Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Romans 1:31
Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
31. without understanding, covenant-breakers ] The Gr. words are almost identical in form and sound. On “ without understanding ” see note on Rom 1:21, where “foolish” represents the same Greek word; an epithet full of deep meaning.
implacable ] Lit. truce-less; an adjective used in the classics for inevitable death and internecine war. The word is perhaps to be omitted here; but evidence is far from decisive.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Without understanding – Inconsiderate, or foolish; see Rom 1:21-22.
Covenant breakers – Perfidious; false to their contracts.
Without natural affections – This expression denotes the lack of affectionate regard toward their children. The attachment of parents to children is one of the strongest in nature, and nothing can overcome it but the most confirmed and established wickedness. And yet the apostle charges on the pagan generally the lack of this affection. He doubtless refers here to the practice so common among pagans of exposing their children, or putting them to death. This crime, so abhorrent to all the feelings of humanity, was common among the pagan, and is still. The Canaanites, we are told Psa 106:37-38, sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils, and shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan. Manasseh among the Jews imitated their example, and introduced the horrid custom of sacrificing children to Moloch, and set the example by offering his own; 2Ch 33:6.
Among the ancient Persians it was a common custom to bury children alive. In most of the Grecian states, infanticide was not merely permitted, but actually enforced by law. The Spartan lawgiver expressly ordained that every child that was born should be examined by the ancient men of the tribe, and that if found weak or deformed, should be thrown into a deep cavern at the foot of Mount Taygetus. Aristotle, in his work on government, enjoins the exposure of children that are naturally feeble and deformed, in order to prevent an excess of population. But among all the nations of antiquity, the Romans were the most unrelenting in their treatment of infants. Romulus obliged the citizens to bring up all their male children, and the oldest of the females, proof that the others were to be destroyed. The Roman father had an absolute right over the life of his child, and we have abundant proof that that right was often exercised.
Romulus expressly authorized the destruction of all children that were deformed, only requiring the parents to exhibit them to their five nearest neighbors, and to obtain their consent to their death. The law of the Twelve Tables enacted in the 301st year of Rome, sanctioned the same barbarous practice. Minucius Felix thus describes the barbarity of the Romans in this respect: I see you exposing your infants to wild beasts and birds, or strangling them after the most miserable manner. (chapter xxx.) Pliny the older defends the right of parents to destroy their children, upon the ground of its being necessary in order to preserve the population within proper bounds. Tertullian, in his apology, expresses himself boldly on this subject. How many of you (addressing himself to the Roman people, and to the governors of cities and provinces) might I deservedly charge with infant murder; and not only so, but among the different kinds of death, for choosing some of the cruelest for their own children, such as drowning, or starving with cold or hunger, or exposing to the mercy of dogs; dying by the sword being too sweet a death for children.
Nor was this practice arrested in the Roman government until the time of Constantine, the first Christian prince. The Phoenicians and Carthaginians were in the habit of sacrificing infants to the gods. It may be added that the crime is no less common among modern pagan nations. No less than 9000 children are exposed in Pekin in China annually. Persons are employed by the police to go through the city with carts every morning to pick up all the children that may have been thrown out during the night. The bodies are carried to a common pit without the walls of the city, into which all, whether dead or living, are promiscuously thrown. (Barrows Travels in China, p. 113, Amos ed.) Among the Hindus the practice is perhaps still more common. In the provinces of Cutch and Guzerat alone the number of infantile murders amounted, according to the lowest calculation in 1807, to 3,000 annually; according to another calculation, to 30,000.
Females are almost the only victims. (Buchanans Researches in Asia, Eng. ed. p. 49. Wards View of the Hindus.) In Otaheite, previously to the conversion of the people to Christianity. it was estimated that at least two-thirds of the children were destroyed. (Turnbulls Voyage round the World in 1800, 2, 3, and 4.) The natives of New South Wales were in the habit of burying the child with its mother, if she should happen to die. (Collins Account of the Colony of New South Wales, p. 124, 125.) Among the Hottentots, infanticide is a common crime. The altars of the Mexicans were continually drenched in the blood of infants. In Peru, no less than two hundred infants were sacrificed on occasion of the coronation of the Inca. The authority for these melancholy statements may be seen in Becks Medical Jurisprudence, vol. i. 18-197, ed. 1823; see also Robertsons History of America, p. 221, ed. 1821. This is a specimen of the views and feelings of the pagan world; and the painful narrative might be continued to almost any length. After this statement, it cannot surely be deemed a groundless charge when the apostle accused them of being destitute of natural affection.
Implacable – This word properly denotes those who will not be reconciled where there is a quarrel; or who pursue the offender with unyielding revenge. It denotes an unforgiving temper; and was doubtless common among the ancients, as it is among all pagan people. The aborigines of America have given the most striking manifestation of this that the world has known. It is well known that among them, neither time nor distance will obliterate the memory of an offence; and that the avenger will pursue the offender over hills and streams, and through heat or snow, happy if he may at last, though at the expiration of years, bury the tomahawk in the head of his victim, though it may be at the expense of his own life. See Robertsons America, book iv. Section lxxiii. – lxxxi.
Unmerciful – Destitute of compassion. As a proof of this, we may remark that no provisions for the poor or the infirm were made among the pagan. The sick and the infirm were cast out, and doomed to depend on the stinted charity of individuals. Pure religion, only, opens the heart to the appeals of want; and nothing but Christianity has yet expanded the hearts of people to make public provisions for the poor, the ignorant, and the afflicted.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 31. Without understanding] , from , negative, and , knowing; persons incapable of comprehending what was spoken; destitute of capacity for spiritual things.
Covenant – breakers] , from , negative, and , to make an agreement; persons who could be bound by no oath, because, properly speaking, they had no God to witness or avenge their misconduct. As every covenant, or agreement, is made as in the presence of God, so he that opposes the being and doctrine of God is incapable of being bound by any covenant; he can give no pledge for his conduct.
Without natural affection] ; without that attachment which nature teaches the young of all animals to have to their mothers, and the mothers to have for their young. The heathens, in general, have made no scruple to expose the children they did not think proper to bring up, and to despatch their parents when they were grown old or past labour.
Implacable] , from , negative; and , A LIBATION. It was customary among all nations to pour out wine as a libation to their gods, when making a treaty. This was done to appease the angry gods, and reconcile them to the contracting parties. The word here shows a deadly enmity; the highest pitch of an unforgiving spirit; in a word, persons who would not make reconciliation either to God or man.
Unmerciful] ; those who were incapable, through the deep-rooted wickedness of their own nature, of showing mercy to an enemy when brought under their power, or doing any thing for the necessitous, from the principle of benevolence or commiseration.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Without understanding; or, without conscience; , or , being much the same.
Without natural affection; this evil also reigned amongst the Gentiles, who sacrificed their very children to their idols, and otherwise exposed them to ruin: see 2Ti 3:3.
Implacable; or, irreconcilable and vindictive.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
28-31. gave them overor “up”(see on Ro 1:24).
to do those things which arenot convenientin the old sense of that word, that is, “notbecoming,” “indecorous,” “shameful.”
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Without understanding,…. Of God, of his nature and worship, of things divine and even moral, being given up to a reprobate mind:
covenant breakers; had no regard to private or public contracts:
without natural affection; to their parents, children, relations and friends:
implacable; when once offended there was no reconciling of them:
unmerciful; had no pity and compassion to persons in distress.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Without understanding (). Same word in verse 21.
Covenant-breakers (). Another paronomasia or pun. privative and verbal from , to put together. Old word, common in LXX (Jer 3:7), men “false to their engagements” (Sanday and Headlam), who treat covenants as “a scrap of paper.”
Without natural affection (). Late word, privative and , love of kindred. In N.T. only here and 2Ti 3:3.
Unmerciful (). From privative and , merciful. Late word, only here in N.T. Some MSS. add , implacable, from 2Ti 3:3. It is a terrible picture of the effects of sin on the lives of men and women. The late Dr. R. H. Graves of Canton, China, said that a Chinaman who got hold of this chapter declared that Paul could not have written it, but only a modern missionary who had been to China. It is drawn to the life because Paul knew Pagan Graeco-Roman civilization.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
1) “With out understanding,” (asunetos) “Undiscerning”, uncertain, unstable, not comprehending, Eph 4:18; 1Ti 1:7.
2) “Covenant breakers,” (asunthetous) “faithless,” breakers of vows, pledges, and promises, not trustworthy, undependable, Gen 17:14; Psa 55:20; Pro 2:17; Isa 33:8; Jer 22:9; Eze 44:7; and truce-breakers, 2Ti 3:3.
3) “Without natural affection,” (astorgous), “apart from natural affections,” a condition to continue until the last days, 2Ti 3:3; Deranged moral values, and perverted affections, where men and women transfer natural affections to beasts (in despising bearing and rearing children) transferring natural human affections to beasts, Exo 22:19; Lev 18:23-24.
4) “Implacable, unmerciful,” (aneleemonas), Unmerciful or without mercy,” not able to be placated, satisfied with anything, not showing mercy. Some are “cruel, and have no mercy,” Jer 6:23; But with the Lord there is mercy,” Psa 130:7; Mic 6:8.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
31. Without the feelings of humanity are they who have put off the first affections of nature towards their own relations. As he mentions the want of mercy as an evidence of human nature being depraved, [ Augustine ], in arguing against the Stoics, concludes, that mercy is a Christian virtue.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(31) Without understandingi.e., without moral or spiritual understanding; incapable of discriminating between right and wrong, expedient and inexpedient. St. Paul prays that the Colossians may possess this faculty (Col. 1:9).
Without natural affection.The affection founded upon natural relationshipe.g., between parent and child, husband and wife, brother and sister. In illustration of this particular expression, we may remember that infanticide and divorce were very common at this period.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
31. Without understanding Without common sense, because without moral sense.
Without natural affection Some professed Christians have imagined that Christian love to our neighbour requires us not to love our own family more than any other persons. This would require us to be without natural affection. As we would not require another man to love his family as little as he loves every body else, so others cannot make such requirement of us.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Rom 1:31. Without understanding Without consideration, ‘ . See on Rom 1:21.Covenant-breakers: it is well known that the Romans, as a nation, from the very beginning of their commonwealth, never made any scruple of vacating altogether the most solemn engagement, if they did not like it; though made by their supreme magistrate, in the name of the whole people. Theyonly gave up the general who had made it, and then supposed themselves to be at full liberty. The custom of exposing their own new-born children to perish by cold, hunger, or wild beasts, which so generally prevailed in the heathen world, particularly amongthe Greeks and Romans, was an amazing proof of their beingwithout natural affection: as was also that of killing their aged parents: for the Greek word may include the absence both of parental and filial affection. See Bengelius, and Doddridge.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
Ver. 31. Implacable ] That will not hear of a truce, much less of a peace. Nihil se libentius facere dictitabat Caesar, quam supplicibus ignoscere. (Caesar. Comment.) And surely, as any one is more manly, he is more merciful, as David, 2Sa 1:12 . And, on the contrary, the basest natures are most vindictive; neither will they ever be heartily reconciled. Their reconciliations are vulpinae amicitiae, fox-like friendships.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Without understanding. Greek. asunetos. See Rom 1:21. Note the Paronomasia with next word. App-6.
covenantbreakers. Greek. asunthetos. Only here.
without natural affection. Greek. astorgos. Only here and 2Ti 3:3.
implacable. The texts omit.
unmerciful = pitiless. Greek. aneleemon. Only here.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Rom 1:31. ). The LXX. translate the Hebrew words , to act with perfidy, , to prevaricate, by .[19]
[19] The Vulg. translates incompositos.-ED.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Rom 1:31
Rom 1:31
without understanding.-A dullness in perception of things to all moral and spiritual relations induced by unwillingness to retain Gods truth in the mind, a knowledge of which renders the mind active and keen in perception. Thus understood, it has a natural connection with the preceding terms.
