Romans 1:23

Romans 1:23 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
• New International Version (NIV)and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.
• New King James Version (NKJV)and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.
• New Living Translation (NLT)And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.

Context of Romans 1:23

21For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. 24Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

Romans 1:23 word by word

καὶ ἤλλαξαν τὴν δόξαν τοῦ ἀφθάρτου θεοῦ ἐν ὁμοιώματι εἰκόνος φθαρτοῦ ἀνθρώπου καὶ πετεινῶν καὶ τετραπόδων καὶ ἑρπετῶν.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• changedἀλλάσσωallassō · to changeG236
• the gloryδόξαdoxa · gloryG1391
• of the uncorruptibleἄφθαρτοςaphthartos · incorruptibleG862
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• intoἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• an imageεἰκώνeikōn · imageG1504
• made like toὁμοίωμαhomoiōma · likenessG3667
• corruptibleφθαρτόςphthartos · perishableG5349
• manἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
• to birdsπετεινόςpeteinon · birdG4071
• fourfooted beastsτετράπουςtetrapous · four-footedG5074
• creeping thingsἑρπετόνherpeton · reptileG2062

Cross-references for Romans 1:23

• Romans 1:25because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
• Psalms 106:20They exchanged the glory of God for the image of an ox that eats grass.
• Jeremiah 2:11Has a nation changed its gods, even though they are no gods? But my people have changed their glory for that which does not profit.
• Deuteronomy 4:15"Therefore watch yourselves very carefully. Since you saw no form on the day that the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire,
• Deuteronomy 5:8"'You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
• Psalms 115:5They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see.
• Psalms 135:15The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of human hands.
• Isaiah 40:18To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness compare with him?
• Isaiah 44:13The carpenter stretches a line; he marks it out with a pencil. He shapes it with planes and marks it with a compass. He shapes it into the figure of a man, with the beauty of a man, to dwell in a house.
• Ezekiel 8:10So I went in and saw. And there, engraved on the wall all around, was every form of creeping things and loathsome beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel.
• Acts 17:29Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man.
• 1 Corinthians 12:2You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led.
• 1 Peter 4:3For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry.
• Revelation 9:20The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk,

Commentaries on Romans 1:23

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 23They changed the glory, etc. - The finest representation of their deities was in the human figure; and on such representative figures the sculptors spent all their skill; hence the Hercules of Farnese, the Venus of Medicis, and the Apollo of Belvidere. And when they had formed their gods according to the human shape, they endowed them with human passions; and as they clothed them with attributes of extraordinary strength, beauty, wisdom, etc., not having…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 23And changed - This does not mean that they literally “transmuted” God himself; but that in their views they exchanged him; or they changed him “as an object of worship” for idols. They produced, of course, no real change in the glory of the infinite God, but the change was in themselves. They forsook him of whom they had knowledge Romans 1:21, and offered the homage which was due to him, to idols. The glory - The majesty, the honor, etc. This word stands…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18-25Verses 18-25 The apostle begins to show that all mankind need the salvation of the gospel, because none could obtain the favour of God, or escape his wrath by their own works. For no man can plead that he has fulfilled all his obligations to God and to his neighbour; nor can any truly say that he has fully acted up to the light afforded him. The sinfulness of man is described as ungodliness against the laws of the first table, and unrighteousness against…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 18-32Paul waits to explain righteousness through faith (see 3:21) until he first teaches about the sinfulness of all people. Both non-Jews and Jews are equally under the power of sin (1:18–32; 2:1–3:8). Because of this, both groups are in the same situation before God. No one can gain God’s favor by their own actions or obedience (3:9–20). All people need God’s saving action, not their own efforts.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22-2322-23. Professing themselves--"boasting," or "pretending to be" wise, they became fools--"It is the invariable property of error in morals and religion, that men take credit to themselves for it and extol it as wisdom. So the heathen" (1Co 1:21) [Tholuck].Read the comment

Topics related to Romans 1:23

• Conscience
• Creeping Things
• Gentiles
• God
• God Continued...
• Idolatry
• Lasciviousness
• Rome
• Wicked (People)
• Wisdom

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Affection
• Call
• Creation
• Dark
• Despiteful
• Faith
• Fall of man
• Glory

Commentaries on Romans 1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings