Romans 1

Romans · Chapter 1

Romans 1:20

1Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,2(Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)3Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;4And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:5By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:6Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ:7To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.8First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.9For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;10Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.11For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;12That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.13Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles.14I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise.15So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.16For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.17For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;19Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.20For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:21Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.22Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,23And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.24Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:25Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.26For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:27And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.28And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;29Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,30Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,31Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:32Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
20For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from His workmanship, so that men are without excuse.For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divinity; that they may be without excuse:

In context

AI-assisted, sourced

Romans 1:18-32God's wrath against ungodliness

About Romans 1Paul, "called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God," writes "To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints," thanks God that their faith "is spoken of throughout the whole world," and says, "I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also." "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth," for in it "is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith." But "the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness," for men knew God yet "glorified him not as God," "changed the truth of God into a lie," and so "God gave them over to a reprobate mind." Romans 1:1Romans 1:7Romans 1:8Romans 1:15Romans 1:16Romans 1:17Romans 1:18Romans 1:21Romans 1:25Romans 1:28

Why this verse matters here"The invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse." Romans 1:20

Who, where and when in this chapter

Original Greek words

EnglishGreekSay itStrong'sMeaning
forγὰρgarG1063
for

γάρ (gar) γάρ, co-ordinating particle, contr. of γε ἄρα, verily then, hence, in truth, indeed, yea, then, why, and when giving a reason or explanation, for, the usage in NT being in general accord with that of cl.; 1. explicative and epexegetic: Mat.4:18 19:12, Mrk.1:16 5:42 16:4, Luk.11:3o, Rom.7:1, 1Co.16:5, al. 2. Conclusive, in questions, answers and exclamations: Mat.9:5 27:23, Luk.9:25 22:27, Jhn.9:30, Act.8:31 16:37 19:35, Rom.15:26, 1Co.9:10, Php.1:18 (Ellic., in l.), 1Th.2:20, al. …

invisible qualitiesἀόραταaorataG0517
invisible

ἀόρατος (aoratos) ἀόρατος, -ον (ὁράω), [in LXX: Gen.1:2 (תֹּהוּ), Isa.45:3 (מִסְתָּר), 2Ma.9:5 * ;] unseen, invisible: Rom.1:20, Col.1:15-16, 1Ti.1:17, Heb.11:27.† (AS)

of HimαὐτοῦautouG0846
it/s/he

αὐτός (autos) αὐτός, -ή, -ό, determinative pron., in late Gk. much more frequently than in cl. (WM, 178f.; Jannaris, HGG, §1399). 1. Emphatic (so always in nom. exc. when preceded by the art., see infr., iii); (1) self (ipse), expressing opposition, distinction, exclusion, etc., αὐ. ἐκχυθήσεται, Luk.5:37; αὐ. ἐγινώσκεν, Jhn.2:25; αὐ.ὑμεῖς, Jhn.3:28; καὶ αὐ. ἐγώ, Rom.15:14; αὐ. Ἰησοῦς, Jhn.2:24; αὐ. καὶ οἱ μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ, Mrk.2:25; ὑμεῖς αὐ., Mrk.6:31; esp. (as freq in cl.) αὐ. ὁ, Mat.3:4, Mrk.6:17, Jhn.16:27, 1Th.3:11, al.; in late Gk., sometimes weakened, ἐν αὐτῇ τ. ὥρᾳ, in that hour, Luk.10:21 (M, Pr., 91; …

fromἀπὸapoG0575
away from

ἀπό (apo) ἀπό (on the frequently neglect of elision bef. vowels, see Tdf., Pr., 94, WH, App., 146), prep. with genitive (WM, 462ff.; on its relation to ἐκ, παρά, ὑπό, ib. 456f.), [in LXX for לְ ,בְּ ,מִן ;] from (i.e. from the exterior). 1. Of separation and cessation; (1) of motion from a place: Mat.5:29, 30 7:23, Luk.5:2 22:41, al.; (2) in partitive sense (M, Pr., 72, 102, 245; MM, see word; Bl., §40, 2), Mat.9:16 27:21, Jhn.21:10, Act.5:2, al.; also after verbs of eating, etc.; …

[the] creationκτίσεωςktiseōsG2937
creation

κτίσις (ktisis) κτίσις, -εως, ἡ (κτίζω), [in LXX: Psa.104:24 (קִנְיָן), Pro.1:13 A (הוֹן), Tob.8:5, Wis.2:6, Sir.16:17, 3Ma.2:2, al. ;] 1. a founding, settling, foundation (cl.). 2. In LXX and NT, (a) the act of creating, creation: Mrk.10:6 (Swete, in l), Mrk.13:19, Rom.1:20, 2Pe.3:4; (b) that which has been created, creation: Rom.1:25 8:39, Heb.4:13; καινὴ κ., 2Co.5:17, Gal.6:15; πάσῃ ἀνθρωπίνῃ κ. (Hort., in l), 1Pe.2:13; collectively, of the sum of created things (Wis.19:6, Jdth.16:14), Mrk.16:15, Col.1:15, 23 Heb.9:11, Rev.3:14; of the irrational creation, Rom.8:19-22.† (AS)

