Romans 1:32

New Living Translation

They 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.

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
They know God's law says that anyone who lives like that should die. But they not only continue to do these things themselves, but they also encourage others who do them.

Revised Standard Version
Though they know God's decree that those who do such things deserve to die, they not only do them but approve those who practice them.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Which me though they knew the rightewesnes of God how that they which soche thinges commyt are worthy of deeth yet not only do the same but also have pleasure in them that do them.

Hebrew Names Version
who, knowing the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but also consent with those who practice them.

International Standard Version
Although they know God's just requirement - that those who practice such things deserve to die - they not only do these things but even applaud others who practice them.Psalm 50:18; Hosea 7:3; Romans 2:2; 6:21;">[xr]

New American Standard Bible
and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also approve of those who practice them.

New Century Version
They know God's law says that those who live like this should die. But they themselves not only continue to do these evil things, they applaud others who do them.

Update Bible Version
who, knowing the ordinance of God, that those that do such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but also consent with those that do them.

Webster's Bible Translation
Who, knowing the judgment of God, that they who commit such things are worthy of death; not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

English Standard Version
Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

World English Bible
who, knowing the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but also consent with those who practice them.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Who knowing the righteous judgment of God, that they who do such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in those that do them.

Weymouth's New Testament
In short, though knowing full well the sentence which God pronounces against actions such as theirs, as things which deserve death, they not only practise them, but even encourage and applaud others who do them.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
The whiche whanne thei hadden knowe the riytwisnesse of God, vndirstoden not, that thei that don siche thingis ben worthi the deth, not oneli thei that don tho thingis, but also thei that consenten to the doeris.

English Revised Version
who, knowing the ordinance of God, that they which practise such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but also consent with them that practise them.

Berean Standard Bible
Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things are worthy of death, they not only continue to do these things, but also approve of those who practice them.

Contemporary English Version
They know God has said that anyone who acts this way deserves to die. But they keep on doing evil things, and they even encourage others to do them.

Amplified Bible
Although they know God's righteous decree and His judgment, that those who do such things deserve death, yet they not only do them, but they even [enthusiastically] approve and tolerate others who practice them.

American Standard Version
who, knowing the ordinance of God, that they that practise such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but also consent with them that practise them.

Bible in Basic English
Who, though they have knowledge of the law of God, that the fate of those who do these things is death, not only go on doing these things themselves, but give approval to those who do them.

Complete Jewish Bible
They know well enough God's righteous decree that people who do such things deserve to die; yet not only do they keep doing them, but they applaud others who do the same.

Darby Translation
who knowing the righteous judgment of God, that they who do such things are worthy of death, not only practise them, but have fellow delight in those who do [them].

Etheridge Translation
knowing the judgment of Aloha, that they who these things do, unto death are condemned, (yet) not only do them, but also participate with those who do them.

Murdock Translation
These, while they know the judgment of God, that he condemneth those to death who perpetrate such things, are not only doers of them, but the companions of such as do them.

King James Version (1611)
Who knowing the iudgement of God, (that they which commit such things, are worthy of death) not onely do the same, but haue pleasure in them that doe them.

New Life Bible
They know God has said that all who do such things should die. But they keep on doing these things and are happy when others do them also.

New Revised Standard
They know God's decree, that those who practice such things deserve to die—yet they not only do them but even applaud others who practice them.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Which men, though they knew ye Lawe of God, how that they which comit such things are worthie of death, yet not onely do the same, but also fauour them that doe them.

George Lamsa Translation
Knowing the judgment of God, that those who commit such things, he condemns to death, they not only do them, but also associate with those who practice them.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Who, indeed, having acknowledged the righteous sentence of God, - that, they who such things as these do practise, are worthy of death, not only, the same things, are doing, but are even delighting together with them who are practising them .

Douay-Rheims Bible
Who, having known the justice of God, did not understand that they who do such things, are worthy of death: and not only they that do them, but they also that consent to them that do them.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
The whiche knowyng the righteousnes of God, howe that they which commit such thynges are worthy of death, not only do the same, but also haue pleasure in them that do them.

Good News Translation
They know that God's law says that people who live in this way deserve death. Yet, not only do they continue to do these very things, but they even approve of others who do them.

Christian Standard Bible®
Although they know God’s just sentence—that those who practice such things deserve to die—they not only do them, but even applaud others who practice them.

King James Version
Who 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.

Lexham English Bible
who, although they know the requirements of God, that those who do such things are worthy of death, not only do they do the same things, but also they approve of those who do them.

