Romans 8:16

Amplified Bible

The Spirit Himself testifies and confirms together with our spirit [assuring us] that we [believers] are children of God.

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
And the Spirit himself speaks to our spirits and makes us sure that we are God's children.

Revised Standard Version
it is the Spirit himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
The same sprete certifieth oure sprete yt we are the sonnes of God.

Hebrew Names Version
The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God;

International Standard Version
The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.2 Corinthians 1:22; 5:5; Ephesians 1:13; 4:30;">[xr]

New American Standard Bible
The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,

New Century Version
And the Spirit himself joins with our spirits to say we are God's children.

Update Bible Version
The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit, that we are children of God:

Webster's Bible Translation
The Spirit itself testifieth with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

English Standard Version
The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

World English Bible
The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God;

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
The same Spirit beareth witness with our spirits, that we are the children of God.

Weymouth's New Testament
The Spirit Himself bears witness, along with our own spirits, to the fact that we are children of God;

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the ilke spirit yeldith witnessyng to oure spirit, that we ben the sones of God;

English Revised Version
The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God:

Berean Standard Bible
The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.

Contemporary English Version
God's Spirit makes us sure that we are his children.

American Standard Version
The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God:

Bible in Basic English
The Spirit is witness with our spirit that we are children of God:

Complete Jewish Bible
The Spirit himself bears witness with our own spirits that we are children of God;

Darby Translation
The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are children of God.

Etheridge Translation
And the Spirit himself witnesseth with our spirit, that we are the sons of Aloha.

Murdock Translation
And this Spirit testifieth to our spirit, that we are the sons of God.

King James Version (1611)
The spirit it selfe beareth witnes with our spirit, that we are the children of God.

New Living Translation
For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God's children.

New Life Bible
For the Holy Spirit speaks to us and tells our spirit that we are children of God.

New Revised Standard
it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

Geneva Bible (1587)
The same Spirit beareth witnesse with our spirit, that we are the children of God.

George Lamsa Translation
And this Spirit bears witness to our spirit, that we are the children of God:

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
The Spirit itself, beareth witness together with our spirit that we are children of God;

Douay-Rheims Bible
For the Spirit himself giveth testimony to our spirit that we are the sons of God.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
The same spirite, beareth witnesse to our spirite, that we are ye sonnes of God.

Good News Translation
God's Spirit joins himself to our spirits to declare that we are God's children.

Christian Standard Bible®
The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children,

King James Version
The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

Lexham English Bible
The Spirit himself confirms to our spirit that we are children of God,

Literal Translation
The Spirit Himself witnesses with our spirit that we are children of God.

Young's Literal Translation
The Spirit himself doth testify with our spirit, that we are children of God;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The same sprete certifieth oure sprete, that we are the childre of God.

Mace New Testament (1729)
the same spirit testifies to our spirit, that we are the children of God.

New English Translation
The Spirit himself bears witness to our spirit that we are God's children.

New King James Version
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

Simplified Cowboy Version
When his spirit ties hard and fast to ours, we know we are God's kids.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,

Legacy Standard Bible
The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,

Contextual Overview

¹⁰If Christ lives in you, though your [natural] body is dead because of sin, your spirit is alive because of righteousness [which He provides]. ¹¹And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, who lives in you. ¹²So then, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation, but not to our flesh [our human nature, our worldliness, our sinful capacity], to live according to the [impulses of the] flesh [our nature without the Holy Spirit]— ¹³for if you are living according to the [impulses of the] flesh, you are going to die. But if [you are living] by the [power of the Holy] Spirit you are habitually putting to death the sinful deeds of the body, you will [really] live forever. ¹⁴For all who are allowing themselves to be led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. ¹⁵For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading again to fear [of God's judgment], but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons [the Spirit producing sonship] by which we [joyfully] cry, "Abba! Father!" ¹⁶The Spirit Himself testifies and confirms together with our spirit [assuring us] that we [believers] are children of God.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Spirit: Romans 8:23, Romans 8:26, 2 Corinthians 1:22, 2 Corinthians 5:5, Ephesians 1:13, Ephesians 4:30, 1 John 4:13

with our: 2 Corinthians 1:12, 1 John 3:19-22, 1 John 5:10

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 14:1 - the children Psalms 84:11 - the Lord Mark 14:36 - Abba John 4:14 - shall be John 5:24 - and shall not John 14:16 - another Romans 8:15 - the Spirit Romans 9:1 - my conscience Romans 9:26 - there shall Romans 14:17 - peace 1 Corinthians 2:12 - but 2 Corinthians 3:17 - where Galatians 4:7 - if 1 Thessalonians 1:6 - with joy 1 John 3:10 - the children of God 1 John 5:8 - the spirit 1 John 5:19 - we know

Cross-References

Genesis 7:1
Then the LORD said to Noah, "Come into the ark, you with all your household, for you [alone] I have seen as righteous (doing what is right) before Me in this generation.

Genesis 7:7
Then Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives with him entered the ark to escape the flood waters.

Genesis 7:13
On the very same day Noah and Shem and Ham and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife and the three wives of his sons with them, entered the ark,

Genesis 8:16
"Go out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives with you.

Genesis 8:18
So Noah went out, and his wife and his sons and their wives with him [after being in the ark one year and ten days].

Joshua 3:17
And while all [the people of] Israel crossed over on dry ground, the priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan [riverbed], until all the nation had finished crossing over the Jordan.

