Romans 1:22

Romans 1:22 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
• New International Version (NIV)Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools
• English Standard Version (ESV)Claiming to be wise, they became fools,
• New King James Version (NKJV)Professing to be wise, they became fools,

Context of Romans 1:22

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. 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. While 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. 24For this reason God allowed their lusts to control them. As a result, they dishonor their bodies by sexual perversion with each other.

Romans 1:22 word by word

φάσκοντες εἶναι σοφοὶ ἐμωράνθησανRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Professing themselvesφάσκωphaskō · to claimG5335
• to beεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• wiseσοφόςsophos · wiseG4680
• they became foolsμωραίνωmōrainō · be foolishG3471

Cross-references for Romans 1:22

• Romans 11:25Brothers and sisters, I want you to understand this mystery so that you won’t become arrogant. The minds of some Israelites have become closed until all of God’s non-Jewish people are included.
• Proverbs 25:14⌞Like⌟ a dense fog or a dust storm, ⌞so⌟ is a person who brags about a gift that he does not give.
• Proverbs 26:12Have you met a person who thinks he is wise? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
• Isaiah 47:10You feel safe in your wickedness and say, “No one can see me.” Your wisdom and knowledge have led you astray, so you say to yourself, “I’m the only one, and there’s no one else.”
• Jeremiah 8:8“ ‘How can you say that you are wise and that you have the Lord’s teachings? The scribes have used their pens to turn these teachings into lies.
• Jeremiah 10:14Everyone is stupid and ignorant. Metalsmiths are put to shame by their idols. Their statues are false ⌞gods⌟. They can’t breathe.
• Matthew 6:23But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. If the light in you is darkness, how dark it will be!
• 1 Corinthians 1:19Scripture says, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise. I will reject the intelligence of intelligent people.”
• 1 Corinthians 3:18Don’t deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise in the ways of this world, you should give up that wisdom in order to become really wise.

Commentaries on Romans 1:22

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 22Professing themselves to be wise - This is most strikingly true of all the ancient philosophers, whether Greeks or Romans, as their works, which remain, sufficiently testify. The word signifies not merely the professing but the assumption of the philosophic character. In this sense the word is used by the best Greek writers. See Kypke. A dispassionate examination of the doctrine and lives of the most famed philosophers of antiquity, of every nation, will…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 22Professing themselves to be wise - This was the common boast of the philosophers of antiquity. The very word by which they chose to be called, “philosophers,” means literally “lovers of wisdom.” That it was their boast that they were wise, is well known; compare Romans 1:14; 1 Corinthians 1:19, 1 Corinthians 1:20, 1 Corinthians 1:22; 1 Corinthians 3:19; 2 Corinthians 11:19. They became fools - Compare Jeremiah 8:8-9. They became really foolish in their…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 1:22

• Blindness
• Conceit
• Conscience
• Gentiles
• Godlessness
• Idolatry
• Lasciviousness
• Pride
• Rome
• Wicked (People)
• Wisdom

In the dictionaries

• Affection
• Call
• Creation
• Dark
• Despiteful
• Faith
• Fall of man
• Idolatry
• Lie
• Manifest

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