Literal Translation
who knowing the righteous order of God, that those practicing such things are worthy of death, not only do them, but also approve those practicing them .

Young's Literal Translation
who the righteous judgment of God having known -- that those practising such things are worthy of death -- not only do them, but also have delight with those practising them.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
which men, though they knowe the righteousnes of God (that they which do soch, are worthy of death) yet not onely do the same, but also haue pleasure in those that do the.

Mace New Testament (1729)
who knowing the divine rule of right, did not perceive that they who commit such things are worthy of death, and not only they who do the same, but they who give countenance to those that do them.

New English Translation
Although they fully know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but also approve of those who practice them.

New King James Version
who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.

Simplified Cowboy Version
They know this type of life leads to death, but they continue on like it's a joke. The only people they like are the ones who go with them toward the cliff.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.

Legacy Standard Bible
and although they know the righteous requirement of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.

Contextual Overview

¹⁹ They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. ²⁰ For 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. ²¹ Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn't worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. ²² Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. ²³ And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles. ²⁴ So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other's bodies. ²⁵ They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. ²⁶ 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. ²⁷ And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved. ²⁸ Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

knowing: Romans 1:18, Romans 1:21, Romans 2:1-5, Romans 2:21-23

worthy: Romans 6:21

have pleasure in them: or, consent with them, Psalms 50:18, Hosea 7:3, Mark 14:10, Mark 14:11

Reciprocal: Genesis 2:17 - surely Exodus 23:2 - follow Leviticus 19:17 - and not suffer sin upon him Deuteronomy 32:4 - all his Judges 20:13 - would not 2 Samuel 17:4 - the saying 1 Kings 11:2 - Solomon 1 Kings 21:16 - Ahab rose up 2 Chronicles 16:3 - break 2 Chronicles 19:2 - Shouldest Esther 5:14 - the thing Job 24:13 - rebel Job 36:17 - fulfilled Psalms 10:3 - and blesseth Psalms 36:4 - abhorreth Psalms 62:4 - delight Proverbs 2:14 - and Proverbs 28:4 - that Ezekiel 16:52 - bear thine Micah 3:2 - love Matthew 27:16 - a John 3:19 - this Acts 22:20 - consenting Romans 2:3 - that thou shalt Romans 2:12 - For Romans 2:14 - are a law 1 Corinthians 13:6 - Rejoiceth not 2 Thessalonians 2:12 - but James 4:17 - General

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Who knowing the judgment of God,.... Either of the law of God, the law and light of nature, by which they might in some measure know the difference between good and evil, and what was right and wrong; or the judiciary sentence of God against sin:

that they which commit such things are worthy of death; at least of corporeal death:

not only do the same, but have pleasure in those that do them; all which greatly aggravated their wickedness, since they sinned against light and knowledge, with approbation and good liking of their own sins, and took pleasure in the sins of others. The Jews have a saying p,

"that no man is suspected of a thing but he has done it; and if he has not done the whole of it, he has done part of it, and if he has not done part of it, he has thought in his heart to do it, and if he has not thought in his heart to do it, ראה אחרים שעשו ושמח, "he has seen others do it, and has rejoiced".''

And if such a man is a wicked man, how much more wicked are such who commit sin themselves, and delight in the sins of others? now from this whole account we see the insufficiency of the light of nature to guide persons in the way of salvation; what need there was of a divine revelation; and how impossible it is that such men should ever be justified before God, by any works of seeming righteousness done by them; which the apostle had in view, in giving this account of the depraved nature and conduct of the Gentiles, and of those among them who professed to be, and were the wisest and most knowing of them.

p T. Bab. Moed Katon, fol. 18. 2.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Who knowing - That the Gentiles had a moral sense, or were capable of knowing the will of God in this case, is clear from Romans 2:14-15. The means which they had of arriving at the knowledge of God were, their own reason, their conscience, and an observation of the effects of depravity.

The judgment of God - The word “judgment” here denotes the declared sentiment of God that such things deserved death. It does not mean his inflictions, or his statutes or precepts; but it means that God thought or judged that they which did such things ought to die. As they were aware of this, it showed their guilt in still persevering in the face of his judgments, and his solemn purpose to inflict punishment.

Were worthy of death - The word “death” in the Scriptures is often used to denote punishment. But it does not mean here that these deserved capital punishment from the civil magistrate, but that they knew they were evil, and offensive to God, and deserving of punishment from his hand; see John 8:51; Romans 5:12-19.

