New Living Translation
Romans 1:31
31They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy.
Romans 1:31 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
- New International Version (NIV)they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy.
- English Standard Version (ESV)foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.
- New King James Version (NKJV)undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful;
Context of Romans 1:31
29Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. 30They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. 32They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.
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 ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.
- Romans 3:11No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God.
- Proverbs 18:2Fools have no interest in understanding; they only want to air their own opinions.
- Isaiah 27:11The people are like the dead branches of a tree, broken off and used for kindling beneath the cooking pots. Israel is a foolish and stupid nation, for its people have turned away from God. Therefore, the one who made them will show them no pity or mercy.
- Jeremiah 4:22“My people are foolish and do not know me,” says the Lord. “They are stupid children who have no understanding. They are clever enough at doing wrong, but they have no idea how to do right!”
- Matthew 15:16“Don’t you understand yet?” Jesus asked.
- 2 Kings 18:14King Hezekiah sent this message to the king of Assyria at Lachish: “I have done wrong. I will pay whatever tribute money you demand if you will only withdraw.” The king of Assyria then demanded a settlement of more than eleven tons of silver and one ton of gold.
- Isaiah 33:8Your roads are deserted; no one travels them anymore. The Assyrians have broken their peace treaty and care nothing for the promises they made before witnesses. They have no respect for anyone.
- 2 Timothy 3:3They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is 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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