SEV Biblia, Chapter 1:22
Dicindose ser sabios, se hicieron fatuos,
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Romans 1:22
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 faskontev signifies not merely the professing but the assumption of the philosophic character. In this sense the word faskein 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.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 22. Professing themselves to be wise , etc..] The learned men among the Gentiles first called themselves sofoi , Sophi, wise men: and afterwards, to cover their wretched pride and vanity, filosofoi , Philosophers, lovers of wisdom; but notwithstanding all their arrogance, their large pretensions to wisdom, and boast of it they became fools ; they appeared to be so; they showed themselves to be such in those very things they prided themselves with the knowledge of: as, for instance, Socrates, after he had asserted the unity of God, and is said to die a martyr for the truth; yet one of the last actions of his life was sacrificing a cock to Aesculapius, at least he desired his friend Crito to do it.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 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 fulfille 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 those of the second. The cause of tha sinfulness is holding the truth in unrighteousness. All, more or less do what they know to be wrong, and omit what they know to be right, s that the plea of ignorance cannot be allowed from any. Our Creator' invisible power and Godhead are so clearly shown in the works he ha made, that even idolaters and wicked Gentiles are left without excuse They foolishly followed idolatry; and rational creatures changed the worship of the glorious Creator, for that of brutes, reptiles, an senseless images. They wandered from God, till all traces of tru religion must have been lost, had not the revelation of the gospe prevented it. For whatever may be pretended, as to the sufficiency of man's reason to discover Divine truth and moral obligation, or to govern the practice aright, facts cannot be denied. And these plainl show that men have dishonoured God by the most absurd idolatries an superstitions; and have degraded themselves by the vilest affection and most abominable deeds.
Greek Textus Receptus
φασκοντες 5335 5723 V-PAP-NPM ειναι 1511 5750 V-PXN σοφοι 4680 A-NPM εμωρανθησαν 3471 5681 V-API-3P
Robertson's NT Word Studies
1:22 {Professing themselves to be wise} (faskontes einai sofoi). sofoi is predicate nominative with einai in indirect discourse agreeing with phaskontes (old verb, from femi, to say, rare in N.T.) in case and number according to regular Greek idiom (Robertson, _Grammar_, p. 1038). {Became vain} (ematai"thsan). Ingressive first aorist passive indicative of mataio" from mataios (empty). Empty reasonings as often today. {Became fools} (em"ranthsan). Ingressive first aorist passive of mwrainw, to be a fool, old word from mwros, a fool. An oxymoron or sharp saying, true and one that cuts to the bone. {For the likeness of an image} (en homoi"mati eikonos). Both words, "a likeness which consists in an image or copy" (Lightfoot). See #Php 2:7 for "likeness of menw and #Col 1:15 for "image of God." Paul shows indignant contempt for these grotesque efforts to present pictures of a deity that had been lost (Denney). Why is it that heathen images of gods in the form of men and beasts are so horrible to look upon?
