Romans 1:28 Furthermore, since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, He gave them up to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.

◄ Romans 1:28 ►

New International Version
Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.

New Living Translation
Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done.

English Standard Version
And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.

Berean Standard Bible
Furthermore, since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, He gave them up to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.

Berean Literal Bible
And as they did not see fit to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up to a depraved mind, to do things not being proper;

King James Bible
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;

New King James Version
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting;

New American Standard Bible
And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a depraved mind, to do those things that are not proper,

NASB 1995
And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper,

NASB 1977
And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper,

Legacy Standard Bible
And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them over to an unfit mind, to do those things which are not proper,

Amplified Bible
And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God or consider Him worth knowing [as their Creator], God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do things which are improper and repulsive,

Christian Standard Bible
And because they did not think it worthwhile to acknowledge God, God delivered them over to a corrupt mind so that they do what is not right.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
And because they did not think it worthwhile to acknowledge God, God delivered them over to a worthless mind to do what is morally wrong.

American Standard Version
And even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up unto a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting;

Contemporary English Version
Since these people refused even to think about God, he let their useless minds rule over them. That's why they do all sorts of indecent things.

English Revised Version
And even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up unto a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
And because they thought it was worthless to acknowledge God, God allowed their own immoral minds to control them. So they do these indecent things.

Good News Translation
Because those people refuse to keep in mind the true knowledge about God, he has given them over to corrupted minds, so that they do the things that they should not do.

International Standard Version
Furthermore, because they did not think it worthwhile to keep knowing God fully, God delivered them to degraded minds to perform acts that should not be done.

Majority Standard Bible
Furthermore, since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, He gave them up to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.

NET Bible
And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what should not be done.

New Heart English Bible
Even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God abandoned them to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not right;

Webster's Bible Translation
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;

Weymouth New Testament
And just as they had refused to continue to have a full knowledge of God, so it was to utterly worthless minds that God gave them up, for them to do things which should not be done.

World English Bible
Even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting;

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
And according as they did not approve of having God in knowledge, God gave them up to a disapproved mind, to do the things not seemly;

Berean Literal Bible
And as they did not see fit to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up to a depraved mind, to do things not being proper;

Young's Literal Translation
And, according as they did not approve of having God in knowledge, God gave them up to a disapproved mind, to do the things not seemly;

Smith's Literal Translation
And as they chose not to have God in knowledge, God delivered them to an adulterated purpose, to do things not fitting;

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
And as they liked not to have God in their knowledge, God delivered them up to a reprobate sense, to do those things which are not convenient;

Catholic Public Domain Version
And since they did not prove to have God by knowledge, God handed them over to a morally depraved way of thinking, so that they might do those things which are not fitting:

New American Bible
And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God handed them over to their undiscerning mind to do what is improper.

New Revised Standard Version
And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind and to things that should not be done.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
And as they did not consent in themselves to know God, God has given them over to a weak mind, to do the things which should not be done; as,

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And because they decided in themselves not to know God, God handed them over to a worthless mind so that they would be doing whatever is inappropriate,

NT Translations

Anderson New Testament
And as they refused to acknowledge God, God delivered them up to an undiscerning mind, to do detestable things;

Godbey New Testament
And as they did not approve to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are inappropriate;

Haweis New Testament
And since they thought not fit to hold the Deity in acknowledgment, God abandoned them to a reprobate mind, to practise deeds unbecoming;

Mace New Testament
As they did not seek the favour of God, by worshipping him, God gave them over to a depraved sense, to act unworthy of human nature;

Weymouth New Testament
And just as they had refused to continue to have a full knowledge of God, so it was to utterly worthless minds that God gave them up, for them to do things which should not be done.

Worrell New Testament
And, as they did not approve the holding of God in their knowledge, God delivered them up to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not becoming;

Worsley New Testament
And as they were not careful to acknowledge God, God gave them up to an undiscerning mind to do things that were not fit to be done:

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

God's Wrath against Sin
…27Likewise, the men abandoned natural relations with women and burned with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error. 28Furthermore, since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, He gave them up to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed, and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice. They are gossips,…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Ephesians 4:18-19
They are darkened in their understanding and alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts. / Having lost all sense of shame, they have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity, with a craving for more.

2 Thessalonians 2:11-12
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.

2 Timothy 3:8
Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth. They are depraved in mind and disqualified from the faith.

Titus 1:16
They profess to know God, but by their actions they deny Him. They are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good deed.

