Romans 1:29
What does Romans 1:29 mean?
A plain-English look at Romans 1:29 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Romans 1:29 means
Paul begins a sweeping list: filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malignity; whisperers. The repetition of “filled” and “full” signals saturation—sin pervades. The catalog spans inward dispositions (envy), violent acts (murder), relational breakdown (strife), and covert harm (deceit, whispering). Covetousness and malice show self-interest and ill will driving behavior. This is not an exhaustive list but a representative portrait of humanity under sin’s rule. The point is universality and depth: the heart’s disorders spill into communities, poisoning speech, trust, and peace.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
KJV
King James Version · 1611Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949Being full of all wrongdoing, evil, desire for the goods of others, hate, envy, putting to death, fighting, deceit, cruel ways, evil talk, and false statements about others;
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862having been filled with all unrighteousness, whoredom, wickedness, covetousness, malice; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil dispositions; whisperers,
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752Being filled with all iniquity, malice, fornication, avarice, wickedness: full of envy, murder, contention, deceit, malignity: whisperers,
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, malice; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil dispositions; whisperers,
Context
After stating that God gave people over to a reprobate mind (v.28), Paul details the results in a vice list beginning in verse 29. This list continues into verses 30–31, showing comprehensive moral decay. The accumulation is deliberate, pounding home the point that sin touches every sphere of life. Verse 32 will then cap the indictment by stressing that people know God’s righteous decree yet still do these things and even approve them.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- 2 Corinthians 12:20
For I fear, lest by any means, when I come, I should find you not such as I would, and should myself be found of you such as ye would not; lest by any means there should be strife, jealousy, wraths, factions, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults;
- Proverbs 26:20
For lack of wood the fire goeth out; And where there is no whisperer, contention ceaseth.
- Proverbs 16:28
A perverse man scattereth abroad strife; And a whisperer separateth chief friends.
- Psalms 41:7
All that hate me whisper together against me; Against me do they devise my hurt.
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