God’s Word Translation
Romans 1:21
21They knew God but did not praise and thank him for being God. Instead, their thoughts were pointless, and their misguided minds were plunged into darkness.
Romans 1:21 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
- New International Version (NIV)For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.
- English Standard Version (ESV)For 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.
- New King James Version (NKJV)because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
Context of Romans 1:21
19What can be known about God is clear to them because he has made it clear to them. 20From the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly observed in what he made. As a result, people have no excuse. They knew God but did not praise and thank him for being God. Instead, their thoughts were pointless, and their misguided minds were plunged into darkness. 22While claiming to be wise, they became fools. 23They exchanged the glory of the immortal God for statues that looked like mortal humans, birds, animals, and snakes.
Read all of Romans 1Romans 1:21 word by word
διότι γνόντες τὸν θεὸν οὐχ ὡς θεὸν ἐδόξασαν ἢ ηὐχαρίστησαν, ἀλλ᾽ ἐματαιώθησαν ἐν τοῖς διαλογισμοῖς αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐσκοτίσθη ἡ ἀσύνετος αὐτῶν καρδία·Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Because thatδιότιdioti · becauseG1360
- when they knewγινώσκωginōskō · to knowG1097
- Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- they glorifiedδοξάζωdoxazō · to glorifyG1392
- notοὐou · noG3756
- asὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
- neitherἤē · orG2228
- were thankfulεὐχαριστέωeucharisteō · to thankG2168
- butἀλλάalla · butG235
- became vainματαιόωmataioō · to make futileG3154
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- theirαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- imaginationsδιαλογισμόςdialogismos · reasoningG1261
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- foolishἀσύνετοςasunetos · senselessG801
- heartκαρδίαkardia · heartG2588
- was darkenedσκοτίζωskotizō · to darkenG4654
Cross-references for Romans 1:21
- Romans 1:19What can be known about God is clear to them because he has made it clear to them.
- John 3:19This is why people are condemned: The light came into the world. Yet, people loved the dark rather than the light because their actions were evil.
- Romans 15:9People who are not Jewish praise God for his mercy as well. This is what the Scriptures say, “That is why I will give thanks to you among the nations and I will sing praises to your name.”
- Psalms 50:23Whoever offers thanks as a sacrifice honors me. I will let everyone who continues in my way see the salvation that comes from God.”
- Psalms 86:9All the nations that you have made will bow in your presence, O Lord. They will honor you.
- Hosea 2:8“She doesn’t believe that I gave her grain, new wine, and olive oil. I gave her plenty of silver and gold, but she used it to make statues of Baal.
- Habakkuk 1:15The Babylonians pull them all up with fishhooks, drag them away in nets, and gather them in dragnets. So they rejoice and are happy.
- Luke 17:15When one of them saw that he was healed, he turned back and praised God in a loud voice.
- 2 Timothy 3:2People will be selfish and love money. They will brag, be arrogant, and use abusive language. They will curse their parents, show no gratitude, have no respect for what is holy,
- Revelation 14:7The angel said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the time has come for him to judge. Worship the one who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs.”
- Revelation 15:4Lord, who won’t fear and praise your name? You are the only holy one, and all the nations will come to worship you because they know about your fair judgments.”
- Genesis 6:5The Lord saw how evil humans had become on the earth. All day long their deepest thoughts were nothing but evil.
- Genesis 8:21The Lord smelled the soothing aroma. He said to himself, “I will never again curse the ground because of humans, even though from birth their hearts are set on nothing but evil. I will never again kill every living creature as I have just done.
- 2 Kings 17:15They rejected his decrees, the promise he made to their ancestors, and the warnings he had given them. They went after worthless idols and became as worthless as the idols. They behaved like the nations around them, although the Lord had commanded them not to do that.
- Psalms 81:12So I let them go their own stubborn ways and follow their own advice.
- Ecclesiastes 7:29I have found only this: God made people decent, but they looked for many ways ⌞to avoid being decent⌟.”
Commentaries on Romans 1:21
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21Because that when they knew God - When they thus acquired a general knowledge of the unity and perfections of the Divine nature, they glorified him not as God - they did not proclaim him to the people, but shut up his glory (as Bishop Warburton expresses it) in their mysteries, and gave the people, in exchange for an incorruptible God, an image made like to corruptible man. Wherefore God, in punishment for their sins, thus turning his truth into a lie…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21Because that - The apostle here is showing that it was right to condemn people for their sins. To do this it was needful to show them that they had the knowledge of God, and the means of knowing what was right; and that the true source of their sins and idolatries was a corrupt and evil heart. When they knew God - Greek, “knowing God.” That is, they had an acquaintance with the existence and many of the perfections of one God. That many of the…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. 21In Scripture, to know God usually means to have a close and saving relationship with him (see 2 Corinthians 5:16; Galatians 4:9; Philippians 3:8, 10). Here, however, they knew God means that people knew about God. All people have some understanding of God through creation, but they do not do what is right based on that knowledge. Instead of learning more about God, they worship gods they create themselves.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2121. Because that, when they knew God--that is, while still retaining some real knowledge of Him, and ere they sank down into the state next to be described. they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful--neither yielded the adoration due to Himself, nor rendered the gratitude which His beneficence demanded. but became vain--(compare Jr 2:5). in their imaginations--thoughts, notions, speculations, regarding God; compare Mt 15:19; Lu 2:35; 1Co 3:20…Read the comment
Topics related to Romans 1:21
In the dictionaries
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
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