cannot be further illustrated, without trenching on things…Read the comment

Topics related to Romans 1:26

• Gentiles
• Holy Spirit
• Idolatry
• Lasciviousness
• Rome
• Sodomy
• Wicked (People)
• Women

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Affection
• Call
• Creation
• Dark
• Despiteful
• Faith
• Fall of man
• Lie

Commentaries on Romans 1

• 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
• 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