Devine Scripture

Romans 1:23

What does Romans 1:23 mean?

A plain-English look at Romans 1:23 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.

What Romans 1:23 means

Humanity exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for images resembling corruptible man, birds, animals, and creeping things. Idolatry reverses the Creator-creature order, shrinking God to the size of creation. This trade is tragic: the immeasurable glory of God is swapped for decaying representations. Idolatry also degrades humans, who were made to reflect God’s image; they become like what they worship—less than what God intended. Paul’s catalog of images spans the whole created spectrum, underscoring the universality and absurdity of the exchange. This false worship lies at the root of the moral disorders that follow.

Parallel translations

WEB

World English Bible · 2000

and changed the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things.

KJV

King James Version · 1611

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.

ASV

American Standard Version · 1901

and changed the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things.

BBE

Bible in Basic English · 1949

And by them the glory of the eternal God was changed and made into the image of man who is not eternal, and of birds and beasts and things which go on the earth.

YLT

Young's Literal Translation · 1862

and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of fowls, and of quadrupeds, and of reptiles.

DRA

Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752

And they changed the glory of the incorruptible God into the likeness of the image of a corruptible man and of birds, and of fourfooted beasts and of creeping things.

DBY

Darby Bible · 1890

and changed the glory of the incorruptibleGod into [the] likeness of an image of corruptible man and of birds and quadrupeds and reptiles.

Context

After exposing the claim to wisdom as folly (v.22), Paul now specifies the core sin (v.23): exchanging God’s glory for images. This prepares for the repeated refrain in verses 24, 26, and 28—“God gave them up”—showing that idolatry triggers divine handing over to chosen sins. The next verse (v.24) will begin detailing moral consequences, particularly sexual impurity, as a judgment corresponding to the false worship.

v.22Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

v.23This passage

v.24Wherefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts unto uncleanness, that their bodies should be dishonored among themselves:

Cross references

Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

  • Acts 17:29

    Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and device of man.

  • Isaiah 40:26

    Lift up your eyes on high, and see who hath created these, that bringeth out their host by number; he calleth them all by name; by the greatness of his might, and for that he is strong in power, not one is lacking.

  • Psalms 135:15

    The idols of the nations are silver and gold, The work of men’s hands.

  • Isaiah 44:13

    The carpenter stretcheth out a line; he marketh it out with a pencil; he shapeth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compasses, and shapeth it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man, to dwell in a house.

  • Deuteronomy 5:8

    Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image, nor any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:

  • Romans 1:25

    for that they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

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