covenant-breakers,-Persons who, without scruples, violate the most solemn obligations imposed by covenants and contracts. When such conditions prevail, no confidence can be put in human pledges.
without natural affection,-This undoubtedly refers to the unfeeling custom of parents who leave their infants to die when from any cause they are unwilling to rear them, or of a husband who abandons his wife and helpless children. Such crimes, so abhorrent to all feelings of humanity, were common among the heathen. [It not only refers to the lack of tender feelings in the family circle; it calls to mind the population of the great cities flocking to the circus to behold the fights of gladiators, frantically applauding the effusion of human blood and gloating over the dying agonies of the vanquished combatant.]
unmerciful:-Those who through deep-rooted wickedness were incapable of showing mercy to the poor the infirm, the helpless, or of showing mercy to an enemy when brought under their power. [The gospel of Jesus Christ is the only power that opens the heart to the appeals of want, and nothing else has expanded the hearts of men to make provisions for the poor, the sick, the blind, and the insane.] In these verses Paul enumerates the crimes and vices into which they naturally run when they lose sight of Gods law and cut themselves off from a sense of responsibility to him. These sins were not peculiar to any nation or people. Idolatry deifies lusts and leads to degrading vice. Man deifies lust because lust rules his being.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Without understanding: Rom 1:20, Rom 1:21, Rom 3:11, Pro 18:2, Isa 27:11, Jer 4:22, Mat 15:16
covenantbreakers: 2Ki 18:14-37, Isa 33:8, 2Ti 3:3
without natural affection: or, unsociable
Reciprocal: Gen 21:27 – made Gen 45:14 – General Jos 2:12 – my father’s Jos 9:20 – lest wrath Jdg 9:29 – would to God 1Ki 3:26 – give her 1Ki 15:19 – break thy league 2Ch 16:3 – break Job 39:16 – as Isa 49:15 – they may Lam 4:3 – like Eze 16:45 – that loatheth Eze 17:16 – whose oath Hos 10:4 – swearing Eph 5:29 – hated
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Rom 1:31. In this verse adjectives take the place of the substantives previously used. The long catalogue is thus varied.
Without understanding; the same word as senseless (E. V. foolish), Rom 1:21.
Covenant breakers. In the original there is another play upon the sound of the words. (The best authorities omit implacable.)
Unmerciful. This concludes the list, marking the absence of the least principle of moral action.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
without understanding [those who have so long seared their consciences as to be unable to determine between right and wrong even in plain cases. The loss of moral understanding is very apparent among habitual liars, whose minds have become so accustomed to falsehood that they are no longer able to discern the truth so as to accurately state it], covenant-breakers [those who fail to keep their promises and agreements], without natural affection [those having an abnormal lack of love towards parents, children, kindred, etc.], unmerciful:
Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)
31. Incontinent. This word means reckless in every sense, incorrigible, abandoned, awful in the extreme. Covenant breakers, i. e., recreant to all obligation at home or abroad, all mooring loosed, and utterly unreliable in every respect. Without natural affections. The poor heathens in Africa are in this horrific state this day, as all the missionaries can testify. I heard them at Old Orchard Camp-meeting last August testify as eye and ear witnesses to these horrors. E. g., All of their doctors are diabolical wizards claiming to hold communication with the gods, (and true, with the demons, the gods of the poor heathen). They impute all sickness to witchcraft, and simply practice to find the witch. In that case the nearest relatives must set on them and kill them; otherwise they will be implicated as accomplices and killed. Bishop Taylor witnessed the awful tragedy of a man killing his own little daughter ten years old because the doctor said she had bewitched her sick mother. The gospel is the only possible remedy for these horrors. Incapable of mercy. This indicates an appalling depth of diabolism and cruelty beyond all hope.
Fuente: William Godbey’s Commentary on the New Testament
1:31 Without understanding, {n} covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
(n) Not caring if they keep their covenants and bargains.