Have pleasure ... - They delight in those who commit sin; and hence, encourage them in it, and excite them to it. This was a grievous aggravation of the offence. It greatly heightens guilt when we excite others to do it, and seduce them from the ways of innocence. That this was the case with the pagan there can be no doubt. People do not commit sin often alone. They need the countenance of others. They “join hand in hand,” and become confederate in iniquity. All social sins are of this class; and most of those which the apostle mentioned were sins of this character.

If this revolting and melancholy picture of the pagan world was a true representation, then it was clear that there was need of some other plan of religion. And that it was true has already in part been seen. In the conclusion of this chapter we may make a few additional observations.

1. The charges which the apostle makes here were evidently those which were well known. He does not even appeal to their writings, as he does on some other occasions, for proof; compare Titus 1:12. So well known were they, that there was no need of proof. A writer would not advance charges in this manner unless he was confident that they were well-founded, and could not be denied.

2. They are abundantly sustained by the pagan writers themselves. This we have in part seen In addition we may adduce the testimony of two Roman writers respecting the state of things at Rome in the time of the apostle. Livy says of the age of Augustus, in some respects the brightest period of the Roman history, “Rome has increased by her virtues until now, when we can neither bear our vices nor their remedy.” Preface to his History. Seneca, one of the purest moralists of Rome, who died in 65 a.d., says of his own time, “All is full of criminality and vice; indeed much more of these is committed than can be remedied by force. A monstrous contest of abandoned wickedness is carried on. The lust of sin increases daily; and shame is daily more and more extinguished. Discarding respect for all that is good and sacred, lust rushes on wherever it will. Vice no longer hides itself. It stalks forth before all eyes. So public has abandoned wickedness become, and so openly does it flame up in the minds of all, that innocence is no longer seldom, but has wholly ceased to exist.” Seneca de Ira, ii. 8. Further authorities of this kind could be easily given, but these will show that the apostle Paul did not speak at random when he charged them with these enormous crimes.

3. If this was the state of things, then it was clear that there was need of another plan of saving people. It will be remembered that, in these charges, the apostle speaks of the most enlightened and refined nations of antiquity; and especially that he speaks of the Romans at the very height of their power, intelligence, and splendor. The experiment whether man could save himself by his own works, had been fairly made. After all that their greatest philosophers could do, this was the result, and it is clear that there was need of some better plan than this. More profound and laborious philosophers than had arisen, the pagan world could not hope to see; more refinement and civilization than then existed, the world could not expect to behold under paganism. At this time, when the experiment had been made for four thousand years, and when the inefficacy of all human means, even under the most favorable circumstances, to reform mankind, had been tried, the gospel was preached to people. It disclosed another plan; and its effects were seen at once throughout the most abandoned states and cities of the ancient world.

4. If this was the state of things in the ancient pagan world, the same may be expected to be the state of paganism still. And it is so. The account given here of ancient pagans would apply substantially still to the pagan world. The same things have been again and again witnessed in China, and Hindostan, and Africa, the Sandwich islands, and in aboriginal America. It would be easy to multiply proofs almost without end of this: and to this day the pagan world is exhibiting substantially the same characteristics that it was in the time of Paul.

5. There was need of some better religion than the pagan. After all that infidels and deists have said of the sufficiency of natural religion, yet here is the sad result. This shows what man can do, and these facts will demonstrate forever that there was need of some other religion than that furnished by the light of nature.

6. The account in this chapter shows the propriety of missionary exertions. So Paul judged; and so we should judge still. If this be the state of the world, and if Christianity, as all Christians believe, contains the remedy for all these evils, then it is wisdom and benevolence to send it to them. And it is not wisdom or benevolence to withhold it from them. Believing as they do, Christians are bound to send the gospel to the pagan world. It is on this principle that modern missions to the pagan are established; and if the toils of the apostles were demanded to spread the gospel, then are the labors of Christians now. If it was right, and wise, and proper for them to go to other lands to proclaim “the unsearchable riches of Christ,” then it is equally proper and wise to do it now. If there was danger that the pagan world then would perish without the gospel, there is equal danger that the pagan world will perish now.

