Romans 1:18
New International Version
The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness,

New Living Translation
But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness.

English Standard Version
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.

Berean Standard Bible
The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness.

Berean Literal Bible
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven upon all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, suppressing the truth by unrighteousness,

King James Bible
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

New King James Version
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,

New American Standard Bible
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,

NASB 1995
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,

NASB 1977
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,

Legacy Standard Bible
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,

Amplified Bible
For [God does not overlook sin and] the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who in their wickedness suppress and stifle the truth,

Christian Standard Bible
For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth,

American Standard Version
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hinder the truth in unrighteousness;

Contemporary English Version
From heaven God shows how angry he is with all the wicked and evil things that sinful people do to crush the truth.

English Revised Version
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold down the truth in unrighteousness;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
God's anger is revealed from heaven against every ungodly and immoral thing people do as they try to suppress the truth by their immoral living.

Good News Translation
God's anger is revealed from heaven against all the sin and evil of the people whose evil ways prevent the truth from being known.

International Standard Version
For God's wrath is being revealed from heaven against all the ungodliness and wickedness of those who in their wickedness suppress the truth.

Majority Standard Bible
The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness.

NET Bible
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth by their unrighteousness,

New Heart English Bible
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people, who suppress the truth by unrighteousness,

Webster's Bible Translation
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness, and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness.

Weymouth New Testament
For God's anger is being revealed from Heaven against all impiety and against the iniquity of men who through iniquity suppress the truth. God is angry:

World English Bible
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
for the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven on all impiety and unrighteousness of men, holding down the truth in unrighteousness.

Berean Literal Bible
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven upon all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, suppressing the truth by unrighteousness,

Young's Literal Translation
for revealed is the wrath of God from heaven upon all impiety and unrighteousness of men, holding down the truth in unrighteousness.

Smith's Literal Translation
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven upon all profanation and injustice of men, of those detaining the truth in injustice;
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and injustice of those men that detain the truth of God in injustice:

Catholic Public Domain Version
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven over every impiety and injustice among those men who fend off the truth of God with injustice.

New American Bible
The wrath of God is indeed being revealed from heaven against every impiety and wickedness of those who suppress the truth by their wickedness.

New Revised Standard Version
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of those who by their wickedness suppress the truth.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all the iniquity and wickedness of men who unjustly suppress the truth;

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all the evils and the wickedness of the children of men, those who are holding the truth in evil.
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who, by unrighteousness, restrain the truth.

Godbey New Testament
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

Haweis New Testament
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all impiety and unrighteousness of men, holding back the truth in unrighteousness.

Mace New Testament
there the divine wrath is revealed from heaven against all impiety, and injustice of men, who wickedly suppress the truth.

Weymouth New Testament
For God's anger is being revealed from Heaven against all impiety and against the iniquity of men who through iniquity suppress the truth. God is angry:

Worrell New Testament
For God's wrath is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hinder the truth in unrighteousness;

Worsley New Testament
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who withhold the truth in unrighteousness;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
God's Wrath against Sin
17For the gospel reveals the righteousness of God that comes by faith from start to finish, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” 18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness. 19For what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.…

Cross References
Ephesians 5:6
Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience.

Colossians 3:6
Because of these, the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience.

John 3:36
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. Whoever rejects the Son will not see life. Instead, the wrath of God remains on him.”

2 Thessalonians 2:10-12
and with every wicked deception directed against those who are perishing, because they refused the love of the truth that would have saved them. / For this reason God will send them a powerful delusion so that they believe the lie, / in order that judgment may come upon all who have disbelieved the truth and delighted in wickedness.

Hebrews 3:12
See to it, brothers, that none of you has a wicked heart of unbelief that turns away from the living God.

2 Peter 2:1-3
Now there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. / Many will follow in their depravity, and because of them the way of truth will be defamed. / In their greed, these false teachers will exploit you with deceptive words. The longstanding verdict against them remains in force, and their destruction does not sleep.

