Romans 1:21

Amplified Bible

For even though they knew God [as the Creator], they did not honor Him as God or give thanks [for His wondrous creation]. On the contrary, they became worthless in their thinking [godless, with pointless reasonings, and silly speculations], and their foolish heart was darkened.

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
People knew God, but they did not honor him as God, and they did not thank him. Their ideas were all useless. There was not one good thought left in their foolish minds.

Revised Standard Version
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 senseless minds were darkened.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
in as moche as when they knewe god they glorified him not as God nether were thakfull but wexed full of vanities in their imaginacions and their folisshe hertes were blynded.

Hebrew Names Version
Because, knowing God, they didn't glorify him as God, neither gave thanks, but became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless heart was darkened.

International Standard Version
For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him. Instead, their thoughts turned to worthless things,they became worthless in their thoughts">[fn] and their ignorant hearts were darkened.2 Kings 17:15; Jeremiah 2:5; Ephesians 4:17-18;">[xr]

New American Standard Bible
For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their reasonings, and their senseless hearts were darkened.

New Century Version
They knew God, but they did not give glory to God or thank him. Their thinking became useless. Their foolish minds were filled with darkness.

Update Bible Version
because knowing God, they did not glorify him as God or give thanks; but became vain in their reasonings, and their senseless heart was darkened.

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

English Standard Version
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.

World English Bible
Because, knowing God, they didn't glorify him as God, neither gave thanks, but became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless heart was darkened.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Because knowing God, they did not glorify him as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their reasonings, and their foolish heart was darkened.

Weymouth's New Testament
For when they had come to know God, they did not give Him glory as God nor render Him thanks, but they became absorbed in useless discussions, and their senseless minds were darkened.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
For whanne thei hadden knowe God, thei glorifieden hym not as God, nether diden thankyngis; but thei vanyschiden in her thouyts, and the vnwise herte of hem was derkid.

English Revised Version
because that, knowing God, they glorified him not as God, neither gave thanks; but became vain in their reasonings, and their senseless heart was darkened.

Berean Standard Bible
For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking and darkened in their foolish hearts.

Contemporary English Version
They know about God, but they don't honor him or even thank him. Their thoughts are useless, and their stupid minds are in the dark.

American Standard Version
because that, knowing God, they glorified him not as God, neither gave thanks; but became vain in their reasonings, and their senseless heart was darkened.

Bible in Basic English
Because, having the knowledge of God, they did not give glory to God as God, and did not give praise, but their minds were full of foolish things, and their hearts, being without sense, were made dark.

Complete Jewish Bible
because, although they know who God is, they do not glorify him as God or thank him. On the contrary, they have become futile in their thinking; and their undiscerning hearts have become darkened.

Darby Translation
Because, knowing God, they glorified [him] not as God, neither were thankful; but fell into folly in their thoughts, and their heart without understanding was darkened:

Etheridge Translation
For when they knew Aloha, they did not as Aloha glorify him and praise him, but became vain in their imaginations, and their heart was darkened, that they understood not.

Murdock Translation
because they knew God, and did not glorify him and give thanks to him as God, but became vain in their imaginings, and their unwise heart was darkened.

King James Version (1611)
Because that when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankefull, but became vaine in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened:

New Living Translation
Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn't worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused.

New Life Bible
They did know God, but they did not honor Him as God. They were not thankful to Him and thought only of foolish things. Their foolish minds became dark.

New Revised Standard
for though they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their senseless minds were darkened.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Because that when they knewe God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankefull, but became vaine in their thoughtes, and their foolish heart was full of darkenesse.

George Lamsa Translation
For they knew God and did not glorify him and give thanks to him as God, but became vain in their imaginations, and their hearts were darkened so that they could not understand.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Inasmuch as, having come to know God, not, as God, did they glorify him, or give him thanks, but were made fruitless in their reasonings, and darkened was their undiscerning heart,

Douay-Rheims Bible
Because that, when they knew God, they have not glorified him as God or given thanks: but became vain in their thoughts. And their foolish heart was darkened.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Because that when they knewe God, they glorified hym not as God, neither were thankefull, but waxed full of vanities in their imaginations, and their foolishe heart was blynded.

Good News Translation
They know God, but they do not give him the honor that belongs to him, nor do they thank him. Instead, their thoughts have become complete nonsense, and their empty minds are filled with darkness.