Joshua 4:10
For the priests who carried the ark were standing in the midst of the Jordan until everything was finished that the LORD had commanded Joshua to tell the people, in accordance with everything that Moses had commanded Joshua. The people hurried and crossed [the dry riverbed];

Psalms 91:11
For He will command His angels in regard to you, To protect and defend and guard you in all your ways [of obedience and service].

Psalms 121:8
The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in [everything that you do] From this time forth and forever.

Zechariah 9:11
As for you also, because of the blood of My covenant with you [My chosen people, the covenant that was sealed with blood] I have freed your prisoners from the waterless pit.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

The Spirit itself beareth witness,.... The thing which the Spirit of God witnesses to is,

that we are the sons of God; which supposes the case in some sense doubtful and uncertain, at least that it is called in question; not by others, though it sometimes is, as by Satan, which need not seem strange, since he called in question the sonship of Christ himself, and by the world who know them not, and by good men, till better informed: but the testimony of the Spirit is not the satisfaction of others, but the saints themselves; who are ready to doubt of it at times, because of the greatness of the favour, and their own sinfulness and unworthiness; especially after backslidings; through the temptations of the devil, and because of their many trials and afflictions. Now this witness of the Spirit is to establish and confirm it; not to make the thing itself surer, for that stands on the sure foundation of predestination, on the unalterable covenant of grace, on union to Christ; redemption by him, the gift of Christ, and continuance of the Spirit; but to assure them of it, and of their interest in it; for the testimony is given "to our spirits"; so the words are read by the Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions, and by the Vulgate Latin; which reading seems better than

with our spirits; for our own spirits are no witnesses to ourselves: the Father and Son are co-witnesses of the Spirit, but not our own spirits; the spirits of the saints are they which receive the witness of the Spirit of God, to which it is made; not to their ears, for it is not an audible testimony; but to their hearts, it is internal; to their renewed souls, where faith is wrought to receive it; to their understandings, that they may know and be assured of it; to their spirits, which are apt to faint and doubt about it. Now it is "the Spirit itself" that bears this witness, and not others, or by others, but he himself in person; who is a divine witness, whose testimony therefore must be greater than others, and a faithful one, who will never deceive; for he witnesses what he knows, and what is sure and certain: his very being and habitation in the saints are witnesses and proofs of their adoption; his powerful operations and divine landings persuade to a belief of the truth of it; and by shedding abroad the Father's love in the heart, and by the application of Gospel promises, he causes and encourages them to "cry Abba", Father; which is a wonderful instance of his condescension and grace.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The Spirit - The Holy Spirit. That the Holy Spirit here is intended, is evident,

1. Because this is the natural meaning of the expression;
2. Because it is of the Holy Spirit that the apostle is mainly treating here;
3. Because it would be an unnatural and forced construction to say of the temper of adoption that it bore witness.

Beareth witness - Testifies, gives evidence.

With our spirit - To our minds. This pertains to the adoption; and it means that the Holy Spirit furnishes evidence to our minds that we are adopted into the family of God. This effect is not infrequently attributed to the Holy Spirit, 2 Corinthians 1:22; 1Jo 5:10-11; 1 Corinthians 2:12. If it be asked how this is done, I answer, it is not by any revelation of new truth; it is not by inspiration; it is not always by assurance; it is not by a mere persuasion that we are elected to eternal life; but it is by producing in us the appropriate effects of his influence. It is his to renew the heart; to sanctify the soul; to produce “love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance,” Galatians 5:22-23. If a man has these, he has evidence of the witnessing of the Spirit with his spirit. If not, he has no such evidence. And the way, therefore, to ascertain whether we have this witnessing of the Spirit, is by an honest and prayerful inquiry whether these fruits of the Spirit actually exist in our minds. If they do, the evidence is clear. If not, all vain confidence of good estate; all visions, and raptures, and fancied revelations, will be mere delusions. It may be added, that the effect of these fruits of the Spirit an the mind is to produce a calm and heavenly frame; and in that frame, when attended with the appropriate fruits of the Spirit in a holy life, we may rejoice as an evidence of piety.

That we are the children of God - That we are adopted into his family.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Romans 8:16. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit — αυτο το πνευμα, that same Spirit, the Spirit of adoption; that is, the Spirit who witnesses this adoption; which can be no other than the Holy Ghost himself, and certainly cannot mean any disposition or affection of mind which the adopted person may feel; for such a disposition must arise from a knowledge of this adoption, and the knowledge of this adoption cannot be given by any human or earthly means; it must come from God himself: therefore the αυτοτοπνευμα must have reference to that Spirit, by whom alone the knowledge of the adoption is witnessed to the soul of the believer.

With our spirit — In our understanding, the place or recipient of light and information; and the place or faculty to which such information can properly be brought. This is done that we may have the highest possible evidence of the work which God has wrought. As the window is the proper medium to let the light of the sun into our apartments, so the understanding is the proper medium of conveying the Spirit's influence to the soul. We, therefore, have the utmost evidence of the fact of our adoption which we can possibly have; we have the word and Spirit of God; and the word sealed on our spirit by the Spirit of God. And this is not a momentary influx: if we take care to walk with God, and not grieve the Holy Spirit, we shall have an abiding testimony; and while we continue faithful to our adopting Father, the Spirit that witnesses that adoption will continue to witness it; and hereby we shall know that we are of God by the Spirit which he giveth us.