of [the] worldκόσμουkosmouG2889
world

κόσμος (kosmos) κόσμος, -ου, ὁ [in LXX: Gen.2:1, Deu.4:19 17:3, Isa.24:21 40:26 (צבא), Exo.33:5, 6 Jer.2:32 4:30, Eze.7:20 16:11 23:40 (עֲדִי), Isa.61:10 (כְּלִי), al., Wis.2:24 and freq., Sir.6:30, al ;] 1. order (Hom., Plat., al.). 2. ornament, adornment, esp. of women (Hom., al.): 1Pe.3:3. 3. Later, the world or universe, as an ordered system (Plat., al.): Act.17:24, Rom.4:13, 1Co.3:22, Php.2:15, Heb.4:3, al. 4. In late writers only, the world, i.e. the earth (= ἡ οἰκουμένη, cf. Mat.4:8 with Luk.4:5): Mat.4:8, Mrk.16:[15], Col.2:20, 1Ti.6:7, al.; hence by meton., …

things madeποιήμασινpoiēmasinG4161
workmanship

ποίημα (poiēma) ποίημα, -τος, τό (ποιέω), [in LXX chiefly for מַעֲשֶׂה (frequently in Ec) ;] that which is made or done, a work: Rom.1:20, Eph.2:10.† (AS)

being understoodνοούμεναnooumenaG3539
to understand

νοέω (noeō) νοιεω νοέω, -ῶ (νοῦς), [in LXX chiefly for בִּין, also for שָׂכַל hi., etc ;] 1. to perceive with the mind, understand (for the phrase νοῶν κ. φρονῶν, in wills, see MM, xvii): absol., Mat.16:9, Mrk.8:17; with accusative, Eph.3:4, 1Ti.1:7; with dative instr., τ. καρδίᾳ, Jhn.12:40; pass., Rom.1:20; before ὅτι, Mat.15:17 16:11, Mrk.7:18; with accusative and inf., Heb.11:8. 2. to think, consider: absol., Mat.24:15, Mrk.13:14, Eph.3:20; with accusative of thing(s), 2Ti.2:7 (cf. -εὐ, κατα-, μετα-, προ-, ὑπο-νοέω).† (AS)

are clearly seen,καθορᾶται,kathorataiG2529
to perceive

καθοράω (kathoraō) καθ-οράω, -ῶ [in LXX: Num.24:2 (רָאָה), Job.10:4 39:26, 3Ma.3:11 * ;] 1. to look down. 2. to discern clearly: Rom.1:20.† (AS)

bothτεteG5037
and/both

τε (te) τέ, enclitic copulative particle (= Lat. -que as καί = and, ac, atque, not very frequently in NT, more than two-thirds of the occurrences being in Ac. 1. τέ solitarium, and, denoting a closer affinity than καί between words and sentences which it connects (BL, §77, 8): Mat.28:12, Jhn.4:42, Act.2:33, 37 40 10:22 11:21, al. 2. Denoting a closer connection than simple καί, τὲ . . . καί, τὲ καί, τὲ . . . τέ (Act.26:16 Rom.14:8), as well . . . as also, both . . . and: Luk.12:45, Act.1:1 15:9, 21:30, al.; τὲ . . . δέ, and . . . and, Act.19:2; τὲ γάρ . . . ὁμοίως δὲ καί, Rom.1:26, 27. (AS)

eternalἀΐδιοςaidiosG0126
eternal

ἀΐδιος (aidios) ἀΐδιος, -ον (ἀεί), [in LXX: Wis.7:26, 4Ma.10:15 * ;] everlasting (frequently in Inscr.; MM, VGT, see word): Rom.1:20, Ju 6.† SYN.: αἰώνιος, also frequently in Inscr. (Deiss., BS, 363 J. The etymological distinction between the meanings of the two words seems not to be retained in late Greek (see Thayer, see word, αἰώνιος; cf. Cremer, 79, 611). (AS)

of HimαὐτοῦautouG0846
it/s/he

αὐτός (autos) αὐτός, -ή, -ό, determinative pron., in late Gk. much more frequently than in cl. (WM, 178f.; Jannaris, HGG, §1399). 1. Emphatic (so always in nom. exc. when preceded by the art., see infr., iii); (1) self (ipse), expressing opposition, distinction, exclusion, etc., αὐ. ἐκχυθήσεται, Luk.5:37; αὐ. ἐγινώσκεν, Jhn.2:25; αὐ.ὑμεῖς, Jhn.3:28; καὶ αὐ. ἐγώ, Rom.15:14; αὐ. Ἰησοῦς, Jhn.2:24; αὐ. καὶ οἱ μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ, Mrk.2:25; ὑμεῖς αὐ., Mrk.6:31; esp. (as freq in cl.) αὐ. ὁ, Mat.3:4, Mrk.6:17, Jhn.16:27, 1Th.3:11, al.; in late Gk., sometimes weakened, ἐν αὐτῇ τ. ὥρᾳ, in that hour, Luk.10:21 (M, Pr., 91; …