2 Peter 3:7
And by that same word, the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

Revelation 19:15
And from His mouth proceeds a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and He will rule them with an iron scepter. He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.

1 Thessalonians 1:10
and to await His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead—Jesus our deliverer from the coming wrath.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10
Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual acts, / nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.

Galatians 5:19-21
The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; / idolatry and sorcery; hatred, discord, jealousy, and rage; rivalries, divisions, factions, / and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Isaiah 5:20
Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who turn darkness to light and light to darkness, who replace bitter with sweet and sweet with bitter.

Isaiah 26:21
For behold, the LORD is coming out of His dwelling to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity. The earth will reveal her bloodshed and will no longer conceal her slain.

Jeremiah 44:22
So the LORD could no longer endure the evil deeds and detestable acts you committed, and your land became a desolation, a horror, and an object of cursing, without inhabitant, as it is this day.

Ezekiel 7:8-9
Very soon I will pour out My wrath upon you and vent My anger against you; I will judge you according to your ways and repay you for all your abominations. / I will not look on you with pity, nor will I spare you, but I will punish you for your ways and for the abominations among you. Then you will know that it is I, the LORD, who strikes the blow.


Treasury of Scripture

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

the wrath.

Romans 4:15
Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.

ungodliness.

Romans 5:6
For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

unrighteousness.

Romans 6:13
Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

who hold.

Romans 1:19,28,32
Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them…

Romans 2:3,15-23
And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? …

Luke 12:46,47
The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers…

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Anger Angry Evil Godlessness God's Heaven Hinder Hold Holding Impiety Iniquity Revealed Revelation Thoughts Truth Ungodliness Unrighteousness Wickedness Wrath Wrongdoing
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Anger Angry Evil Godlessness God's Heaven Hinder Hold Holding Impiety Iniquity Revealed Revelation Thoughts Truth Ungodliness Unrighteousness Wickedness Wrath Wrongdoing
Romans 1
1. Paul commends his calling to the Romans;
9. and his desire to come to them.
16. What his gospel is.
18. God is angry with sin.
21. What were the sins of mankind.














The wrath of God
The phrase "the wrath of God" refers to God's righteous anger and judgment against sin. In the Greek, "wrath" is "orge," which implies a settled, determined indignation. This is not a capricious or emotional outburst but a consistent and holy response to sin. Historically, God's wrath is a theme throughout the Bible, seen in events like the Flood (Genesis 6-9) and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19). It underscores God's holiness and justice, reminding believers of the seriousness of sin and the need for repentance.

is being revealed
The present tense "is being revealed" indicates an ongoing action. The Greek word "apokalyptetai" suggests an unveiling or uncovering. This revelation is not limited to a future event but is actively occurring in the present. It implies that God's judgment is evident in the world today, seen in the consequences of sin and the moral decay of society. This ongoing revelation serves as a warning and a call to repentance.

from heaven
The phrase "from heaven" signifies the divine origin of this revelation. Heaven is often depicted as the dwelling place of God, symbolizing His authority and sovereignty. This emphasizes that the judgment is not from human origin but from the Creator Himself. It serves as a reminder of God's ultimate control over the universe and His active involvement in the affairs of humanity.

against all the ungodliness and wickedness of men
"Ungodliness" and "wickedness" are two distinct but related concepts. "Ungodliness" (Greek: "asebeia") refers to a lack of reverence for God, a disregard for His character and commands. "Wickedness" (Greek: "adikia") involves injustice and moral corruption. Together, they encompass both the vertical (relationship with God) and horizontal (relationship with others) aspects of sin. This comprehensive indictment highlights the pervasive nature of sin in human life and the need for divine intervention.

who suppress the truth by their wickedness
The phrase "suppress the truth" indicates an active effort to hinder or hold down the truth. The Greek word "katechontōn" suggests a deliberate action. This suppression is not due to ignorance but a willful rejection of God's revealed truth. The "truth" here refers to the knowledge of God and His moral order, evident in creation and conscience. By their "wickedness," people choose to ignore or distort this truth, leading to further moral decay. This highlights the human tendency to resist God's authority and the need for the transformative power of the Gospel.

(18) As a preliminary stage to this revelation of justification and of faith, there is another, which is its opposite--a revelation and disclosure of divine wrath. The proof is seen in the present condition both of the Gentile and Jewish world. And first of the Gentile world, Romans 1:18-32.

Revealed.--The revelation of righteousness is, while the Apostle writes, being made in the Person of Christ and in the salvation offered by Him. The revelation of wrath is to be inferred from the actual condition--the degradation doubly degraded--in which sin leaves its votaries.

From heaven.--The wrath of God is revealed "from heaven," inasmuch as the state of things in which it is exhibited is the divinely-inflicted penalty for previous guilt. Against that guilt, shown in outrage against all religion and all morality, it is directed.

Ungodliness and unrighteousness.--These two words stand respectively for offences against religion and offences against morality.

Who hold the truth in unrighteousness.--Rather, who suppress and thwart the truth--the light of conscience that is in them--by unrighteousness. Conscience tells them what is right, but the will, actuated by wicked motives, prevents them from obeying its dictates. "The truth" is their knowledge of right, from whatever source derived, which finds expression in conscience. "Hold" is the word which we find translated "hinder" in 2Thessalonians 2:6-7--having the force of to hold down, or suppress.

Verse 18 - Romans 2:29. - (1) All mankind liable to God's wrath. Verses 18-32. - (a) The heathen world in general. Verse 18. - For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold back the truth in unrighteousness. Here the argumentation of the Epistle begins, the first position to be established being that all mankind without exception is guilty of sin before God, and therefore unable of itself to put in a plea of righteousness. This being proved, the need of the revelation of God's righteousness, announced in ver. 17, appears. "The wrath of God" is an expression with which we are familiar in the Bible, being one of those in which human emotions are attributed to God in accommodation to the exigencies of human thought. It denotes his essential holiness, his antagonism to sin, to which punishment is due. It expresses an idea as essential to our conception of the Divine righteousness as do the words, "love" and "mercy." Wrath, or indignation, against evil is as necessary to our ideal of a perfect human being as is love of good; and therefore we attribute wrath to the perfect Divine Being, using of necessity human terms for expressing our conception of the Divine attributes. When the Name of the LORD Was proclaimed before Moses (Exodus 34:5, etc.), it was of One not only "merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth," but also "that will by no means clear the guilty." This last attribute is the same as what we mean by the Divine wrath. This "wrath of God" is said in the verse before us to be "revealed from heaven." How so? Is it in the gospel, as is God's righteousness (ver. 18)? Against this view is the change of expression - ἀπ οὐρανοῦ instead of ἐν αὐτῷ ( as well as the fact that the gospel is not in itself a revelation of wrath, but the very opposite. Is it in the Old Testament? Possibly in part; but the marked repetition of ἀποκαλύπτεται in the present tense seems to point to some obvious revelation now; and, further, the first part of the proof, to the end of the second chapter, does not rest on the Old Testament. Is it what the apostle proceeds so forcibly to draw attention to - the existing, and at that time notorious, moral degradation of heathen society, which he regards as evidence of Divine judgment? This may have been before his view; and, as he goes on at once to speak of it, it probably was so prominently. But the revelation of Divine wrath against sin seems to imply more than this as the argument goes on, viz. the evident guilt before God of all mankind alike, and not only of degraded heathenism. It is difficult to decide, among the various explanations that have been offered, on any specific mode of revelation which the writer had in view. Perhaps no particular one exclusively. Commentators may be often unduly anxious to affix an exact sense to pregnant words used by St. Paul, who so often indicates comprehensive ideas by short phrases. He may have had before his mind various concurrent signs of human guilt, and the Divine wrath against it, at that especial time of the world's history; all which, to his mind at least, brought conviction as by a light from heaven. And the gospel itself (though in its essence a revelation of mercy, so that he purposely avoids saying that wrath was in it revealed) still had been the most powerful means of all for bringing home a conviction of the Divine wrath to the consciences of believers. For its first office is to convince of sin and of judgment. Cf. the words of the forerunner, "O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" On all such grounds we may conceive that the apostle spoke of the wrath of God against human sin being especially at that time plainly revealed from heaven; and he desires to bring his readers to perceive it as he did. For now was the time of the Divine purpose to bring it home to all (cf. Acts 17:30, "The times of this ignorance God winked at, but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent"). "All ungodliness and unrighteousness' (ἀσέβειαν καὶ ἀδικίαν) comprehends all evil-doing, in whatever aspect viewed, whether as impiety or as wrong. The phrase, τῶν τὴν ἀλήθειαν κατεχόντων, is wrongly translated in the Authorized Version, "who hold the truth." If the verb κατέχειν allowed this rendering here, it would indeed be intelligible in reference to the knowledge of God, even by nature, which all men have or ought to have, though they do not act upon it, and the very potential possession of which renders them guilty. This is the thought of what immediately follows. Thus the sense would be, "They hold, i.e. possess, the truth; but they do unrighteousness." But whenever κατέχειν means "to hold," it denotes a firm hold, not a loose hold, such as would be thus implied. It occurs in this sense in 1 Corinthians 11:2 ("I praise you that ye keep the ordinances"). and 1 Thessalonians 5:21 ("Hold fast that which is good"). We must, therefore, have recourse to a second sense in which the verb is also used - that of "keeping back," or "restraining." Thus Luke 4:42 ("The people stayed him, that he should not depart from them") and 2 Thessalonians 2:6 ("Ye know what withholdeth"). The reference is still to the innate knowledge of God which all men are supposed to have had originally; but the idea expressed is not their having it, but their suppressing it. "Veritas in mente nititur et urget: sed homo eam impedit" (Bengel).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
[The] wrath
ὀργὴ (orgē)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3709: From oregomai; properly, desire, i.e., violent passion (justifiable) abhorrence); by implication punishment.