1 Corinthians 2:14
The natural man does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God. For they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

1 Timothy 6:5
and constant friction between men of depraved mind who are devoid of the truth. These men regard godliness as a means of gain.

2 Peter 2:12-14
These men are like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be captured and destroyed. They blaspheme in matters they do not understand, and like such creatures, they too will be destroyed. / The harm they will suffer is the wages of their wickedness. They consider it a pleasure to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deception as they feast with you. / Their eyes are full of adultery; their desire for sin is never satisfied; they seduce the unstable. They are accursed children with hearts trained in greed.

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.

Jeremiah 6:30
They are called rejected silver, because the LORD has rejected them.”

Hosea 4:6
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you as My priests. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children.

Proverbs 1:29-31
For they hated knowledge and chose not to fear the LORD. / They accepted none of my counsel; they despised all my reproof. / So they will eat the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.

Psalm 81:12
So I gave them up to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices.

Genesis 6:5
Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great upon the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was altogether evil all the time.

Genesis 11:4-9
“Come,” they said, “let us build for ourselves a city with a tower that reaches to the heavens, that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of all the earth.” / Then the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the sons of men were building. / And the LORD said, “If they have begun to do this as one people speaking the same language, then nothing they devise will be beyond them. ...

Judges 21:25
In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

Treasury of Scripture

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;

as they did.

Romans 1:18,21
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; …

Job 21:14,15
Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways…

Proverbs 1:7,22,29
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction…

retain.

Jeremiah 6:30
Reprobate silver shall men call them, because the LORD hath rejected them.

2 Corinthians 13:5-7
Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? …

2 Timothy 3:8
Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.

not convenient.

Ephesians 5:4
Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.

Philemon 1:8
Wherefore, though I might be much bold in Christ to enjoin thee that which is convenient,

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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.

Berean Study Bible

Furthermore
This word serves as a continuation of the argument Paul is making in the preceding verses. It indicates that what follows is a consequence of the actions and attitudes previously described. In the Greek, the word "καθώς" (kathos) can be translated as "just as" or "since," emphasizing a logical progression. Paul is building on the idea that humanity's rejection of God leads to further moral and spiritual decline.

since they did not see fit
The phrase "did not see fit" comes from the Greek "οὐκ ἐδοκίμασαν" (ouk edokimasan), which implies a deliberate choice or judgment. It suggests that people evaluated the knowledge of God and deemed it unworthy of their acceptance. This reflects a willful rejection rather than ignorance, highlighting the moral responsibility of humanity in acknowledging God.

to acknowledge God
The Greek word for "acknowledge" is "ἐπιγινώσκω" (epiginosko), which means to recognize or fully understand. This is not merely an intellectual assent but involves a relational and experiential knowledge of God. The failure to acknowledge God is a rejection of His sovereignty and a refusal to honor Him as Creator and Sustainer.

He gave them over
The phrase "gave them over" is translated from the Greek "παρέδωκεν" (paredoken), which means to hand over or deliver up. This is a judicial term, indicating that God allows people to experience the consequences of their choices. It is an act of divine judgment where God permits individuals to pursue their sinful desires, leading to further moral degradation.

to a depraved mind
The term "depraved" comes from the Greek "ἀδόκιμον" (adokimon), meaning unapproved or worthless. A depraved mind is one that is morally corrupt and unable to discern right from wrong. This condition is a result of rejecting God's truth, leading to a distorted understanding and a life contrary to His will.

to do what ought not to be done
This phrase underscores the outcome of a depraved mind. The Greek "ποιεῖν τὰ μὴ καθήκοντα" (poiein ta me kathekonta) translates to "to do things that are not proper." It indicates actions that are contrary to God's moral order. The phrase highlights the natural consequence of turning away from God: engaging in behaviors that are inherently destructive and dishonorable.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(28) Even as.--Rightly translated in the Authorised version: "as" is not here equivalent to "because," but means rather, just in like proportion as. The degree of God's punishment corresponded exactly to the degree of man's deflection from God.

Did not like.--There is a play upon words here with "reprobate" in the clause following which cannot be retained in English. "As they reprobated the knowledge of God, so He gave them up to a reprobate mind." As they would have nothing to do with Him, so He would have nothing to do with them. "Reprobate" means, properly, tried and found wanting, and therefore cast away as worthless.

To retain God in their knowledge.--The word for knowledge here means "exact," "advanced," "thorough knowledge." They refused to hold the true idea of God so as to grow and increase in the knowledge of it.

