Romans 8:16

New Century Version

And the Spirit himself joins with our spirits to say we are God's children.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children,

King James Version (1611)
The spirit it selfe beareth witnes with our spirit, that we are the children of God.

King James Version
The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

English Standard Version
The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

New American Standard Bible
The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,

Amplified Bible
The Spirit Himself testifies and confirms together with our spirit [assuring us] that we [believers] are children of God.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,

Legacy Standard Bible
The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,

Berean Standard Bible
The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.

Contemporary English Version
God's Spirit makes us sure that we are his children.

Complete Jewish Bible
The Spirit himself bears witness with our own spirits that we are children of God;

Darby Translation
The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are children of God.

Easy-to-Read Version
And the Spirit himself speaks to our spirits and makes us sure that we are God's children.

Geneva Bible (1587)
The same Spirit beareth witnesse with our spirit, that we are the children of God.

George Lamsa Translation
And this Spirit bears witness to our spirit, that we are the children of God:

Good News Translation
God's Spirit joins himself to our spirits to declare that we are God's children.

Lexham English Bible
The Spirit himself confirms to our spirit that we are children of God,

Literal Translation
The Spirit Himself witnesses with our spirit that we are children of God.

American Standard Version
The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God:

Bible in Basic English
The Spirit is witness with our spirit that we are children of God:

Hebrew Names Version
The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God;

International Standard Version
The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.2 Corinthians 1:22; 5:5; Ephesians 1:13; 4:30;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
And the Spirit himself witnesseth with our spirit, that we are the sons of Aloha.

Murdock Translation
And this Spirit testifieth to our spirit, that we are the sons of God.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
The same spirite, beareth witnesse to our spirite, that we are ye sonnes of God.

English Revised Version
The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God:

World English Bible
The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God;

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
The same Spirit beareth witness with our spirits, that we are the children of God.

Weymouth's New Testament
The Spirit Himself bears witness, along with our own spirits, to the fact that we are children of God;

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the ilke spirit yeldith witnessyng to oure spirit, that we ben the sones of God;

Update Bible Version
The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit, that we are children of God:

Webster's Bible Translation
The Spirit itself testifieth with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

New English Translation
The Spirit himself bears witness to our spirit that we are God's children.

New King James Version
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

New Living Translation
For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God's children.

New Life Bible
For the Holy Spirit speaks to us and tells our spirit that we are children of God.

New Revised Standard
it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
The Spirit itself, beareth witness together with our spirit that we are children of God;

Douay-Rheims Bible
For the Spirit himself giveth testimony to our spirit that we are the sons of God.

Revised Standard Version
it is the Spirit himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
The same sprete certifieth oure sprete yt we are the sonnes of God.

Young's Literal Translation
The Spirit himself doth testify with our spirit, that we are children of God;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The same sprete certifieth oure sprete, that we are the childre of God.

Mace New Testament (1729)
the same spirit testifies to our spirit, that we are the children of God.

Simplified Cowboy Version
When his spirit ties hard and fast to ours, we know we are God's kids.

Contextual Overview

¹⁰ Your body will always be dead because of sin. But if Christ is in you, then the Spirit gives you life, because Christ made you right with God. ¹¹ God raised Jesus from the dead, and if God's Spirit is living in you, he will also give life to your bodies that die. God is the One who raised Christ from the dead, and he will give life through his Spirit that lives in you. ¹² So, my brothers and sisters, we must not be ruled by our sinful selves or live the way our sinful selves want. ¹³ If you use your lives to do the wrong things your sinful selves want, you will die spiritually. But if you use the Spirit's help to stop doing the wrong things you do with your body, you will have true life. ¹⁴ The true children of God are those who let God's Spirit lead them. ¹⁵ The Spirit we received does not make us slaves again to fear; it makes us children of God. With that Spirit we cry out, "Father." ¹⁶ And the Spirit himself joins with our spirits to say we are God's children.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Spirit: Romans 8:23, Romans 8:26, 2 Corinthians 1:22, 2 Corinthians 5:5, Ephesians 1:13, Ephesians 4:30, 1 John 4:13

with our: 2 Corinthians 1:12, 1 John 3:19-22, 1 John 5:10

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 14:1 - the children Psalms 84:11 - the Lord Mark 14:36 - Abba John 4:14 - shall be John 5:24 - and shall not John 14:16 - another Romans 8:15 - the Spirit Romans 9:1 - my conscience Romans 9:26 - there shall Romans 14:17 - peace 1 Corinthians 2:12 - but 2 Corinthians 3:17 - where Galatians 4:7 - if 1 Thessalonians 1:6 - with joy 1 John 3:10 - the children of God 1 John 5:8 - the spirit 1 John 5:19 - we know

Cross-References

Genesis 7:1
Then the Lord said to Noah, "I have seen that you are the best person among the people of this time, so you and your family can go into the boat.

Genesis 7:7
He and his wife and his sons and their wives went into the boat to escape the waters of the flood.

Genesis 7:13
On that same day Noah and his wife, his sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and their wives went into the boat.

Genesis 8:16
"You and your wife, your sons, and their wives should go out of the boat.

Genesis 8:18
So Noah went out with his sons, his wife, and his sons' wives.

Joshua 3:17
The priests carried the Ark of the Agreement with the Lord to the middle of the river and stood there on dry ground. They waited there while all the people of Israel walked across the Jordan River on dry land.