of God
Θεοῦ (Theou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.

is being revealed
Ἀποκαλύπτεται (Apokalyptetai)
Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 601: To uncover, bring to light, reveal. From apo and kalupto; to take off the cover, i.e. Disclose.

from
ἀπ’ (ap’)
Preposition
Strong's 575: From, away from. A primary particle; 'off, ' i.e. Away, in various senses.

heaven
οὐρανοῦ (ouranou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 3772: Perhaps from the same as oros; the sky; by extension, heaven; by implication, happiness, power, eternity; specially, the Gospel.

against
ἐπὶ (epi)
Preposition
Strong's 1909: On, to, against, on the basis of, at.

all
πᾶσαν (pasan)
Adjective - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3956: All, the whole, every kind of. Including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole.

[the] godlessness
ἀσέβειαν (asebeian)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 763: Impiety, irreverence, ungodliness, wickedness. From asebes; impiety, i.e. wickedness.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

wickedness
ἀδικίαν (adikian)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 93: Injustice, unrighteousness, hurt. From adikos; injustice; morally, wrongfulness.

of men
ἀνθρώπων (anthrōpōn)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 444: A man, one of the human race. From aner and ops; man-faced, i.e. A human being.

who
τῶν (tōn)
Article - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

suppress
κατεχόντων (katechontōn)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 2722: From kata and echo; to hold down, in various applications.

the
τὴν (tēn)
Article - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

truth
ἀλήθειαν (alētheian)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 225: From alethes; truth.

by
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

[their] wickedness.
ἀδικίᾳ (adikia)
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 93: Injustice, unrighteousness, hurt. From adikos; injustice; morally, wrongfulness.


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NT Letters: Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed (Rom. Ro)
Romans 1:17
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