Those things which are not convenient.--That which is unbecoming, disgraceful.

Fornication.--This word is wanting in the best MSS. and should be omitted, as also the word "implacable" in Romans 1:31.

Wickedness, . . . maliciousness.--These two words appear to be related together, so that the latter expresses rather the vicious disposition--vicious in the special sense, the disposition to do hurt to others--the former rather the active exercise of it. Similar catalogues of sins are given in other of St. Paul's Epistles, as, for example, 2 Cor. 12:30; Galatians 5:19 et seq.; Ephesians 5:3-4; 1Timothy 1:9-10; 2Timothy 3:2 et seq. . . .

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 28. - And even as they did not like to have God in their knowledge, God gave them over (παρέδυκεν, as before) to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient (i.e. unfitting or unseemly things). It is difficult to render in English οὐκ ἐδοκίμασαν and ἀδόκιμον so as to retain the apparently intended correspondence between the verb and the adjective. The verb δοκιμάζειν is capable of the senses

(1) "to prove" (as in assaying metals), and, generally, "to discern," or "judge;"

(2) "to approve," after supposed proving. Jowett, in his commentary on this Epistle, endeavours to retain in English the correspondence between ἐδοκιμασαν and ἀδόκιμον by translating, "As they did not discern to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up to an undiscerning mind," thus taking the verb in sense (1), and the adjective in the same sense actively. But it is at least doubtful whether ἀδόκιμος can be taken in an active sense, which is not its classical one. In the New Testament it occurs 1 Corinthians 9:27; 2 Corinthians 13:5, 6; 2 Timothy 3:8; Titus 1:16; Hebrews 6:8. In the first of the above passages the word obviously means "rejected" (in the Authorized Version a castaway), with reference to the comparison of a competitor in athletic contests being proved unworthy of the prize - a sense cognate to the common one of the same adjective as applied to spurious metals, rejected or worthless after being tested. In 2 Corinthians 13:5, 6, either sense seems admissible - ἑαυτοὺς δοκιμάζετε... εἰ μήτι ἀδόκιμοί ἐστε. But not so in Hebrews 6:8, where the word is applied to barren land. The passages from 2 Timothy and Titus may in themselves admit the sense of undiscerning, but the passive one is more probable in view of the common usage of the word. On the other hand, ch. 12:2 may be adduced in favour of the active sense; for there the consequence of the renewal of the mind in Christians is said to be that they may prove, or discern (εἰς τὸ δοκιμάζειν ὑμᾶς), what is Gods will; and hence it may seem probable that the want of such discernment is denoted here. The same passage also favours the verb δοκιμάζειν being taken here in sense (1) given above, and Jowett's rendering of the whole passage. It is, after all, uncertain; nor does it follow that the Greek paronomasia can be reproduced in English.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Greek

Furthermore,
Καὶ (Kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

since
καθὼς (kathōs)
Adverb
Strong's 2531: According to the manner in which, in the degree that, just as, as. From kata and hos; just as, that.

they did not see fit
ἐδοκίμασαν (edokimasan)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 1381: From dokimos; to test; by implication, to approve.

to acknowledge
ἔχειν (echein)
Verb - Present Infinitive Active
Strong's 2192: To have, hold, possess. Including an alternate form scheo skheh'-o; a primary verb; to hold.

God,
Θεὸν (Theon)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.

[He]
Θεὸς (Theos)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.

gave them up
παρέδωκεν (paredōken)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 3860: From para and didomi; to surrender, i.e yield up, intrust, transmit.

to
εἰς (eis)
Preposition
Strong's 1519: A primary preposition; to or into, of place, time, or purpose; also in adverbial phrases.

a depraved
ἀδόκιμον (adokimon)
Adjective - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 96: Failing to pass the test, unapproved, counterfeit. By implication, worthless.

mind,
νοῦν (noun)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3563: Probably from the base of ginosko; the intellect, i.e. Mind; by implication, meaning.

to do
ποιεῖν (poiein)
Verb - Present Infinitive Active
Strong's 4160: (a) I make, manufacture, construct, (b) I do, act, cause. Apparently a prolonged form of an obsolete primary; to make or do.

what
τὰ (ta)
Article - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

ought not to be done.
καθήκοντα (kathēkonta)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 2520: To come down, come to; To be unfit, proper. From kata and heko; to reach to, i.e. becoming.

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NT Letters: Romans 1:28 Even as they refused to have God (Rom. Ro)