Romans 1 · Verse 26

Romans 1:26

For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
Romans 1:26, King James Version

Romans 1:26 in other translations

BSBFor this reason God gave them over to dishonorable passions. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones.
WEBFor this reason, God gave them up to vile passions. For their women changed the natural function into that which is against nature.
ASVFor this cause God gave them up unto vile passions: for their women changed the natural use into that which is against nature:
YLTBecause of this did God give them up to dishonourable affections, for even their females did change the natural use into that against nature;
DARBYFor this reason God gave them up to vile lusts; for both their females changed the natural use into that contrary to nature;
BBEFor this reason God gave them up to evil passions, and their women were changing the natural use into one which is unnatural:
WebsterFor this cause God gave them up to vile affections. For even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

What does Romans 1:26 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Romans 1:26-27
26-27. For this cause God gave them up--(See on Ro 1:24). for even their women--that sex whose priceless jewel and fairest ornament is modesty, and which, when that is once lost, not only becomes more shameless than the other sex, but lives henceforth only to drag the other sex down to its level. did change, &c.--The practices here referred to, though too abundantly attested by classic authors, cannot be further illustrated, without trenching on things which "ought not to be named among us as become the saints." But observe how vice is here seen consuming and exhausting itself. When the passions, scourged by violent and continued indulgence in natural vices, became impotent to yield the craved enjoyment, resort was had to artificial stimulants by the practice of unnatural and monstrous vices. How early these were in full career, in the history of the world, the case of Sodom affectingly shows; and because of such abominations, centuries after that, the land of Canaan "spued out" its old inhabitants. Long before this chapter was penned, the Lesbians and others throughout refined Greece had been luxuriating in such debasements; and as for the Romans, Tacitus, speaking of the emperor Tiberius, tells us that new words had then to be coined to express the newly invented stimulants to jaded passion. No wonder that, thus sick and dying as was this poor humanity of ours under the highest earthly culture, its many-voiced cry for the balm in Gilead, and the Physician there, "Come over and help us," pierced the hearts of the missionaries of the Cross, and made them "not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ!"

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 26. For this cause. On account of what had just been specified; to wit, that they did not glorify him as God, that they were unthankful, that they became polytheists and idolaters. In the previous verses he had stated their speculative belief, he now proceeds to show its practical influences on their conduct.

Vile affections. Disgraceful passions or desires. That is, to those which are immediately specified. The great object of the apostle here, it will be remembered, is to show the state of the heathen world, and to prove that they had need of some other way of justification than the law of nature. For this purpose, it was necessary for him to enter into a detail of their sins. The sins which he proceeds to specify are the most indelicate, vile, and degrading which can be charged on man. But this is not the fault of the apostle. If they existed, it was necessary for him to charge them on the pagan world. His argument would not be complete without it. The shame is not in specifying them, but in their existence; not in the apostle, but in those who practised them, and imposed on him the necessity of accusing them of these enormous offences. It may be further re- marked, that the mere fact of his charging them with these sins is strong presumptive proof of their being practised. If they did not exist, it would be easy for them to deny it, and put him to the proof of it. No man would venture charges like these without evidence; and the presumption is, that these things were known and practised without shame. But this is not all. There is still abundant proof on record, in the writings of the heathen themselves, that these crimes were known and extensively practised.

For even their women, etc. Evidence of the shameful and disgraceful fact here charged on the women is abundant in the Greek and Roman writers. Proof may be seen, which it would not be proper to specify, in the lexicons, under the words τριβας, ολισβος and εταιριστης. See also Seneca, epis. 95; Martial, epis. i. 90; Tholuck on the State of the Heathen World, in the Biblical Repository, vol. ii.; Lucian, Dial. Meretric. v.; and Tertullian de Pallio.

