Romans 1:22 — Word Study
N1904φάσκοντες εἶναι σοφοὶ ἐμωράνθησαν
BSAProfessingphaskō▸ [professing themselves] to beeimi▸ wisesophos [having good judgment, skilled] they became foolsmōrainō▸ [were made, senseless, acting silly]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| φάσκοντες | Professing | Verb, present, active |
| εἶναι | to be | Verb, present, active |
| σοφοὶ | wise | Adjective, nominative, plural |
| ἐμωράνθησαν | they became fools | Verb, aorist, passive |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools, |
| KJV | Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, |
| ASV | Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, |
| YLT | professing to be wise, they were made fools, |
| WEB | Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, |
| BBE | Seeming to be wise, they were in fact foolish, |
Where they part company is φάσκοντες and ἐμωράνθησαν — see How Translations Differ.
The structure consists of a main clause followed by an infinitive phrase and a concluding verb, clearly showing the progression from claim to outcome.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
subjectφάσκω
verbφάσκω
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the New Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word in the Greek New Testament, stands 19,867 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Romans 1:22
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Consequences of Rejecting Godgenerated
Romans 1:22 discusses how people who claim to be wise are actually foolish. This verse is part of a broader argument about humanity's failure to honor God, leading to futile thinking and darkened hearts, as seen in the preceding verse Romans 1:21. Paul highlights the irony of self-proclaimed wisdom that results in a lack of understanding of God's truth.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Romans 11:25 | I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you will not be conceited: A hardening in part has come to Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. |
| 2 | Proverbs 25:14 | Like clouds and wind without rain is the man who boasts of gifts never given. |
| 3 | Proverbs 26:12 | Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him. |
| 4 | Isaiah 47:10 | You were secure in your wickedness; you said, ‘No one sees me.’ Your wisdom and knowledge led you astray; you told yourself, ‘I am, and there is none besides me.’ |
| 5 | Jeremiah 8:8–9 | How can you say, ‘We are wise, and the Law of the LORD is with us,’ when in fact the lying pen of the scribes has produced a deception? |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 9 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — φάσκω, phaskōgenerated
The word φάσκω is a present active participle meaning to claim or assert something as true. It describes individuals who profess wisdom while their actions reveal otherwise.
In this context, it emphasizes the contradiction between their self-perception and reality. They assert their wisdom, yet their folly is evident, illustrating a disconnect between knowledge and true understanding.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
In the Berean Standard Bible, the phrase is rendered as claimed to be wise. The KJV and ASV use professing themselves to be wise, which aligns closely with the BSB.
The translations differ primarily on the rendering of ἐμωράνθησαν. The BSB and KJV agree on they became fools, while the YLT opts for were made fools, indicating a passive transformation.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb is φάσκοντες, professing, which governs the clause. It is followed by an infinitive phrase to be wise and concludes with the verb ἐμωράνθησαν, they became fools, which completes the thought.
This structure highlights the contrast between their self-assertion and the resulting foolishness, emphasizing the relationship between their claim and the outcome.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In Romans 1:22, the Greek word σοφοὶ (sophos), meaning 'wise', is used to convey a sense of self-proclaimed wisdom. This term appears in the Septuagint 90 times, often rendering the Hebrew word חָכָם (chakam), which also means 'wise'.
The choice of σοφοὶ in this context emphasizes the irony of those who consider themselves wise but ultimately fall into folly, reflecting a common theme in the wisdom literature of the Old Testament.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Romans 1:22 shows that people who think they are wise often act foolishly. This verse is part of a larger discussion about how rejecting God leads to misunderstanding and foolish behavior. Paul points out that this false wisdom results in a disconnect from the truth.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
To profess wisdom means to claim or assert that one has knowledge or understanding, often without the corresponding actions to support that claim.
This verse builds on the idea that rejecting God leads to futile thinking, showing that those who do not honor Him may believe they are wise but are actually foolish.
The term 'fools' indicates a loss of effectiveness or sensibility, contrasting sharply with their self-proclaimed wisdom.
It serves as a warning against self-deception and the importance of aligning our understanding with God's truth rather than relying on our own wisdom.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what areas of my life might I be claiming wisdom while acting foolishly?
- How can I better align my understanding of truth with God's teachings?
- What steps can I take to avoid the pitfalls of self-deception?
- How does this verse challenge my views on wisdom and knowledge?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Several early church Fathers reference this verse to discuss the dangers of false wisdom and the consequences of ignoring God's truth.
In the same way as Paul, prophecy upbraids the people with not understanding the law. "Destruction and misery are in their ways,Early Church Fathers on Romans 1 →
But (as I have said) pardon may be granted to those who are ignorant and do not own themselves to be wise; but it cannot be extended to those who, while they profess wisdom, rather exhibit folly.Early Church Fathers on Romans 1 →
For having some great conceit of themselves, and not enduring to go the way which God had commanded them, they were plunged into the reasonings of senselessness.Early Church Fathers on Romans 1 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Romans 1:22 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleProfessing themselves to be wise,.... The learned men among the Gentiles first called themselves σοφοι, "Sophi", wise men: and afterwards, to cover their wretched pride and vanity, φιλοσοφοι,
Read John Gill on Romans 1 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryProfessing themselves to be wise, they became fools, Professing themselves to be ([ faskontes (G5335) einai (G1511)] - 'boasting that they were') wise, they became fools,
Read Robert Jamieson on Romans 1 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleSome think, that all along this context the apostle hath reference to the Gnostics, a sort of heretics in the first age, (of which see Dr. Hammond in locum), and that the meaning of the words is this, That they, assuming the title of Gnostics, of knowing men, and of men wiser than others, have proved more sottish than any. Others think the words refer to the heathen philosophers, who though they were learned and wise in secular and natural things, yet they became fools in spiritual and heavenly matters; though they well understood the creature, yet they erred concerning the Creator. And as fools delight in toys, neglecting things of great value; so they set up puppets and idols of their own…
Read Matthew Poole on Romans 1 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, Ver. 22. Professing themselves to be wise] Aristotle, nature’ s chief secretary, writeth many things most absurdly concerning God; as, that he is a living creature, that he worketh not freely, but by a kind of servile necessity; and that therefore he deserveth no praise or thanks from men for his many benefits, since he doth but what he must needs do. These are Aristotle’ s absurd assertions. And yet at Stuckard in Germany was found a doctor of divinity that preached to the people, that the Church might be sufficiently well taught and governed by Aristotle’ s ethics, though we had no Bible. And the Collen divines set forth a book…
Read John Trapp on Romans 1 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(22, 23) Relying upon their own wisdom, they wandered further and further from true wisdom, falling into the contradiction of supposing that the eternal and immutable Essence of God could be represented by the perishable figures of man, or bird, or quadruped, or insect.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Romans 1 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 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.
Read AdamClarke on Romans 1 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges22. Professing themselves to be wise, &c.] A severe but just description of speculation, primitive or modern, which ignores Revelation where Revelation has spoken. St Paul does not mean that in such speculations no intellectual power was exerted; surpassing power often was, and is, displayed in them. But the premisses of the reasoners, and their moral attitude, in view of the real state of the case, were fatally wrong. In the very act of “professing to be” competently “wise” they proved themselves “fools,” and further proved it by palpable acts, as follows.
Read Cambridge on Romans 1 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleProfessing themselves to be wise - This was the common boast of the philosophers of antiquity.
Read Albert Barnes on Romans 1 →The verse in English, compared — 16 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools,
Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools,
Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools
Tyndale line
Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools:
When they professed themselues to be wise, they became fooles.
Strictly literal
professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
professing to be wise, they were made fools,
professing to be wise, they were made fools,
They claimed to be wise, but they became foolish.
From the Latin
For professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.
Simplified
Even though they claimed to be wise, they became foolish.
Seeming to be wise, they were in fact foolish,
Word by word, the decisions they made
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the Nestle 1904 treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The earliest translations — Latin and Syriac
Every translation is an argument about meaning made by someone who had to commit to one. These two were made while the Greek was still a living language, and they are the oldest opinions we have about what this verse says.
dicentes enim se esse sapientes, stulti facti sunt.
Jerome revised the Old Latin against the Greek from AD 382; the Latin west read this text for a thousand years.
ܘܟܕ ܣܒܪܝܢ ܒܢܦܫܗܘܢ ܕܚܟܝܡܝܢ ܐܢܘܢ ܫܛܘ ܠܗܘܢ
The Bible of the Syriac-speaking church, in the language nearest to the Aramaic Jesus spoke.
Shown verse by verse rather than word by word: aligning a Greek word to its Latin or Syriac counterpart automatically would be guesswork, and a wrong alignment is worse than none.
The Greek editions compared — what the manuscripts actually say
Eight printed editions of the Greek New Testament, side by side. Where they agree the wording is settled; where a word is missing from an edition it is marked, so you can see the difference rather than take it on trust.
φάσκοντες εἶναι σοφοὶ ἐμωράνθησαν
The standard critical text of the New Testament.
φάσκοντες εἶναι σοφοὶ ἐμωράνθησαν
The previous edition, still widely cited.
φάσκοντες εἶναι σοφοὶ ἐμωράνθησαν
The Society of Biblical Literature edition, freely licensed.
φάσκοντες εἶναι σοφοὶ ἐμωράνθησαν
The edition that turned scholarship toward the earliest manuscripts.
φάσκοντες εἶναι σοφοὶ ἐμωράνθησαν
An independent critical text built from the oldest witnesses then known.
φάσκοντες εἶναι σοφοὶ ἐμωράνθησαν
A recent critical edition following documentary evidence closely.
φάσκοντες εἶναι σοφοὶ ἐμωράνθησαν
The reading of the majority of surviving manuscripts.
φάσκοντες εἶναι σοφοὶ ἐμωράνθησαν
The printed tradition behind the King James Version.
A witness that read differently would show its variant word here, marked.
Word by word, across the editions
Every edition agrees. All 8 printed editions — Nestle-Aland 28, Nestle-Aland 27, SBLGNT, Westcott-Hort, Tregelles, Tyndale House 2017, Textus Receptus (KJV), Byzantine majority — carry every word of this verse, in the same order, with no difference that any translator would render differently.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Greek New Testament — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Romans 1:22
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Greek lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. Imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, the full Liddell-Scott-Jones, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate LSJ, Robinson and Packard on the Greek, Webster and Cawdrey on the English the translators were using. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
φάσκω is a verb meaning to assert, affirm, or profess. It is derived from the same root as φημί and is used in various constructions, often with an accusative and infinitive. In the New Testament, it appears in Acts 24:9, 25:19, and Romans 1:22. The lexicons note its usage in both classical and biblical contexts, highlighting its role in expressing claims or statements.
φάσκω; impf. ἔφασκον; (AQ, φημί); fr. Hom. down; to affirm, allege, to pretend or profess: foll. by the ace. with the inf., Acts xxiv. 9; xxv. 19; with the inf. and an ace. referring to the subject, Rev. ii. 2 Ree. ; foll. by an inf. with a subject nom., Ro. i. 22.
φάσκω καλαὶ φάσεις ἐλεύσονται παρ᾽ [ἐϊμοῦ, 16. 11. 2941" (A.D. 22) ἐγὼ δὲ αὐτὸς οὕπω οὐδὲ ἐνήλεπα ἕως ἀκούσω φάσιν παρὰ σοῦ περὶ ἁπάντων, “1 am not so much as anointing myself until I hear word from you on each point’’ (Edd.), P Ryl IL. 2318 (a.d. 40) πέμψας μοι φάσιν ἵνα πέμψω ἐπὶ αὐτούς, ‘‘send me word in order that I may send for them” (Edd.), similarly Preisigke 7258°, and P Oxy X. 1274® (ili/A.D.) ἐπεὶ ἀπευκταίας plo]t καταγγελείσης φάσ[ε]ως περὶ τελευτῆς τοῦ μακαρείτου μου ἀνδρός, ““ἴπ consequence of the lamentable news announced to me concerning the death of my beloved husband” (Edd.). For the word in a horoscope cf. P Lond 1305] (i/ii A.D.) (=I. p. 133) πρός τε μοῖραν καὶ λεπτὸν σχῆμά Te καὶ φάσιν. In P Tor I. 1i*-8 (B.c. 116) (= Chrest. II. p. 39) φάσεσι δὲ kal λόγωι προφερομένονυ εἶναι αὑτοῦ τὴν οἰκίαν, φάσεσι = ““ verbis…
Read the full entry →φάσκω (phaskō) — to claim.