Christian Standard Bible®
For though they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became worthless, and their senseless hearts were darkened.

King James Version
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.

Lexham English Bible
For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their reasoning, and their senseless hearts were darkened.

Literal Translation
Because knowing God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful. But they became vain in their reasonings, and their undiscerning heart was darkened.

Young's Literal Translation
because, having known God they did not glorify [Him] as God, nor gave thanks, but were made vain in their reasonings, and their unintelligent heart was darkened,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
in as moch as they knewe, that there is a God, and haue not praysed him as God ner thanked him, but became vayne in their ymaginacions, and their foolish hert was blynded.

Mace New Testament (1729)
because when they knew God, they did not with gratitude glorify him as God, but their reasoning became extravagance, and their minds, void of judgment, were involv'd in darkness.

New English Translation
For 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.

New King James Version
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.

Simplified Cowboy Version
They know him, they just deny him. They take credit for his great work. Their thoughts are worthless and their minds filled with nonsense.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
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.

Legacy Standard Bible
For even though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish heart was darkened.

Contextual Overview

¹⁹because that which is known about God is evident within them [in their inner consciousness], for God made it evident to them. ²⁰For ever since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through His workmanship [all His creation, the wonderful things that He has made], so that they [who fail to believe and trust in Him] are without excuse and without defense. ²¹For even though they knew God [as the Creator], they did not honor Him as God or give thanks [for His wondrous creation]. On the contrary, they became worthless in their thinking [godless, with pointless reasonings, and silly speculations], and their foolish heart was darkened.²²Claiming to be wise, they became fools, ²³and exchanged the glory and majesty and excellence of the immortal God for an image [worthless idols] in the shape of mortal man and birds and four-footed animals and reptiles. ²⁴Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their own hearts to [sexual] impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them [abandoning them to the degrading power of sin], ²⁵because [by choice] they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. ²⁶For this reason God gave them over to degrading and vile passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural [a function contrary to nature], ²⁷and in the same way also the men turned away from the natural function of the woman and were consumed with their desire toward one another, men with men committing shameful acts and in return receiving in their own bodies the inevitable and appropriate penalty for their wrongdoing. ²⁸And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God or consider Him worth knowing [as their Creator], God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do things which are improper and repulsive,

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

when: Romans 1:19, Romans 1:28, John 3:19

they glorified: Romans 15:9, Psalms 50:23, Psalms 86:9, Hosea 2:8, Habakkuk 1:15, Habakkuk 1:16, Luke 17:15-18, 2 Timothy 3:2, Revelation 14:7, Revelation 15:4

but became: Genesis 6:5, Genesis 8:21, 2 Kings 17:15, Psalms 81:12, Ecclesiastes 7:29, Isaiah 44:9-20, Jeremiah 2:5, Jeremiah 10:3-8, Jeremiah 10:14, Jeremiah 10:15, Jeremiah 16:19, Ephesians 4:17, Ephesians 4:18, 1 Peter 1:18

their foolish: Romans 11:10, Deuteronomy 28:29, Isaiah 60:2, Acts 26:18, 1 Peter 2:9

Reciprocal: Exodus 32:4 - These Leviticus 7:12 - a thanksgiving Deuteronomy 29:19 - though I walk 1 Samuel 2:12 - knew 1 Kings 16:13 - vanities 1 Kings 16:26 - their vanities Job 31:27 - my heart Psalms 10:4 - thoughts Psalms 14:1 - abominable Psalms 14:4 - Have Psalms 31:6 - lying Psalms 53:1 - said Psalms 94:11 - General Psalms 99:8 - their inventions Psalms 106:29 - with their Psalms 107:31 - Oh that men Proverbs 2:13 - walk Proverbs 14:6 - scorner Isaiah 29:14 - for the wisdom Isaiah 44:18 - have not Isaiah 45:20 - they Isaiah 50:11 - all ye Jeremiah 3:17 - walk Jeremiah 4:14 - How long Jeremiah 9:14 - walked Jeremiah 10:8 - brutish Jeremiah 23:16 - they make Jeremiah 33:18 - General Ezekiel 14:5 - estranged Ezekiel 20:25 - I gave Daniel 3:3 - the princes Daniel 5:23 - hast thou Hosea 7:15 - imagine Luke 1:51 - the imagination Luke 17:17 - but Acts 14:15 - from Acts 14:16 - suffered Romans 1:31 - Without understanding Romans 1:32 - knowing Romans 10:19 - foolish 1 Corinthians 3:19 - the wisdom 1 Corinthians 3:20 - that 2 Corinthians 10:5 - down Galatians 5:19 - Adultery Ephesians 5:8 - ye were Colossians 2:8 - philosophy Colossians 3:15 - and be 2 Thessalonians 2:11 - for 1 Timothy 5:5 - a widow James 2:20 - O vain James 4:17 - General 1 Peter 2:15 - foolish Revelation 9:20 - and idols

