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The Greek word signifies to "grieve out," to have done with grieving over one's actions, so that all sense of shame is lost. This is a fearful trait of character, and marks, with unerring skill, the polytheism of the heathen. Read their literature, and observe how deeply immoral the best and purest of their writers were; look at the monuments of the Greeks and Romans in general — look at the ruins of Herculaneum and Pompeii, and think how scandalous and shameless the public manners of the nation must have been; or enter a heathen temple in India, where the gods are to be worshipped, and you behold at the present hour the abominations of Venus, Baal, and Astarte. Shame is one of the first feelings of childhood, as well as one of the strongest of our manhood, and when we have become able to extinguish it, our condition is morally hopeless. The beautiful and the good can attract us no more. Hence the natural consequence was the next step in the climax, viz., "They gave themselves over unto all lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness." A fearful picture, truly! Every word is emphatic, and shows the dominion which sinful habit had acquired over them. It was their own act; they gave themselves over to it. Sin is a fearful master; it increases its dominion over us with all the rapidity of a burning fire. Every indulgence enlarges the appetite, and makes repentance more improbable and more difficult. Such were the Gentiles as Paul saw them, and described them with a master's hand. Hence the necessity of a Divine Revelation to teach, and a Divine Deliverer to redeem. The Day star has arisen to chase away the darkness and the dangers of the night. It may be objected to the apostle's description of heathenism — that it is exaggerated, and even contrary to the innate principles of human virtue and rectitude. Bur the proper answer to this is —

1. it is yet to be proved that there are innate principles of virtue in man — I admit innate capacities only — and till this is done, we may hold by the words of Paul in this matter.

2. I mentioned already that the literature and monuments of the heathen, ancient and modern, are remarkably corrupt and abominable.

3. I add that the wise men and philosophers taught sentiments of the grossest impiety and vileness, so that, as says, "In committing adultery and whoredom, they did not think themselves violating good manners." Among the refined and civilized Greeks, theft was dishonourable only when the thief had not sufficient adroitness to conceal it. The great philosopher of Athens taught Aspasia the arts of seduction. The wise men of heathenism had hardly any perception of the beauty of truth. Whitby collects some of their maxims on this subject. Menander lays down the rule, "that a lie is better than a hurtful truth"; Proclus asserts that "good is better than truth"; Darius, in Herodotus, teaches, "When telling a lie is profitable, tell it!" Plato allows you to lie as much as you please, if you do it at the proper time, for, as Maximus Tyrius asserts, "there is nothing decorous in truth, save when it is profitable, and sometimes a lie is profitable, and truth injurious to men." These specimens will be sufficient to justify the apostle in his awful denunciations of the crimes and corruptions of the heathen world.

(W. Graham, D. D.)

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

WEB: who having become callous gave themselves up to lust, to work all uncleanness with greediness.