New International Version
Romans 1:31
31they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy.
Romans 1:31 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
- English Standard Version (ESV)foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.
- New King James Version (NKJV)undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful;
- New Living Translation (NLT)They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy.
Context of Romans 1:31
29They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. 32Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
Read all of Romans 1Romans 1:31 word by word
ἀσυνέτους, ἀσυνθέτους, ἀστόργους ἀνελεήμονας,Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Romans 1:31
- Romans 1:20For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
- Romans 3:11there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God.
- Proverbs 18:2Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions.
- Isaiah 27:11When its twigs are dry, they are broken off and women come and make fires with them. For this is a people without understanding; so their Maker has no compassion on them, and their Creator shows them no favor.
- Jeremiah 4:22“My people are fools; they do not know me. They are senseless children; they have no understanding. They are skilled in doing evil; they know not how to do good.”
- Matthew 15:16“Are you still so dull?” Jesus asked them.
- 2 Kings 18:14So Hezekiah king of Judah sent this message to the king of Assyria at Lachish: “I have done wrong. Withdraw from me, and I will pay whatever you demand of me.” The king of Assyria exacted from Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.
- Isaiah 33:8The highways are deserted, no travelers are on the roads. The treaty is broken, its witnesses are despised, no one is respected.
- 2 Timothy 3:3without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good,
Commentaries on Romans 1:31
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 31Without understanding - , from , negative, and , knowing; persons incapable of comprehending what was spoken; destitute of capacity for spiritual things. Covenant-breakers - , from , negative, and , to make an agreement; persons who could be bound by no oath, because, properly speaking, they had no God to witness or avenge their misconduct. As every covenant, or agreement, is made as in the presence of God, so he that opposes the being and doctrine of God…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 31Without understanding - Inconsiderate, or foolish; see Romans 1:21-22. Covenant breakers - Perfidious; false to their contracts. Without natural affections - This expression denotes the lack of affectionate regard toward their children. The attachment of parents to children is one of the strongest in nature, and nothing can overcome it but the most confirmed and established wickedness. And yet the apostle charges on the pagan generally the lack of this…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. 29-31This list of sins follows a popular Hellenistic literary form called a vice list (a list that names sinful behaviors). The list does not include every sin, but it shows the many ways evil can appear.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 28-3128-31. gave them over--or "up" (see on Ro 1:24). to do those things which are not convenient--in the old sense of that word, that is, "not becoming," "indecorous," "shameful."Read the comment
Topics related to Romans 1:31
In the dictionaries
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
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