As a Jew, Paul can speak of God in the third person without actually mentioning his name, and that is what he does in this verse: and God, who sees into the hearts of men is literally “and the one searching the heart.” That God “searches” (that is, sees into) the hearts of men is a familiar Old Testament concept (see 1 Samuel 16.7; 1 Kings 8.39; Psalm 7.9; Proverbs 15.11; Jeremiah 17.9-10). In some languages it may be necessary to specify more clearly the relation between God, who sees into the hearts of men and the fact that God knows what the thought of the Spirit is. Since God knows what men are thinking, he therefore knows precisely the intent of the Spirit who prays on behalf of men with groanings which cannot be expressed in words. This relation of cause and effect may be expressed as “because God sees what men want in their hearts, he knows what the Spirit intends.” One may also translate this as “God sees into the hearts of men and therefore knows what the thought of the Spirit is.”

In the last clause of this verse the word translated because (so New English Bible) may have the meaning of “that.” As interpreted in the Good News Translation and most other translations this clause tells why it is that God … knows what the thought of the Spirit is. If the other alternative is followed, then the clause tells the content of what the Spirit thinks (see Jerusalem Bible “that the pleas of the saints expressed by the Spirit are according to the mind of God”).

In this last clause the pronoun “he” is made explicit by most translations as a reference to the Spirit.

His people (An American Translation* and New English Bible “God’s people”) is literally “the saints.” (On this term see 1.7.)

The pronoun his (in accordance with his will) refers back to God (Revised Standard Version “according to the will of God”).

The last clause of verse 27 may be rendered as “for the Spirit speaks with God (or speaks strongly) for God’s people and in the way that God desires” or “… for the same purpose that God desires for his people.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Romans. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1973. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .