Romans 1:30

30 back-biters, hateful to God, ^[a] insolent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

Romans 1:30 Meaning and Commentary

Romans 1:30

Backbiters
Who more publicly defamed the characters of their neighbours, and hurt their good name, credit and reputation, though behind their backs:

haters of God;
some read it, "hated of God"; as all workers of iniquity are; but rather this expresses their sin, that they were deniers of the being and providence of God, and showed themselves to be enemies to him by their evil works:

despiteful;
both by opprobrious words, and injurious actions:

proud;
of their natural knowledge, learning, eloquence and vain philosophy:

boasters:
of their parts, abilities, wisdom and works; all which they attributed to themselves, and to the sharpness of their wit, their sagacity and industry:

inventors of evil things;
of evil schemes of morality and philosophy, and of evil practices, as well as principles:

disobedient to parents;
which was acting contrary to the light of nature.

Romans 1:30 In-Context

28 And according as they did not think good to have God in [their] knowledge, God gave them up to a reprobate mind to practise unseemly things;

29 being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, malice; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil dispositions; whisperers,

30 back-biters, hateful to God, insolent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

31 void of understanding, faithless, without natural affection, unmerciful;

32 who knowing the righteous judgment of God, that they who do such things are worthy of death, not only practise them, but have fellow delight in those who do [them].

Footnotes

• [a]. I doubt that it has the sense of 'God-haters.' It acquired the sense of 'abominably wicked:' as 'cursed children' does not mean that a curse is pronounced, but that they are fit only to be so named. It is the moral state.