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Romans 8:27

in Romans 8

And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

and he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

KJV

And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

This verse in Romans 8

Commentary

18 notes on this verse
"And he who searches hearts knows what the Spirit desires, because he intercedes for the saints according to God." He shows indeed that by God not so much our words in prayer are weighed as the heart and the mind: for it is he who searches hearts and reins. But as to his saying a second time that "the Spirit intercedes," this is what he teaches: that no small dispensation is enacted among human beings through the Holy Spirit also.

This site's exposition

the Spirit helps us in our weakness

on Romans 8:26-27

The Greek verb sunantilambanomai pictures the Spirit taking hold of the load at the weak point, named as ignorance of how to pray. His groans are too deep for words, and God who searches hearts reads them.

This site's exposition

He who searches our hearts

Barnes names heart searching as God's work alone, from Jeremiah 17:10. Ambrosiaster reasons from it that the Father knows what the Spirit asks, for the two share one essence. Chrysostom reads the mind of the Spirit as the praying believer's own renewed heart.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers5 voices

A commentator

Caesarius of Arles

SERMON 97.2 · Written before 542.

proposed

By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in silence, the shouting of the saints is heard in the presence of God.

A commentator

Philoxenus of Mabbug

ON THE INDWELLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT · Written before 523.

proposed

You see that all the good promptings which bring us to repentance result from the activity of the Spirit, and pure prayer, which brings all these good promptings to completion, is also stirred up in our soul as the result of the Spirit's activity. He …

A commentator

Theodoret of Cyrus

INTERPRETATION OF THE LETTER TO THE ROMANS · Written before 458.

proposed

"Spirit" here does not mean the substance of the Spirit but rather the grace which is given to believers. By this grace we are encouraged to struggle, we are inflamed to pray more earnestly, and with ineffable sighings we implore God the Savior. The holy …

A commentator

John Chrysostom

Homily on Romans 14 · Written in the 5th century.

proposed

"But He that searcheth the hearts." You see that it is not about the Comforter that he is speaking, but about the spiritual heart. Since if this were not so, he ought to have said, "He that searcheth" the Spirit. But that thou mayest learn that the language is meant of a spiritual man, who has the gift of prayer, he proceeds, "And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit," that is, of the spiritual man. "Because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God." Not (he means) that he informs God as if ignorant, but this is done that we may learn to pray for proper things, and to ask of God what is pleasing to Him. For this is what the "according to God" is. And so this was with a view to solace those that came to Him, and to yield them excellent instruction. For He that furnished the gifts, and gave besides blessings without number, was the Comforter. Hence it says, "all these things worketh one and the self-same Spirit." And it is for our instruction that this takes place, and to show the love of the Spirit, it condescendeth even to this. And it is from this that the person praying getteth heard, because the prayer is made "according to the will of God." You see from how many points he instructs them in the love that was shown them and the honor that was done them. And what is there that God hath not done for us? The world He hath made corruptible for us, and again for us incorruptible. He suffered His Prophets to be ill-treated for our sake, sent them into captivity for us, let them fall into the furnace, and undergo ills without number. Nay, He made them prophets for us, and the Apostles also He made for us. He gave up for us His Only-Begotten, He punisheth the devil for us, He hath seated us on the Right Hand, He was reproached for us. "For the reproaches of them that reproached thee," it says, "fell upon me."

A commentator

Ambrosiaster

COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES · Written before 384.

proposed

It is clear that the prayer of every spirit is known to God, from whom nothing is secret or hidden. How much more then should [the Father] know what the Holy Spirit, who is the same essence as himself, is saying?
10 more voices on this verse

The Medieval Church2 voices

A commentator

Theophylact of Ohrid

Commentary on Romans · Written before 1107.

proposed

That man, he says, stands and prays not because God is unaware of our needs. He who searches the hearts knows "what the mind of the Spirit is," that is, of the spiritual man; He intercedes on behalf of the believers who are in the …

A commentator

Thomas Aquinas

Commentary on Romans · Written before 1274.

proposed

Then he shows the efficacy of the help with which the Holy Spirit aids us, saying: "he who searches the hearts," i.e., God, who alone searches the heart: "you who tried the minds and hearts" (Ps 7:9). But God is said to search hearts, not …

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)

proposed

Knoweth - Though man cannot utter it. What is the mind of the Spirit, for he maketh intercession for the saints - Who are near to God. According to God - According to his will, as is worthy of God. and acceptable to him.

quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:83%@v24-28

And he that searcheth the hearts,....

The Nineteenth Century5 voices

And he that searcheth the hearts - God. To search the heart is one of his attributes which cannot be communicated to a creature; Jer 17:10. Knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit - Knows the desires which the Holy Spirit excites and produces in the heart. He does not need that those deep emotions should be expressed in words; he does not need the eloquence of language to induce him to hear; but he sees the anxious feelings of the soul, and is ready to aid and to bless.

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

Tit 3:5), have yet the painful consciousness that they are saved but in part: or, "that being justified by His grace, they are made (in the present state) heirs according to the hope (only) of eternal life," Tit 3:7 (Ro 8:24, 25).

