Romans 1:31 (DBY)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

Romans 1:29 being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, malice; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil dispositions; whisperers,

Romans 1:30 back-biters, hateful to God, insolent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

Romans 1:31 void of understanding, faithless, without natural affection, unmerciful;

Romans 1:32 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].

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "faith", "void", "understanding", "faithless", "without", "natural", "affection", and "unmerciful". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "faith" and "void", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 30's "back-biters hateful to God insolent proud boasters..." into verse 32's "who knowing the righteous judgment of God...", so "faith" and "void" belong inside that flow. In Romans context, the local focus is righteousness by faith, union with Christ, life in the Spirit, and God's covenant faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "faith" and "void" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.