(g) "vile affections" Eph 5:12, Jude 1:10.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 26 For this cause God gave them up, etc. - Their system of idolatry necessarily produced all kinds of impurity. How could it be otherwise, when the highest objects of their worship were adulterers, fornicators, and prostitutes of the most infamous kind, such as Jupiter, Apollo, Mars, Venus, etc.? Of the abominable evils with which the apostle charges the Gentiles in this and the following verse I could produce a multitude of proofs from their own writings; but it is needless to make the subject plainer than the apostle has left it.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Romans 1:26-32
In the horrid depravity of the heathen, the truth of our Lord's words was shown: "Light was come into the world, but men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil; for he that doeth evil hateth the light." The truth was not to their taste. And we all know how soon a man will contrive, against the strongest evidence, to reason himself out of the belief of what he dislikes. But a man cannot be brought to greater slavery than to be given up to his own lusts. As the Gentiles did not like to keep God in their knowledge, they committed crimes wholly against reason and their own welfare. The nature of man, whether pagan or Christian, is still the same; and the charges of the apostle apply more or less to the state and character of men at all times, till they are brought to full submission to the faith of Christ, and renewed by Divine power. There never yet was a man, who had not reason to lament his strong corruptions, and his secret dislike to the will of God. Therefore this chapter is a call to self-examination, the end of which should be, a deep conviction of sin, and of the necessity of deliverance from a state of condemnation.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Romans 1:26 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ΔιὰDiaBecause ofG1223
τοῦτοtoutothisG3778
παρέδωκενparedōkengave upG3860
αὐτοὺςautousthemG846
ὁho<the>G3588
θεὸςtheosGodG2316
εἰςeistoG1519
πάθηpathēpassionsG3806
ἀτιμίας·atimiasof dishonor;G819
αἵai<the>G3588
τεteEvenG5037
γὰρgarforG1063
θήλειαιthēleiaifemalesG2338
αὐτῶνautōnof themG846
μετήλλαξανmetēllaxanchangedG3337
τὴνtēntheG3588
φυσικὴνphusikēnnaturalG5446
χρῆσινchrēsinuseG5540
εἰςeisintoG1519
τὴνtēnthatG3588
παρὰparacontrary toG3844
φύσιν,phusinnature,G5449

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Romans 1:26

  • Jude 1:7

    Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

  • 1 Timothy 1:10

    For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;

  • Leviticus 18:22-28

    Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion. Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you: And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants. …

  • Romans 1:24

    Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:

  • 1 Corinthians 6:9

    Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,

  • Ephesians 4:19

    Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

  • Genesis 19:5

    And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them.

  • Judges 19:22

    Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain sons of Belial, beset the house round about, and beat at the door, and spake to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into thine house, that we may know him.

  • Ephesians 5:12

    For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.

  • Romans 1:28

    And 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;

  • Deuteronomy 23:17-18

    There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel. Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore, or the price of a dog, into the house of the Lord thy God for any vow: for even both these are abomination unto the Lord thy God.

  • 1 Thessalonians 4:5

    Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
gave them.
24
vile.
Ge 19:5; Le 18:22-28; De 23:17,18; Jud 19:22; 1Co 6:9; Eph 4:19
Eph 5:12; 1Ti 1:10; Jude 1:7,10

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Romans 1:25

    Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

  • Romans 1:26

    For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

  • Romans 1:27

    And 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.

Read all of Romans 1

Romans 1:26 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Por esto Dios los entregó á afectos vergonzosos; pues aun sus mujeres mudaron el natural uso en el uso que es contra naturaleza:
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		C’est pourquoi Dieu les a livrés à des passions infâmes, car leurs femmes ont changé l’usage naturel en celui qui est contre nature;
German
Elberfelder 1871		Deswegen hat Gott sie dahingegeben in schändliche Leidenschaften; denn sowohl ihre Weiber haben den natürlichen Gebrauch in den unnatürlichen verwandelt,
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Propterea tradidit illos Deus in passiones ignominiæ: nam feminæ eorum immutaverunt naturalem usum in eum usum qui est contra naturam.