Romans 1:21

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

19because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.

Romans 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

• For even though they knewγινώσκωginōskō · to knowG1097
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• honorδοξάζωdoxazō · to glorifyG1392
• orἤē · orG2228
• giveεὐχαριστέωeucharisteō · to thankG2168
• but they becameματαιόωmataioō · to make futileG3154
• in their speculationsδιαλογισμόςdialogismos · reasoningG1261
• and their foolishἀσύνετοςasunetos · senselessG801
• heartκαρδίαkardia · heartG2588
• was darkenedσκοτίζωskotizō · to darkenG4654

Cross-references for Romans 1:21

• Romans 1:19because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.
• John 3:19This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.
• Romans 15:9and for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy; as it is written, “Therefore I will give praise to You among the Gentiles, And I will sing to Your name.”
• Psalms 50:23He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me; And to him who orders his way aright I shall show the salvation of God.”
• Psalms 86:9All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, And they shall glorify Your name.
• Hosea 2:8“For she does not know that it was I who gave her the grain, the new wine and the oil, And lavished on her silver and gold, Which they used for Baal.
• Habakkuk 1:15The Chaldeans bring all of them up with a hook, Drag them away with their net, And gather them together in their fishing net. Therefore they rejoice and are glad.
• Luke 17:15Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice,
• 2 Timothy 3:2For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,
• Revelation 14:7and he said with a loud voice, “Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters.”
• Revelation 15:4Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy; For all the nations will come and worship before You, For Your righteous acts have been revealed.”
• Genesis 6:5Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
• Genesis 8:21The Lord smelled the soothing aroma; and the Lord said to Himself, “I will never again curse the ground on account of man, for the intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth; and I will never again destroy every living thing, as I have done.
• 2 Kings 17:15They rejected His statutes and His covenant which He made with their fathers and His warnings with which He warned them. And they followed vanity and became vain, and went after the nations which surrounded them, concerning which the Lord had commanded them not to do like them.
• Psalms 81:12So I gave them over to the stubbornness of their heart, To walk in their own devices.
• Ecclesiastes 7:29Behold, I have found only this, that God made men upright, but they have sought out many devices.”

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

• Blindness
• Conscience
• Darkness
• Gentiles
• Glorifying God
• Godlessness
• Heart
• Imagination
• Ingratitude
• Rome
• Sin
• Thankfulness
• Vanity
• Wicked (People)
• Wisdom

In the dictionaries

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

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