Romans 1:30 (KJV)

Passage

Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

Nearby Context

Romans 1:28 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;

Romans 1:29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,

Romans 1:30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

Romans 1:31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:

Romans 1:32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "backbiters", "haters", "despiteful", "proud", "boasters", "inventors", "evil", and "things". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "backbiters" and "haters", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 29's "Being filled with all unrighteousness fornication wickedness..." into verse 31's "Without understanding covenantbreakers without natural affection implacable...", so "backbiters" and "haters" 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 "backbiters" and "haters" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.