Romans Chapter 1 · Verse 29
Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
Original Language Analysis
πεπληρωμένους
Being filled with
G4137
πεπληρωμένους
Being filled with
Strong's:
G4137
Word #:
1 of 14
to make replete, i.e., (literally) to cram (a net), level up (a hollow), or (figuratively) to furnish (or imbue, diffuse, influence), satisfy, execute
ἀδικίᾳ
unrighteousness
G93
ἀδικίᾳ
unrighteousness
Strong's:
G93
Word #:
3 of 14
(legal) injustice (properly, the quality, by implication, the act); morally, wrongfulness (of character, life or act)
πορνείᾳ,
fornication
G4202
πορνείᾳ,
fornication
Strong's:
G4202
Word #:
4 of 14
harlotry (including adultery and incest); figuratively, idolatry
πονηρίᾳ
wickedness
G4189
πονηρίᾳ
wickedness
Strong's:
G4189
Word #:
5 of 14
depravity, i.e., (specially), malice; plural (concretely) plots, sins
πλεονεξίᾳ
covetousness
G4124
πλεονεξίᾳ
covetousness
Strong's:
G4124
Word #:
6 of 14
avarice, i.e., (by implication) fraudulency, extortion
κακίᾳ
maliciousness
G2549
κακίᾳ
maliciousness
Strong's:
G2549
Word #:
7 of 14
badness, i.e., (subjectively) depravity, or (actively) malignity, or (passively) trouble
Cross References
2 Corinthians 12:20For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not: lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults:Proverbs 16:28A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends.Psalms 41:7All that hate me whisper together against me: against me do they devise my hurt.Proverbs 26:20Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth.
Historical Context
These vices characterized Greco-Roman society. Murder was entertainment (gladiators). Greed drove economic exploitation. Envy fueled political intrigue. Deceit was common in commerce and politics. Gossip destroyed reputations without accountability. Paul's lists of vices (also in Galatians 5:19-21; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10) functioned as mirrors for self-examination and warnings to churches contaminated by pagan culture. Modern readers should not assume moral superiority—these sins persist today, often disguised or rationalized.
Questions for Reflection
- Which of these sins most characterizes your thought life, even if not acted upon externally?
- How does being 'filled' (πληρόω) with vice contrast with being 'filled with the Spirit' (Ephesians 5:18)?
- In what ways does contemporary culture normalize or celebrate these sins that Paul condemns?
Analysis & Commentary
Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
Paul catalogs vices resulting from a reprobate mind: peplērōmenous pasē adikia ponēria pleonexia kakia (πεπληρωμένους πάσῃ ἀδικίᾳ πονηρίᾳ πλεονεξίᾳ κακίᾳ, 'filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, malice'). Peplērōmenous (πεπληρωμένους, filled/stuffed full) suggests saturation, total permeation by evil. Adikia (ἀδικία, unrighteousness) is general injustice. Ponēria (πονηρία, wickedness/evil) is active malevolence. Pleonexia (πλεονεξία, covetousness/greed) is insatiable desire for more. Kakia (κακία, malice) is ill will toward others.
The list continues: mestous phthonou phonou eridos dolou kakēthias (μεστοὺς φθόνου φόνου ἔριδος δόλου κακοηθίας, 'full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malignity'). Mestous (full) emphasizes abundance. Phthonou (φθόνος, envy) is resentment of others' good. Phonou (φόνος, murder) begins with heart hatred (Matthew 5:21-22). Eridos (ἔρις, strife/quarreling) destroys relationships. Dolou (δόλος, deceit) is deception. Kakēthias (κακοηθία, malignity/craftiness) is evil disposition. Adding psithyristas (ψιθυριστάς, whisperers/gossips)—secret slanderers who destroy reputations. This list is comprehensive, covering attitudes, speech, and actions.