Joshua 4:10
The priests carrying the Ark continued standing in the middle of the river until everything was done that the Lord had commanded Joshua to tell the people, just as Moses had told Joshua. The people hurried across the river.

Psalms 91:11
He has put his angels in charge of you to watch over you wherever you go.

Psalms 121:8
The Lord will guard you as you come and go, both now and forever.

Zechariah 9:11
As for you, because of the blood of the agreement with you I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

The Spirit itself beareth witness,.... The thing which the Spirit of God witnesses to is,

that we are the sons of God; which supposes the case in some sense doubtful and uncertain, at least that it is called in question; not by others, though it sometimes is, as by Satan, which need not seem strange, since he called in question the sonship of Christ himself, and by the world who know them not, and by good men, till better informed: but the testimony of the Spirit is not the satisfaction of others, but the saints themselves; who are ready to doubt of it at times, because of the greatness of the favour, and their own sinfulness and unworthiness; especially after backslidings; through the temptations of the devil, and because of their many trials and afflictions. Now this witness of the Spirit is to establish and confirm it; not to make the thing itself surer, for that stands on the sure foundation of predestination, on the unalterable covenant of grace, on union to Christ; redemption by him, the gift of Christ, and continuance of the Spirit; but to assure them of it, and of their interest in it; for the testimony is given "to our spirits"; so the words are read by the Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions, and by the Vulgate Latin; which reading seems better than

with our spirits; for our own spirits are no witnesses to ourselves: the Father and Son are co-witnesses of the Spirit, but not our own spirits; the spirits of the saints are they which receive the witness of the Spirit of God, to which it is made; not to their ears, for it is not an audible testimony; but to their hearts, it is internal; to their renewed souls, where faith is wrought to receive it; to their understandings, that they may know and be assured of it; to their spirits, which are apt to faint and doubt about it. Now it is "the Spirit itself" that bears this witness, and not others, or by others, but he himself in person; who is a divine witness, whose testimony therefore must be greater than others, and a faithful one, who will never deceive; for he witnesses what he knows, and what is sure and certain: his very being and habitation in the saints are witnesses and proofs of their adoption; his powerful operations and divine landings persuade to a belief of the truth of it; and by shedding abroad the Father's love in the heart, and by the application of Gospel promises, he causes and encourages them to "cry Abba", Father; which is a wonderful instance of his condescension and grace.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The Spirit - The Holy Spirit. That the Holy Spirit here is intended, is evident,

1. Because this is the natural meaning of the expression;
2. Because it is of the Holy Spirit that the apostle is mainly treating here;
3. Because it would be an unnatural and forced construction to say of the temper of adoption that it bore witness.

Beareth witness - Testifies, gives evidence.

With our spirit - To our minds. This pertains to the adoption; and it means that the Holy Spirit furnishes evidence to our minds that we are adopted into the family of God. This effect is not infrequently attributed to the Holy Spirit, 2 Corinthians 1:22; 1Jo 5:10-11; 1 Corinthians 2:12. If it be asked how this is done, I answer, it is not by any revelation of new truth; it is not by inspiration; it is not always by assurance; it is not by a mere persuasion that we are elected to eternal life; but it is by producing in us the appropriate effects of his influence. It is his to renew the heart; to sanctify the soul; to produce “love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance,” Galatians 5:22-23. If a man has these, he has evidence of the witnessing of the Spirit with his spirit. If not, he has no such evidence. And the way, therefore, to ascertain whether we have this witnessing of the Spirit, is by an honest and prayerful inquiry whether these fruits of the Spirit actually exist in our minds. If they do, the evidence is clear. If not, all vain confidence of good estate; all visions, and raptures, and fancied revelations, will be mere delusions. It may be added, that the effect of these fruits of the Spirit an the mind is to produce a calm and heavenly frame; and in that frame, when attended with the appropriate fruits of the Spirit in a holy life, we may rejoice as an evidence of piety.

That we are the children of God - That we are adopted into his family.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Romans 8:16. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit — αυτο το πνευμα, that same Spirit, the Spirit of adoption; that is, the Spirit who witnesses this adoption; which can be no other than the Holy Ghost himself, and certainly cannot mean any disposition or affection of mind which the adopted person may feel; for such a disposition must arise from a knowledge of this adoption, and the knowledge of this adoption cannot be given by any human or earthly means; it must come from God himself: therefore the αυτοτοπνευμα must have reference to that Spirit, by whom alone the knowledge of the adoption is witnessed to the soul of the believer.

With our spirit — In our understanding, the place or recipient of light and information; and the place or faculty to which such information can properly be brought. This is done that we may have the highest possible evidence of the work which God has wrought. As the window is the proper medium to let the light of the sun into our apartments, so the understanding is the proper medium of conveying the Spirit's influence to the soul. We, therefore, have the utmost evidence of the fact of our adoption which we can possibly have; we have the word and Spirit of God; and the word sealed on our spirit by the Spirit of God. And this is not a momentary influx: if we take care to walk with God, and not grieve the Holy Spirit, we shall have an abiding testimony; and while we continue faithful to our adopting Father, the Spirit that witnesses that adoption will continue to witness it; and hereby we shall know that we are of God by the Spirit which he giveth us.