7. If it should be said that many of these things are practiced now in nations which are called Christian, and that, therefore, the charge of the apostle that this was the effect of paganism could not be well-founded, we may reply,

(1) That this is true, too true. But this very fact shows the deep and dreadful depravity of human nature. If such things exist in lands that have a revelation, what mush have been the state of those countries that had none of its restraints and influences? But,

(2) These things do not exist where religion exerts its influence. They are not in the bosom of the Christian church. They are not practiced by Christians. And the effect of the Christian religion, so far as it has influence, is to call off people from such vices, and to make them holy and pure in their life. Let religion exert its full influence on any nominally Christian nation, and these things would cease. Let it send its influence into other lands, and the world, the now polluted world, would become pure before God.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Romans 1:32. Who, knowing the judgment of God — δικαιωμα, the grand rule of right which God has revealed to every man, the knowledge of which he has, less or more, given to every nation of the world, relative to honouring parents, taking care of their own offspring, keeping their engagements, c., c. In the worst states of heathenism this great principle has been acknowledged but, through the prevalence of corruption in the heart, this law, though acknowledged, was not obeyed and the corruption increased so that those were highest in repute who had cast off all restraints of this kind; so that they even delighted in them; συνευδοκουσι, highly applauded, and gladly associated with those transgressors: which argues the very highest pitch of moral depravity.

1. THE preceding chapter gives us one of the finest views of the Gospel of Christ, to be met with any where. It is God's method of saving a lost world, in a way which that world could never have imagined: there is nothing human in it; it is all truly and gloriously Divine; essentially necessary to the salvation of man, and fully adequate to the purposes of its institution. Though it is an extension of the old covenant, yet it is almost wholly dissimilar; being as different from that as the person is from the picture which represents it, and as the substance is from the shadow projected by it. It is a scheme as worthy of God as it is necessary for man; hence there are no excluding clauses in it-it is for the Jew and for the Greek; for the wise and for the unwise; for all the nations of the universe, and for all the individuals of those nations. He blasphemes God who holds the contrary.

2. As God never does any thing that is not fitting, suitable, and necessary to be done, he has not made an unnecessary display of his mercy and goodness in the incarnation and death of his Son-all this was necessary, else it had not been done. But how does the necessity appear? In the deep-rooted and widely extended corruption and profligacy of the nations of the earth. Of these the apostle gives a most affecting and distressing picture.

(1) Almost every trace of original righteousness had been obliterated.

(2) The proofs of God's eternal power and providence, so manifest in the creation and preservation of the universe, were wholly disregarded.

(3) A vain philosophy, without right, principle, or end, was substituted for those Divine truths which had been discovered originally to man.

(4) Their hearts were contaminated with every vice which could blind the understanding, pervert the judgment, corrupt the will, and debase the affections and passions.

(5) This was proved in the most unequivocal manner, by a profligacy of conduct which had debased them far, far below the beasts that perish; and the apostle here gives a list of their crimes, every article of which can be incontrovertibly proved from their own history and their own writers: crimes which, even bad as the world is now, would shock common decency to describe. See the whole of the second, third, sixth, and ninth Satires of Juvenal.

3. So completely lost were the heathens to a knowledge of the influence of God on the souls and the necessity of that influence, that they asserted, in the most positive manner, that man was the author of his own virtue and wisdom. Cicero, Nat. Deor., lib. iii. c. 36, declares it a general opinion that, although mankind received from the gods the outward conveniencies of life-virtutem autem nemo unquam acceptam Deo retulit-"virtue none ever thought they received from the Deity." And again:-"This is the persuasion of all, that fortune is to be had from the gods; wisdom from ourselves." And again:-"Whoever thanked the gods for his being a good man? Men pray to Jupiter, not that he would make them just, temperate, and wise; but rich and prosperous."

JUVENAL, on this point, speaks thus:-

Monstro, quod ipse tibi possis dare: Semita certe

Tranquillae per virtutem patet unica vitae.

Sat. x. v. 363.

The path to peace is virtue; which, I show,

Thyself may fully on thyself bestow.

In the same stain, HORACE, EPIST. lib. i. E. xviii. v. penult.

Haec satis est orare Jovem, qui donat et aufert:

Det vitam det opes: aequum mi animum ipse parabo.

To Jove for life and wealth I pray,

These Jove may give or take away;

But, for a firm and tranquil mind,

That blessing for myself I find.

Thus, they became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened; and professing themselves to be wise, they became fools. See Madan's Juvenal, vol. ii. p. 53.

4. By all this we see what the world was, and what it would have continued to be had not God sent a Divine revelation of his will, and established a public ministry to proclaim and enforce it. Were man left to the power and influence of his fallen nature he would be, in all places of his dispersion on the earth, what the apostle describes in the 29th, 30th, and 31st verses of this chapter. Romans 1:29-31

Reader, magnify God, who has called thee from such deep darkness, to the marvellous light of the glorious Gospel of his Son; and walk as a child of the light and of the day, in whom there shall be no cause of stumbling.