φάσκω,
used by Epic dialect only in imperfect ἔφασκον [Refs 8th c.BC+]; Epic dialect φάσκον [Refs 8th c.BC+]: as imperfect of φημί [Refs 5th c.BC+]; subjunctive φάσκω [Refs 5th c.BC+]; optative φάσκοιμι [Refs 5th c.BC+]; infinitive φάσκειν [Refs 5th c.BC+]; participle φάσκων [Refs 5th c.BC+] (the only part of the Verb used in [Refs 5th c.BC+]:—passive is not found, ἐφάσκετ᾽ is for ἐφάσκετε [Refs 5th c.BC+]. Rare in present indicative [Refs 4th c.BC+]; φάσκουσι (ν) [Refs 4th c.BC+]; φάσκομεν is uncertain conjecture (for πάσχομεν) in [Refs 2nd c.AD+]:—say, affirm, assert, with accusative et infinitive, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; φάσκειν as imperative, in this construction, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; οὐ φασκόντων χρήσειν saying they would not.., [Refs 5th c.BC+]; the infinitive is frequently to be supplied, ἐν τῇδ᾽ ἔφασκε γῇ (i.e. εὑρεθήσεσθαι) [Refs 5th c.BC+]; φησίν…
Read the full entry →φάσκω
phasko
prolongation from the same as 5346; to assert:--affirm, profess, say.
see GREEK for 5346
φάσκω
v.
I assert, affirm, profess
φάσκω used as imperf. of φημί. the inf. and part. pres. of φημί are also supplied by φάσκω: besides this we find attic, imperat. φάσκε to say, affirm, assert, often with a notion of alleging or pretending, Od., Hdt., attic; ὡς ἔφασκεν as he said, as he alleged, Soph.
to think, deem, expect, Hom., Soph.
to promise, c. inf. fut., Od., Thuc.
Verb-PAP-NPM — Verb · present · active · participle · nominative · plural · masculinenominative — the one doing it — the subject.
Agrees with anything else marked plural masculine.
V-PAP-NPM Part of Speech: Verb Tense: Present Voice: Active Mood: Participle Case: Nominative Number: Plural Gender: Masculine
3 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 3 different ways. The commonest English word for it is not its meaning — it is one translator's decision, repeated.
Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 3 occurrences — a word inside a phrase counts towards whatever that phrase is doing.
← what comes before
what comes after →
branches are dictionary forms, so endings do not split one phrase into five; the number on a branch is how many times the New Testament takes that path
ὃν οἱ φάσκοντες ὡς ἔστιν ἀγένητος λελήθασι τὸ ὠφελιμώτατον καὶ ἀναγκαιότατον τῶν εἰς εὐσέβειαν ὑποτεμνόμενοι τὴν πρόνοιαν.
ὅσα τε ἐπὶ τῷ μηδὲν αἴτιος τῆς νόσου γεγονέναι προθυμηθῆναι δʼ αὐτοῦ περὶ τὴν σωτηρίαν, ἑτοίμως ἔφασκεν ἔχειν παρʼ αὐτῷ μένειν.