powerδύναμιςdunamisG1411
power

δύναμις (dunamis) δύναμις, -εως, ἡ (δύναμαι), [in LXX for עֹז ,גּבוּרָה ,צָבָה ,(חֵיל) חַיִל, etc.; 35 words in all ;] power, might, strength; relatively, ability, power to perform: Mat.25:15, Act.3:12, Heb.11:11; κατὰ δ., 2Co.8:3; παρὰ δ., ib.; ὑπὲρ δ., 2Co.1:8; of pecuniary ability, 2Co.8:3, Rev.18:3; absol., power, might: Luk.24:49, Act.1:8; opposite to ἀσθένεια, 1Co.15:43; ἡ δ. τ. ἁμαρτίας, 1Co.15:56; of power in action, Rom.1:16, 20 1Co.1:18, Php.3:10, al.; ἡ δ. τ. θεοῦ, Mat.22:29, Mrk.12:24, Rom.1:20, al.; opposite to μόρφωσις, 2Ti.3:5; in doxologies, Rev.4:11 7:12, al.; ἐν δ., Mrk.9:1, Luk.4:36, Rom.1: …

andκαὶkaiG2532
and

καί (kai) καί, conj., and I. Copulative. 1. Connecting single words; (a) in general: Mat.2:18, 16:1, Mrk.2:15, Luk.8:15, Heb.1:1, al. mult.; repeated before each of the terms in a series, Mat.23:23, Luk.14:21, Rom.7:12, 9:4, al. (b) connecting numerals (WM, §37, 4): Jhn.2:20, Act.13:20; (with) joining terms which are not mutually exclusive, as the part with the whole: Mat.8:33, 26:59, Mrk.16:17, Act.5:29, al. 2. Connecting clauses and sentences: Mat.3:12, Act.5:21, al. mult.; esp. …

divinity,θειότης,theiotēsG2305
divinity

θειότης (theiotēs) θειότης, -ητος, ἡ (θεῖος) [in LXX: Wis.18:9 * ;] divine nature, divinity: Rom.1:20 (for ex. from π., see MM, Exp., xv).† SYN.: θεότης, deity, godhead, divine personality. θει. = divine nature and properties, a summary term for the attributes of deity, differing from θεότης as quality or attribute from essence (AS)

forεἰςeisG1519
toward

εἰς (eis) εἰς, prep. with accusative, expressing entrance, direction, limit, into, unto, to, upon, towards, for, among (Lat. in, with accusative). I. Of place. 1. After verbs of motion; (a) of entrance into: Mat.8:23, 9:7, Mrk.1:45, Luk.2:15, 8:31, al.; (b) of approach, to or towards: Mrk.11:1, Luk.6:8, 19:28, Jhn.11:31, 21:6, al.; (with) before pl. and collective nouns, among: Mrk.4:7, 8:19, 20, Luk.11:49, Jhn.21:23, al.; …

to beεἶναιeinaiG1511
to exist

εἶναι (einai) εἰμί, with various uses and significations, like the English verb to be. I. As substantive verb. 1. Of persons and things, to be, exist: Act.17:28, Jhn.1:1, 8:58, 17:5, al; ὁ ὢν καὶ ὁ ἦν (for past ptcp.), Rev.1:4, 8, 4:8, 11:17, 16:5 (see Swete, Ap., 5; M, Pr., 228); τὰ (μὴ) ὄντα, Rom.4:17, 1Co.1:28. 2. Of times, events, etc., to be, happen, take place: Mat.24:3, Mrk.14:2, 15:42, Luk.21:23, Jhn.4:6, 23, 5:10, al. …

themαὐτοὺςautousG0846
it/s/he

αὐτός (autos) αὐτός, -ή, -ό, determinative pron., in late Gk. much more frequently than in cl. (WM, 178f.; Jannaris, HGG, §1399). 1. Emphatic (so always in nom. exc. when preceded by the art., see infr., iii); (1) self (ipse), expressing opposition, distinction, exclusion, etc., αὐ. ἐκχυθήσεται, Luk.5:37; αὐ. ἐγινώσκεν, Jhn.2:25; αὐ.ὑμεῖς, Jhn.3:28; καὶ αὐ. ἐγώ, Rom.15:14; αὐ. Ἰησοῦς, Jhn.2:24; αὐ. καὶ οἱ μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ, Mrk.2:25; ὑμεῖς αὐ., Mrk.6:31; esp. (as freq in cl.) αὐ. ὁ, Mat.3:4, Mrk.6:17, Jhn.16:27, 1Th.3:11, al.; in late Gk., sometimes weakened, ἐν αὐτῇ τ. ὥρᾳ, in that hour, Luk.10:21 (M, Pr., 91; …

without excuse.ἀναπολογήτους.anapologētousG0379
inexcusable

ἀναπολόγητος (anapologētos) ἀναπολόγητος, -ον (ἀπολογεόμαι), without excuse, inexcusable (in Polyb., al., as a forensic term; see Lft., Notes, 252): Rom.1:20 2:1.† (AS)

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.