Cross-References

Genesis 1:18
to rule over the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good and He affirmed and sustained it.

Genesis 1:24
Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to (limited to, consistent with) their kind: livestock, crawling things, and wild animals of the earth according to their kinds"; and it was so [because He had spoken them into creation].

Genesis 1:25
So God made the wild animals of the earth according to their kind, and the cattle according to their kind, and everything that creeps and crawls on the earth according to its kind; and God saw that it was good (pleasing, useful) and He affirmed and sustained it.

Genesis 1:26
Then God said, "Let Us (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) make man in Our image, according to Our likeness [not physical, but a spiritual personality and moral likeness]; and let them have complete authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the cattle, and over the entire earth, and over everything that creeps and crawls on the earth."

Genesis 1:31
God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good and He validated it completely. And there was evening and there was morning, a sixth day.

Genesis 6:20
"Of fowls and birds according to their kind, of animals according to their kind, of every crawling thing of the ground according to its kind—two of every kind shall come to you to keep them alive.

Genesis 7:14
they and every animal according to its kind, all the livestock according to their kinds, every moving thing that crawls on the earth according to its kind, and every bird according to its kind, every winged thing of every sort.

Genesis 8:17
"Bring out with you every living thing from all flesh—birds and animals and every crawling thing that crawls on the earth—that they may breed abundantly on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth."

Genesis 8:19
Every animal, every crawling thing, every bird—and whatever moves on the land—went out by families (types, groupings) from the ark.

Genesis 9:7
"As for you, be fruitful and multiply; Populate the earth abundantly and multiply in it."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Because that when they knew God,.... Though they had such a knowledge of the being and perfections of God, yet

they glorified him not as God. They neither thought nor spoke honourably of him; nor did they ascribe those perfections to him, which belonged to him; they did not adhere to him as the one and only God, nor honour him as the Creator of all things out of nothing, and as the sole Governor of the universe; they did not glorify him by the internal exercise of fear of him, love to him, or trust in him, nor by any external worship suitable to his nature, and their own notions of him, Seneca is an instance of this, of whom Austin f says,

"that he worshipped what he found fault with, did what he reproved, and adored that which he blamed.''

Neither were thankful; neither for the knowledge of things they had, which they ascribed to themselves; nor for their mercies, which they imputed to second causes:

but became vain in their imaginations; the vanity or their minds was the spring and source of their evil conduct; which may design the wickedness of their hearts, and the imaginations thereof, which were evil, and that continually; the pride of their natures the carnality and weakness of their reasonings, and the whole system of their vain philosophy; and hence they ran into polytheism, or the worshipping of many gods:

and their foolish heart was darkened; where they thought their great wisdom lay: darkness is natural to the hearts and understandings of all men, which is increased by personal iniquity; Satan is concerned in improving it, and God sometimes gives up the hearts of persons to judicial blindness, which was the case of these men.

f De Civitate Dei, l. 6. c. 10.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Because 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 philosophers of Greece and Rome had a knowledge of one God, there can be no doubt. This was undoubtedly the case with Pythagoras, who had traveled extensively in Egypt, and even in Palestine; and also with Plato and his disciples. This point is clearly shown by Cudworth in his Intellectual System, and by Dr. Warburton in the Divine Legation of Moses. Yet the knowledge of this great truth was not communicated to the people. It was confined to the philosophers; and not improbably one design of the mysteries celebrated throughout Greece was to keep up the knowledge of the one true God. Gibbon has remarked that “the philosophers regarded all the popular superstitions as equally false: the common people as equally true; and the politicians as equally useful.” This was probably a correct account of the prevalent feelings among the ancients. A single extract from “Cicero” (de Natura Deorum, lib. ii. c. 6) will show that they had the knowledge of one God. “There is something in the nature of things, which the mind of man, which reason, which human power cannot effect; and certainly what produces this must be better than man. What can this be called but “God?” Again (c. 2), “What can be so plain and manifest, when we look at heaven, and contemplate heavenly things, as that there is some divinity of most excellent mind, by which these things are governed?”