ο … … νοι ἐθάρσησαν ἐπιδόντες Κόρδῳ τῶι ἐπιστατήσαντι τῶν φυλακιτῶν … … τας φάσκοντες τὸν πατέρα αὐτῶν ἐκ τοῦ ζῆν μεθεστακέναι πρὸς … λο … κατὰ φυλακὴν. καταστάντες
Σινθῶνις Ἁρποχρᾶτι τῷ υἱῶι πλεῖστα χαίρειν καὶ διὰ παντὸς ὑγιαίνειν. κραζόμενα φάσκεις καὶ ἐγὼ φάσκω. λέγει Διδυμᾶς εἰδέναι ὅτι μέλλεις παραδοῦναι τὸν δοῦλόν μοι. ποιῆσαι αὐτὸν τὸν Ἁρπουχρᾶ δέκα
τῶν ἐν Τανυαίθει καὶ τῶν ἀβροχουσῶν ἐν Τανυαίθει ὧι λόγωι οὐκ ὑπέγραψαν οἱ ἐπιμεληταὶ φάσκοντες δεήσειν … … τας καὶ ἐτ … … … γραφίαι ση … ἐπηντλῆσθαι
εἰμί (fr. ἔω, whence ἐμέ in inscriptions [7]; Aeol. ἐμμὲ (Curtius (yet ἔμμε, so G. Meyer) 8 564; Veitch p. 2287), impv. ἴσθι, ἔστω, less usual ἤτω, 1 Co. xvi. 22; Jas. v.12; Clem. Rom. 1 Cor. 48,5; [1 Mace. x. 31; Ps. ciii. (civ.) 31]; Plat. rep. 2 p. 361 ¢. [here it has given place to ἔστω (or ἴτω), see Stallb. ad loc.; Veitch p. 200 sq.; 3 pers. plur. ἔστωσαν, Lk. xii. 35; 1 Tim. iii. 12], inf. εἶναι ; impf. —ace. to the more ancient and elegant form, ἦν, 2 pers. ἦσθα (Mt. xxvi. 69; Mk. xiv. 67), rarer form ἧς (Mt. RKV. 1235 dn ΧΙ: 9]. 92); xxI LS. Reyna 15 G@ ΕΣ Tr WH), 3 pers. ἦν, 1 pers. plur. jer, — ace. to the mid. form, com. in later Grk. [ef. Veitch p. 226], ἤμην (Mt. xxv. 35sq.; [on Acts xi. 11 ef. WH. Intr. § 404]; Gal.i.10, etc.), plur. ἤμεθα (Mt. xxiii. 30 G L T Tr WH; Acts xxvii. 37 L T Tr WH; [Gal. iv. 3 TWH Tr mrg.; Eph. ii. 3 T Tr WH; Bar. i. 19]); cf. Lob. ad Phryn.…
Read the full entry →εἰμί. Middle forms in the flexion of εἰμί other than the present tense (cf. however MGr εἶμαι, -σαι, etc.) begin to appear very early in the dialects and are well established in the papyri. Thus the Ist sing. impf. ἤμην, which always takes the place of the class. ἢ in the NT (but see Ac 2018 D) may be illustrated from PSI IV. 36274 (B.c. 251-0) ἤμην δὲ πρὸς τῶι λαμβάνειν τὸν χαλκόν, P Magd 65 (B.c. 221) ἤμην γυμνός, P Par 57 (B.c. 129) ὧν ἤμην δι᾽ αὐτῶν [π]αραμε[μετ]ρηκ[υῖα, P Oxy IIT. 526% (ii/A.p.) οὐκ ἤμην ἀπαθὴς ἀλόγως σε καταλείπιν. For ist plur. ἤμεθα see P Petr IT. 4 (7)° (B.C. 255-4) τεθλιμμένοι ἤμεθα : cf. Ac 2737, Eph 23, as contrasted with the act. ἦμεν in Ac 111 (NB), 1612, Rom 7° a/.: the two forms are found together in Gal 4% (SDFG). The non-classical ἧς (Lob. Phryx. p. 149) is found sefzes in the NT as compared with ἦσθα (from an old perf. form ἤησθα), which is confined…
Read the full entry →εἶναι (einai) — to exist.
εἰμί
(sum), Aeolic dialect ἔμμι [Refs 7th c.BC+]; Cretan dialect ἠμί [Refs]; 2nd pers. singular εἶ, Epic dialect and Ionic dialect εἰς [Refs 8th c.BC+], Epic dialect and Doric dialect ἐσσί [Refs 8th c.BC+]; 3rd.pers. singular ἐστί, Doric dialect ἐντί [Refs 3rd c.BC+]; 3rd.pers. dual ἐστόν [Refs 5th c.BC+]; 1st pers. plural ἐσμέν, Epic dialect and Ionic dialect εἰμέν (also in [Refs 5th c.BC+], Doric dialect εἰμές [Refs 3rd c.BC+]; 3rd.pers. plural εἰσί (-ίν), Epic dialect and Ionic dialect ἔασι (-ιν) [Refs 8th c.BC+], Doric dialect ἐντί [Refs 5th c.BC+], Epic dialect and Lyric poetry also in middle form ἔσσο [Refs 8th c.BC+]; 3rd.pers. singular ἔστω (ἤτω [LXX+5th c.BC+]; 3rd.pers. plural ἔστωσαν, but ἔστων [Refs 8th c.BC+], and early Attic dialect Inscrr., [Refs 2nd c.BC+]subjunctive ὦ, ᾖς, ᾖ, Epic dialect ἔω [Refs 8th c.BC+]; 3rd.pers. singular ἔῃ…
Read the full entry →εἰμί ἐιμί
einai
present infinitive from 1510; to exist:--am, was. come, is, X lust
after, X please well, there is, to be, was.
