Romans 1:24
What does Romans 1:24 mean?
A plain-English look at Romans 1:24 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Romans 1:24 means
Therefore, God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, leading to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves. This is judicial abandonment: God allows people to pursue the desires they preferred over him, and those desires degrade them. Sin’s penalty begins within sin itself—misused bodies bear dishonor. The phrase signals not that God causes evil desires but that he withdraws restraints, letting human choices run their course. The moral chaos that follows is a consequence of idolatry; when the Creator is rejected, created gifts, including sexuality, are disordered and used destructively.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000Wherefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts unto uncleanness, that their bodies should be dishonored among themselves:
KJV
King James Version · 1611Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901Wherefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts unto uncleanness, that their bodies should be dishonored among themselves:
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949For this reason God gave them up to the evil desires of their hearts, working shame in their bodies with one another:
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862Wherefore also God did give them up, in the desires of their hearts, to uncleanness, to dishonour their bodies among themselves;
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752Wherefore, God gave them up to the desires of their heart, unto uncleanness: to dishonour their own bodies among themselves.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890WhereforeGod gave them up [also] in the lusts of their hearts to uncleanness, to dishonour their bodies between themselves:
Context
Following the exchange of God’s glory for images (v.23), verse 24 introduces God’s response: he gave them up to impurity. Verse 25 will restate the exchange as trading God’s truth for a lie and worshiping creation. Verses 26–27 will describe further consequences in same-sex relations as part of this judgment. The structure shows a cause-and-effect relationship between false worship and moral disorder.
v.23and changed the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things.
v.24This passage
v.25for that they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Ephesians 4:18
being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their heart;
- 2 Timothy 2:20
Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some unto honor, and some unto dishonor.
- Acts 7:42
But God turned, and gave them up to serve the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, Did ye offer unto me slain beasts and sacrifices Forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?
- Psalms 81:11
But my people hearkened not to my voice; And Israel would none of me.
- Romans 6:12
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey the lusts thereof:
- Romans 1:26
For this cause God gave them up unto vile passions: for their women changed the natural use into that which is against nature:
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