What Does Romans 15:23 Mean?
But now, with no more room in these regions, and with a great longing for many years to come to you.
Key words are shown with the Hebrew or Greek and what each word meant.
Selah Decoded Version The Selah Decoded Version renders what the Hebrew and Greek words meant to the people who first heard them.
King James wording
King James Version
But now having no more place in these parts, and having a great desire these many years to come unto you;THE KEY
A place can be finished without desire being finished; longing now points toward people.
THE MEANING
Your work in one place can be complete while your desire to be with people elsewhere remains alive, even across years. Finishing a task does not cancel longing; longing can still draw you toward presence.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
It undoes the belief that when one season of work is complete, desire must be over too.
THE ROOT
ἐπιποθία
epipothía
GROWS FROM
ποθέω
pothéō
To yearn, long for, or miss.
“great desire” in this verse is epipothía. The word carries the sense of longing toward someone, not merely wanting an outcome. Joined to “these many years,” it shows a desire that stays alive across time and gathers itself toward coming near.
ALSO GROWS
pothéō: To yearn or long for.
ποθέω
This base verb makes the longing inside “desire” audible: the word points toward what is missed and wanted near.
epipothéō: To long for, yearn toward.
ἐπιποθέω
This related verb uses the same longing-root for desire directed toward people, showing how longing can become a movement toward presence.
THE PATTERN
When work in one place reaches its limit, longing can carry the next movement toward relationship.
To the chief Musician, Maschil, for the sons of Korah. As the hart pants upon the channels of waters, so my living soul pants toward you, O God.For God is my witness, how I ache for you all in the inward parts of Jesus the Anointed One.But now when Timothy came to us from you, and brought us good news of your trust and love, and that you hold us in good memory always, aching to see us, as we also ache to see you.THE THREAD
For God is my witness, how I ache for you all in the inward parts of Jesus the Anointed One.“Long after” translates ἐπιποθέω (epipothéō), meaning to long for or yearn toward, from the same longing-root as “great desire” here. The shared root reveals desire as a pull toward people and presence.
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