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens

‘Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should what pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according the to will of God.’Romans 8:26,27. THE APOSTLE PAUL was writing to a tried and afflicted people, and one of his objects was to remind them of the rivers of comfort which were flowing near at hand.
‘Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should what pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according the to will of God.’Romans 8:26,27. THE APOSTLE PAUL was writing to a tried and afflicted people, and one of his objects was to remind them of the rivers of comfort which were flowing near at hand. He first of all stirred up their pure minds by way of remembrance as to their sonship,’for saith he ‘as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.’ They were, therefore, encouraged to take part and lot with Christ, the elder brother, with whom they had become joint heirs; and they were exhorted to suffer with him, that they might afterwards be glorified with him. All that they endured came from a Father’s hand, and this should comfort them. A thousand sources of joy are opened in that one blessing of adoption. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have been begotten into the family of grace. When Paul had alluded to that consoling subject he turned to the next ground of comfort’namely, that we are to be sustained under present trial by hope. There is an amazing glory in reserve for us, and though as yet we cannot enter upon it, but in harmony with the whole creation must continue to groan and travail, yet the hope itself should minister strength to us, and enable us patiently to bear ‘these light afflictions, which are but for a moment.’ This also is a truth full of sacred refreshment: hope sees a crown in reserve, mansions in readiness, and Jesus himself preparing a place for us, and by the rapturous sight she sustains the soul under the sorrows of the hour.

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

He maketh intercession for the saints - The word εντυγχανω signifies to apply one’s self to a person in behalf of another; to intercede or negotiate for. Our Lord makes intercession for us, by negotiating and managing, as our friend and agent, all the affairs pertaining to our salvation. And the Spirit of God makes intercession for the saints, not by supplication to God on their behalf, but by directing and qualifying their supplications in a proper manner, by his agency and influence upon their hearts; which, according to the Gospel scheme, is the peculiar work and office of the Holy Spirit. See Taylor. According to the will of God - Κατα Θεον· According to the mind, intention, or design of God. And thus the prayers which we offer up, and the desires which subsist in the unutterable groanings, are all such as are pleasing in the sight of God. So that God, whose is the Spirit, and who is acquainted with the mind of the Spirit, knows what he means when he leads the saints to express themselves in words, desires, groans, sighs, or tears: in each God reads the language of the Holy Ghost, and prepares the answer according to the request. From all this we learn that a fluency in prayer is not essential to praying: a man may pray most powerfully in the estimation of God, who is not able to utter even one word. The unutterable groan is big with meaning, and God understands it, because it contains the language of his own Spirit. Some desires are too mighty to be expressed; there is no language expressive enough to give them proper form and distinct vocal sound: such desires show that they came from God; and as they came from him, so they express what God is disposed to do, and what he has purposed to do. This is a matter of great encouragement to all those who are agonizing to enter in at the strait gate.

Modern Voices1 voice

The connection between verses 27 and 28 is this: Those for whom God is causing all things to work together for good are the ones for whom the Spirit is interceding according to God's will.

The words behind it

17 Greek words

Every 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.

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

The walk

8 stops

Each 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

    Jeremiah 17:10

    I, the LORD, search the heart; I examine the mind to reward a man according to his way, by what his deeds deserve.

    it leads to

    • 1 Samuel 16:7

      But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or height, for I have rejected him; the LORD does not see as man does. For man sees the outward appearance, but the…

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Jeremiah 11:20

      O LORD of Hosts, who judges righteously, who examines the heart and mind, let me see Your vengeance upon them, for to You I have committed my cause.

    • Revelation 2:23

      Then I will strike her children dead, and all the churches will know that I am the One who searches minds and hearts, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.

    • Hebrews 4:12–13

      For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it pierces even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

    • Psalms 139:23–24

      Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns.

  • Through

    Romans 8:34

    Who is there to condemn us? For Christ Jesus, who died, and more than that was raised to life, is at the right hand of God—and He is interceding for us.

    it leads to

    • Hebrews 7:25

      Therefore He is able to save completely those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them.

  • Through

    Ephesians 2:18

    For through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

    it leads to

    • 1 Corinthians 12:13

      For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free, and we were all given one Spirit to drink.

    • Ephesians 3:12

      In Him and through faith in Him we may enter God’s presence with boldness and confidence.

Where this verse is studied

About Romans

Saint Paul Writing His Epistles, Valentin de Boulogne, about 1618 to 1620, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Public domain.
Saint Paul Writing His Epistles, Valentin de Boulogne, about 1618 to 1620, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Public domain.
This page draws on 16 works. Open the list of works

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrosiaster, COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES; Caesarius of Arles, SERMON 97.2; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 1532: “The Holy Spirit's Intercession” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Romans 14; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Origen of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS; Philoxenus of Mabbug, ON THE INDWELLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT; Theodoret of Cyrus, INTERPRETATION OF THE LETTER TO THE ROMANS; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Romans; Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Romans and Tony Evans, "Prayer and God's Will" (blog post, TonyEvans.org).