Romans 8:15
in Romans 8For you did not receive a spirit of slavery that returns you to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For ye received not the spirit of bondage again unto fear; but ye received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
KJV
For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
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This verse in Romans 8
Commentary
5 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The spirit of bondage - The spirit that binds you; or the spirit of a slave, that produces only fear. The slave is under constant fear and alarm. But the spirit of religion is that of freedom and of confidence; the spirit of children, and not of slaves; compare the note at Joh 8:32-36. Again to fear - That you should again be afraid, or be subjected to servile fear - This implies that in their former state under the Law, they were in a state of servitude, and that the tendency of it was merely to produce alarm.
This site's exposition
led by the Spirit of God
on Romans 8:14-15
Being led by the Spirit marks a son of God. The Spirit received is the Spirit of sonship, and adoption is a Roman legal term, the formal transfer of a child into a new family with full rights of inheritance. Abba is the word a child uses at home, and it is the church's cry to the Father.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
For ye - Who are real Christians. Have not received the spirit of bondage - The Holy Ghost was not properly a spirit of bondage, even in the time of the Old Testament. Yet there was something of bondage remaining even in those who then had received the Spirit.
Understand it, First, Of that spirit of bondage which the Old-Testament church was under, by reason of the darkness and terror of that dispensation. The veil signified bondage, 2 Cor. iii.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
"Abba" is the Syro-Chaldaic word for "Father"; and the Greek word for that is added, not surely to tell the reader that both mean the same thing, but for the same reason which drew both words from the lips of Christ Himself during his agony in the garden (Mr 14:36).
The words behind it
18 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| οὐ | ou | Not | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| γὰρ | gar | for | G1063 → | 1039 times |
| ἐλάβετε | elabete | you have received | G2983 → | 257 times |
| πνεῦμα | pneuma | a spirit | G4151 → | 378 times |
| δουλείας | douleias | of bondage | G1397 → | |
| πάλιν | palin | again | G3825 → | 139 times |
| εἰς | eis | to | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| φόβον, | phobon | fear, | G5401 → | 46 times |
| ἀλλ᾽ | all᾽ | but | G235 → | 635 times |
| ἐλάβετε | elabete | you have received | G2983 → | 257 times |
| πνεῦμα | pneuma | [the] Spirit | G4151 → | 378 times |
| υἱοθεσίας | huiothesias | of divine adoption as sons | G5206 → | 5 times |
| ἐν | en | by | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| ᾧ | ho | whom | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| κράζομεν· | krazomen | we cry; | G2896 → | |
| αββα | abba | Abba | G5 → | |
| ὁ | ho | O | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πατήρ. | pater | Father! | G3962 → | 410 times |
οὐNot
ouG3756 →1664 times
γὰρfor
garG1063 →1039 times
ἐλάβετεyou have received
elabeteG2983 →257 times
πνεῦμαa spirit
pneumaG4151 →378 times
δουλείαςof bondage
douleiasG1397 →
πάλινagain
palinG3825 →139 times
εἰςto
eisG1519 →1755 times
φόβον,fear,
phobonG5401 →46 times
ἀλλ᾽but
all᾽G235 →635 times
ἐλάβετεyou have received
elabeteG2983 →257 times
πνεῦμα[the] Spirit
pneumaG4151 →378 times
υἱοθεσίαςof divine adoption as sons
huiothesiasG5206 →5 times
ἐνby
enG1722 →2738 times
ᾧwhom
hoG3739 →1405 times
κράζομεν·we cry;
krazomenG2896 →
αββαAbba
abbaG5 →
ὁO
hoG3588 →19766 times
πατήρ.Father!
paterG3962 →410 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
2 Timothy 1:7For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.
it leads to
- 1 John 4:18
There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. The one who fears has not been perfected in love.
- John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid.
- Galatians 5:22
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
- Luke 10:19
Behold, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. Nothing will harm you.
- Acts 1:8
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
- 1 John 4:18
Through
Ephesians 1:5He predestined us for adoption as His sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will,
it leads to
- Romans 8:29–30
For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers.
- Romans 8:29–30
Through
Romans 8:16The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.
it leads to
- 1 John 4:13
By this we know that we remain in Him, and He in us: He has given us of His Spirit.
- 2 Corinthians 1:22
placed His seal on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a pledge of what is to come.
- 1 John 4:13
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies20
On this verse
On this chapter
- The God Who Gets Named
- The Bronze Serpent
- Eternal Security, and the Five Warnings of Hebrews
- Firstfruits
- The Fruit of the Spirit
- How to Study the Bible
- Led by the Spirit
- The Messianic Psalms
- Predestination and Election
- The Tabernacle
- The Ascension: Acts 1:1-11 · Luke 24:50-53
- The Divided Self
- The Firstborn
- The Flesh
- The Groaning Creation
- The Right Hand
About Romans

This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Epistle to the Romans; Frederic Godet, Commentary on St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
