Romans 1:22-24

1:22 Although they claimed 1  to be wise, they became fools 1:23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for an image resembling mortal human beings 2  or birds or four-footed animals 3  or reptiles.

1:24 Therefore God gave them over 4  in the desires of their hearts to impurity, to dishonor 5  their bodies among themselves. 6 

1 tn The participle φάσκοντες (faskonte") is used concessively here.

2 tn Grk “exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God in likeness of an image of corruptible man.” Here there is a wordplay on the Greek terms ἄφθαρτος (afqarto", “immortal, imperishable, incorruptible”) and φθαρτός (fqarto", “mortal, corruptible, subject to decay”).

3 sn Possibly an allusion to Ps 106:19-20.

4 sn Possibly an allusion to Ps 81:12.

5 tn The genitive articular infinitive τοῦ ἀτιμάζεσθαι (tou atimazesqai, “to dishonor”) has been taken as (1) an infinitive of purpose; (2) an infinitive of result; or (3) an epexegetical (i.e., explanatory) infinitive, expanding the previous clause.

6 tn Grk “among them.”