Romans 1:27

27 Also the men [the males, or men,] forsook the natural use of woman, and burned in their desires together, and men into men wrought filthhood, and received into themselves the meed that behooved of their error [males into males working filthhood, and receiving in themselves the meed, or hire, that behooved of their error].

Romans 1:27 Meaning and Commentary

Romans 1:27

And likewise also the men leaving the natural use of the
women
The very sin of "sodomy" is here designed, so called from Sodom, the place where we first hear of it, ( Genesis 19:5 ) , the men of which place, because they

burned in their lust one towards another,
as these Gentiles are said to do, God rained upon them fire and brimstone from heaven: an exceeding great sin this is, contrary to nature, dishonourable to human nature, and scandalous to a people and nation among whom it prevails, as it did very much in the Gentile world, and among their greatest philosophers; even those that were most noted for moral virtue are charged with it, as Socrates, Plato, Zeno, and others {m}: it is a sin which generally prevails where idolatry and infidelity do, as among the Pagans of old, and among the Papists and Mahometans now; and never was it so rife in this nation as since the schemes of deism and infidelity have found such a reception among us. Thus God, because men dishonour him with their evil principles and practices, leaves them to reproach their own nature, and dishonour their own bodies:

men with men working that which is unseemly;
and of which nothing like it is to be observed in the brutal world:

receiving in themselves the recompence of their error, which was
meet:
God punishes sin with sin; for as the Jews say F14, as

``one commandment draws on another, so one transgression draws on another; for the reward of the commandment is the commandment, (hrybe hrybe rkvw) and the reward of transgression is transgression.''


FOOTNOTES:

F13 A. Gellius Noct. Attic. l. 2. c. 18. Laert. Vit. Philosoph. l. 2. in Vit. Socrat. & l. 3. in Vit. Platon.
F14 Pirke Abot, c. 4. sect. 2.

Romans 1:27 In-Context

25 The which [men] changed the truth of God into lying, and praised and served a creature rather than the creator, that is blessed into worlds of worlds [that is blessed into worlds, or without end]. Amen.
26 Therefore God betook them into passions of shame [Therefore God betook them into passions of evil fame, or shame]. For the women of them changed the natural use into that use that is against kind.
27 Also the men [the males, or men,] forsook the natural use of woman, and burned in their desires together, and men into men wrought filthhood, and received into themselves the meed that behooved of their error [males into males working filthhood, and receiving in themselves the meed, or hire, that behooved of their error].
28 And as they proved that they had not God in knowing [And as they proved not to have God in knowing], God betook them into a reprovable wit, that they do those things that be not suitable;
29 that they be full-filled with all wickedness [full-filled with all wickedness], malice, fornication, covetousness, waywardness, full of envy, manslayings [manslaying], strife, guile, evil will,
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.