They glorified him not as God - They did not “honor” him as God. This was the true source of their abominations. To glorify him “as God” is to regard with proper reverence all his perfections and laws; to venerate his name, his power, his holiness, and presence, etc. As they were not inclined to do this, so they were given over to their own vain and wicked desires. Sinners are not willing to give honor to God, as God. They are not pleased with his perfections; and therefore the mind becomes fixed on other objects, and the heart gives free indulgence to its own sinful desires. A willingness to honor God as God - to reverence, love, and obey him, would effectually restrain people from sin.

Neither were thankful - The obligation to be “thankful” to God for his mercies, for the goodness which we experience, is plain and obvious. Thus, we judge of favors received of our fellow-men. the apostle here clearly regards this unwillingness to render gratitude to God for his mercies as one of the causes of their subsequent corruption and idolatry. The reasons of this are the following.

(1) The effect of ingratitude is to render the heart hard and insensible.

(2) People seek to forget the Being to whom they are unwilling to exercise gratitude.

(3) To do this, they fix their affections on other things; and hence, the pagan expressed their gratitude not to God, but to the sun, and moon, and stars, etc., the mediums by which God bestows his favors upon people. And we may here learn that an unwillingness to thank God for his mercies is one of the most certain causes of alienation and hardness of heart.

But became vain - To “become vain,” with us, means to be elated, or to be self-conceited, or to seek praise from others. The meaning here seems to be, they became foolish, frivolous in their thoughts and reasonings. They acted foolishly; they employed themselves in useless and frivolous questions, the effect of which was to lead the mind further and further from the truth respecting God.

Imaginations - This word means properly “thoughts,” then “reasonings,” and also “disputations.” Perhaps our word, “speculations,” would convey its meaning here. It implies that they were unwilling to honor God, and being unwilling to honor him, they commenced those speculations which resulted in all their vain and foolish opinions about idols, and the various rites of idolatrous worship. Many of the speculations and inquiries of the ancients were among the most vain and senseless which the mind can conceive.

And their foolish heart - The word “heart” is not infrequently used to denote the mind, or the understanding. We apply it to denote the affections. But such was not its common use, among the Hebrews. We speak of the head when we refer to the understanding, but this was not the case with the Hebrews. They spoke of the heart in this manner, and in this sense it is clearly used in this place; see Ephesians 1:18; Romans 2:15; 2 Corinthians 4:6; 2 Peter 1:19. The word “foolish” means literally what is without “understanding;” Matthew 15:16.

Was darkened - Was rendered obscure, so that they did not perceive and comprehend the truth. The process which is stated in this verse is,

1. That people had the knowledge of God.

(2)That they refused to honor him when they knew him, and were opposed to his character and government.

(3)That they were ungrateful.

(4)That they then began to doubt, to reason, to speculate, and wandered far into darkness.

This is substantially the process by which people wander away from God now. They have the knowledge of God, but they do not love him; and being dissatisfied with his character and government, they begin to speculate, fall into error, and then “find no end in wandering mazes lost,” and sink into the depths of heresy and of sin.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 21. Because 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, suffered even their mysteries, which they had erected for a school of virtue, to degenerate into an odious sink of vice and immorality; giving them up unto all uncleanness and vile affections.

They glorified him not — They did not give him that worship which his perfections required.

Neither were thankful — They manifested no gratitude for the blessings they received from his providence, but became vain in their imaginations, διαλογισμοις, in their reasonings. This certainly refers to the foolish manner in which even the wisest of their philosophers discoursed about the Divine nature, not excepting Socrates, Plato, or Seneca. Who can read their works without being struck with the vanity of their reasonings, as well as with the stupidity of their nonsense, when speaking about God? I might crowd my page with proofs of this; but it is not necessary to those who are acquainted with their writings, and to others it would not be useful. In short, their foolish, darkened minds sought God no where but in the place in which he is never to be found; viz. the vile, corrupted, and corrupting passions of their own hearts. As they did not discover him there, they scarcely sought him any where else.