Romans 1 · Verse 22

Romans 1:22

Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
Romans 1:22, King James Version

Romans 1:22 in other translations

BSBAlthough they claimed to be wise, they became fools,
WEBProfessing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
ASVProfessing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
YLTprofessing to be wise, they were made fools,
DARBYprofessing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
BBESeeming to be wise, they were in fact foolish,
WebsterProfessing themselves to be wise, they became fools:

What does Romans 1:22 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Romans 1:22-23
22-23. 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].

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 22. Professing 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. Comp. Rom 1:14 1Cor 1:19-22, 3:19, 2Cor 11:19.

They became fools. Comp. Jer 8:8,9. They became really foolish in their opinions and conduct. There is something particularly pungent and cutting in this remark, and as true as it is pungent. In what way they evinced their folly, Paul proceeds immediately to state. Sinners of all kinds are frequently spoken of as fools in the Scriptures. In the sense in which it is thus used, the word is applied to them as void of understanding or moral sense; as idolaters, and as wicked, Ps 14:1, Prov 26:4, 1:7,22; Prov 14:8,9.

The senses in which this word here is applied to the heathen are,

(1.) that their speculations and doctrines were senseless; and

(2.) that their conduct was corrupt.

(c) "they became fools" Jer 8:8,9

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 22 Professing 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 φασκοντες signifies not merely the professing but the assumption of the philosophic character. In this sense the word φασκειν 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 show that they were darkened in their mind and irregular in their conduct. It was from the Christian religion alone that true philosophy and genuine philosophers sprang.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Romans 1:18-25

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…

Read the full comment on Romans 1:18-25 →

Romans 1:22 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

φάσκοντεςphaskontesProfessingG5335
εἶναιeinaito beG1511
σοφοὶsophoiwiseG4680
ἐμωράνθησανemōranthēsanthey became foolsG3471

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Romans 1:22

  • 1 Corinthians 1:19-21

    For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

  • Proverbs 26:12

    Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him.

  • Romans 11:25

    For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

  • Proverbs 25:14

    Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift is like clouds and wind without rain.

  • Jeremiah 8:8-9

    How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us? Lo, certainly in vain made he it; the pen of the scribes is in vain. The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of the Lord; and what wisdom is in them?

  • Jeremiah 10:14

    Every man is brutish in his knowledge: every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them.

  • 1 Corinthians 3:18-19

    Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.

  • Matthew 6:23

    But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!

  • Isaiah 47:10

    For thou hast trusted in thy wickedness: thou hast said, None seeth me. Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath perverted thee; and thou hast said in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
11:25; Pr 25:14; 26:12; Isa 47:10; Jer 8:8,9; 10:14; Mt 6:23
1Co 1:19-21; 3:18,19

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Romans 1:21

    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.

  • Romans 1:22

    Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

  • Romans 1:23

    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.

Read all of Romans 1

Romans 1:22 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Diciéndose ser sabios, se hicieron fatuos,
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		se disant sages, ils sont devenus fous,
German
Elberfelder 1871		indem sie sich für Weise ausgaben, sind sie zu Narren geworden
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		dicentes enim se esse sapientes, stulti facti sunt.