The Meaning of Romans 8:22 Explained

Romans 8:22

KJV: For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

YLT: for we have known that all the creation doth groan together, and doth travail in pain together till now.

Darby: For we know that the whole creation groans together and travails in pain together until now.

ASV: For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For  we know  that  the whole  creation  groaneth  and  travaileth in pain together  until  now. 

What does Romans 8:22 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The creation (excluding Prayer of Manasseh , Romans 8:23) acts as though it is going through birth pains in that it is straining to produce its fruit. Its sufferings are both a result of past events and a portent of future deliverance (cf. Romans 8:20; Matthew 19:28).

Context Summary

Romans 8:18-30 - Hoping For The Completed Redemption
Creation groans for freedom from the serpent's trail. Like a captive maiden she sighs to be delivered from the curse which sin has brought upon her. The saints groan for the resurrection of the body and their full admission into the complete enjoyment of redemption. The Spirit also groans for the speedy accomplishment of God's purposes-the salvation of the lost, the unity of the Church, and the advent of the Father's kingdom. His yearnings express themselves through the prayers of the saints.
Sorrowful soul, take comfort from Romans 8:28! All things are working; there is no stagnation. They are working together, like the cogs of two wheels revolving in different directions. They are all working for good. The only condition is love on our part. Those who love God are loved by God, and all winds blow from the quarter of God's love. And that love is a sure sign and token that they have been called; and if called, they may be sure that they are on the moving stairway which is bearing them up and on through successive stages to glory. [source]

Chapter Summary: Romans 8

1  Those who are in Christ are free from condemnation
5  What harm comes of the flesh;
13  and what good of the Spirit
19  The glorious deliverance the creation longs for,
29  was beforehand decreed from God
38  Nothing can sever us from his love

Greek Commentary for Romans 8:22

Groaneth and travaileth in pain [συνστεναζει και συνωδινει]
Two more compounds with συν — sun Both rare and both here alone in N.T. Nature is pictured in the pangs of childbirth. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Romans 8:22

Matthew 27:45 From the sixth hour [απο εκτης ωρας]
Curiously enough McNeile takes this to mean the trial before Pilate (John 18:14). But clearly John uses Roman time, writing at the close of the century when Jewish time was no longer in vogue. It was six o‘clock in the morning Roman time when the trial occurred before Pilate. The crucifixion began at the third hour (Mark 15:25) Jewish time or nine a.m. The darkness began at noon, the sixth hour Jewish time and lasted till 3 p.m. Roman time, the ninth hour Jewish time (Mark 15:33; Matthew 27:45; Luke 23:44). The dense darkness for three hours could not be an eclipse of the sun and Luke (Luke 23:45) does not so say, only “the sun‘s light failing.” Darkness sometimes precedes earthquakes and one came at this time or dense masses of clouds may have obscured the sun‘s light. One need not be disturbed if nature showed its sympathy with the tragedy of the dying of the Creator on the Cross (Romans 8:22), groaning and travailing until now. [source]
Ephesians 2:10 Created [κτισθέντες]
See on John 1:3. The verb originally means to make habitable, to people. Hence to found. God is called κτίστης creator 1 Peter 4:19, and ὁ κτίσας hethat created, Romans 1:25. Compare Revelation 4:11. Κτίσις is used of the whole sum of created things, Mark 10:6; Romans 8:22. [source]
Philippians 2:10 That in the name of Jesus every knee should bow [ινα εν τωι ονοματι Ιησου παν γονυ καμπσηι]
First aorist active subjunctive of καμπτω — kamptō old verb, to bend, to bow, in purpose clause with ινα — hina Not perfunctory genuflections whenever the name of Jesus is mentioned, but universal acknowledgment of the majesty and power of Jesus who carries his human name and nature to heaven. This universal homage to Jesus is seen in Romans 8:22; Ephesians 1:20-22 and in particular Revelation 5:13. [source]

What do the individual words in Romans 8:22 mean?

We know for that all the creation groans together and travails together until - now
Οἴδαμεν γὰρ ὅτι πᾶσα κτίσις συστενάζει καὶ συνωδίνει ἄχρι τοῦ νῦν

Οἴδαμεν  We  know 
Parse: Verb, Perfect Indicative Active, 1st Person Plural
Root: οἶδα  
Sense: to see.
ὅτι  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ὅτι  
Sense: that, because, since.
κτίσις  creation 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root: κτίσις  
Sense: the act of founding, establishing, building etc.
συστενάζει  groans  together 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: συστενάζω  
Sense: to groan together.
συνωδίνει  travails  together 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: συνωδίνω  
Sense: to feel the pains of travail with, be in travail together.
ἄχρι  until 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἄχρι  
Sense: until, unto, etc.
τοῦ  - 
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
νῦν  now 
Parse: Adverb
Root: νῦν  
Sense: at this time, the present, now.