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.
• English Standard Version (ESV)and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
• 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.

Context of Romans 1:23

21For although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or give him thanks, but they became futile in their thoughts and their senseless hearts were darkened. 22Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for an image resembling mortal human beings or birds or four-footed animals or reptiles. 24Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to impurity, to dishonor their bodies among themselves. 25They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creation 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 1:25They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creation rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
• Psalms 106:20They traded their majestic God for the image of an ox that eats grass.
• Jeremiah 2:11Has a nation ever changed its gods (even though they are not really gods at all)? But my people have exchanged me, their glorious God, for a god that cannot help them at all!
• Deuteronomy 4:15Be very careful, then, because you saw no form at the time the Lord spoke to you at Horeb from the middle of the fire.
• Deuteronomy 5:8You must not make for yourself an image of anything in heaven above, on earth below, or in the waters beneath.
• Psalms 115:5They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see,
• Psalms 135:15The nations’ idols are made of silver and gold, they are man-made.
• Isaiah 40:18To whom can you compare God? To what image can you liken him?
• Isaiah 44:13A carpenter takes measurements; he marks out an outline of its form; he scrapes it with chisels, and marks it with a compass. He patterns it after the human form, like a well-built human being, and puts it in a shrine.
• Ezekiel 8:10So I went in and looked. I noticed every figure of creeping thing and beast – detestable images – and every idol of the house of Israel, engraved on the wall all around.
• Acts 17:29So since we are God’s offspring, we should not think the deity is like gold or silver or stone, an image made by human skill and imagination.
• 1 Corinthians 12:2You know that when you were pagans you were often led astray by speechless idols, however you were led.
• 1 Peter 4:3For the time that has passed was sufficient for you to do what the non-Christians desire. You lived then in debauchery, evil desires, drunkenness, carousing, drinking bouts, and wanton idolatries.
• Revelation 9:20The rest of humanity, who had not been killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so that they did not stop worshiping demons and idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood – idols that cannot see or hear or walk about.

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