Romans 1:21

διότι picks up and expands the theme of Romans 1:19.

γνόντες, aor. = having received or gained knowledge of GOD. |[73] τὴν�. κατέχοντες.

[73] | parallel to

ἐδόξασαν = did not ascribe the due honour to GOD for what they knew to be His acts; cf. Acts 11:18; Matthew 15:31, alibi

ηὐχαρίστησαν. They lacked the temper which should have led them δοξάζειν.

ἐματαιώθησαν. V[75] only here; cf. 1 Corinthians 1:20 f., Romans 3:20, and esp. Ephesians 4:17. The adjective implies absence of purpose or object, futility: so = they became μάταιοι, turning from the true object of all thought they invented vain and meaningless objects for themselves.

[75] Vb verb

διαλογισμοί in S. Paul always in a bad sense; cf. 1 Corinthians 3:20, which perhaps gives the source of the use. It seems to imply the working of the intellect without correction by facts; cf. Romans 14:1. ἐν perhaps instrumental—they lost the true thread by their speculations.

καὶ ἐσκοτίσθη κ.τ.λ. Cf. Ephesians 4:17 f., missing the true aim, they lost the true light.

καρδία more nearly corresponds to ‘mind’ than to ‘heart.’ So here ἀσύνετος, unintelligent; cf. Romans 10:6; Romans 10:8. Associated with thought and will (Romans 1:24; 1 Corinthians 4:5) more usually than with feeling (Romans 9:2), see S. H. There is the same tragic irony here as in 1 Corinthians 1:20 f.; cf. Wis 11:15.