see GREEK for 1510
εἰμί eimi 2x
to be, to exist, Jn. 1:1; 17:5; Mt. 6:30; Lk. 4:25, freq.; ἐστί[ν], it is possible, proper, Heb. 9:5; a simple linking verb (“copula”) to the subject and predicate, and therefore in itself affecting the force of the sentence only by its tense, mood, etc., Jn. 1:1; 15:1, freq.; it also forms a frequent circumlocution with the participles of the present and perfect of other verbs, Mt. 19:22; Mk. 2:6
Verb-PAN — Verb · present · active · infinitivepresent active infinitive — an action in progress.
V-PAN Part of Speech: Verb Tense: Present Voice: Active Mood: iNfinitive TVM equivalent: G5721
127 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 11 different ways. The commonest English word for it is not its meaning — it is one translator's decision, repeated.
σοφός is an adjective meaning wise or skilled, derived from a root suggesting clarity. It encompasses a range of meanings from practical wisdom in daily life to learnedness in the arts and sciences. In the New Testament, it describes various figures, including Jewish teachers (Matthew 11:25) and Christian leaders (Matthew 23:34). The lexicons agree on its general application but vary in nuance regarding its philosophical implications.
σοφός, -ή, -όν
[in LXX chiefly for חָכָם ;]
skilled, clever, wise, whether in handicraft, the affairs of life, the sciences or learning: Ro 16:19, I Co 3:10; of the learned, Ro 1:14, 22, I Co 1:19, 20, 26, 27 3:18-20; of Jewish teachers, Mt 11:25, Lk 10:21; Christian, Mt 23:34; of those endowed with practical wisdom, I Co 6:5, Eph 5:15, Ja 3:13; of God, Read the full entry →
σοφός, -7, -dv, (akin to σαφής and to the Lat. sapio, sapiens, sapor, ‘to have a taste’, etc.; Curtius § 628; [Vanitek p. 9917), Sept. for ὉΞΠ; [fr. Theogn., Pind., Aeschyl. down]; wise, i. e. a. skilled, expert: εἴς τι, Ro. xvi. 19; of artificers (cf. Grimm, Exeg. Hdbch. on Sap. [vii. 21] p. 151): ἀρχιτέκτων, 1 Co. iii. 10; Is. iii. 3, (δημιουργός. of God, Xen. mem. 1, 4, 7). b. wise, i.e. skilled in letters, cultivated, learned: Ro. i. 14, 22; of the Greek philosophers (and orators, see σοφία, a.), 1 Co. i. 19 sq. 26 54.; iii. 18 sq. [20]; of the Jewish theologians, Mt. xi. 25; Lk. x. 21; of Christian teachers, Mt. xxiii. 34. c. wise in a practical sense, i. 6. one who in action is governed by piety and integrity: Eph. y. 15; Jas. iii.13; and accordingly is a suitable per son to settle private quarrels,1Co.vi.5. d. wise in a philosophic sense, forming the best plans and using the best…
Read the full entry →σοφός (sophos) — wise.
σοφός, ή, όν,
skilled in any handicraft or art, clever, ἁρματηλάτας σ. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; of a sculptor, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; even of hedgers and ditchers, [Refs]; but in this sense mostly of poets and musicians, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐν κιθάρᾳ σ. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὴν τέχνην -ώτερος[Refs 5th c.BC+]; γλώσσῃ σ. [Refs 5th c.BC+]
2. clever in practical matters, wise, prudent, ὁ χρήσιμ᾽ εἰδώς, οὐχ ὁ πόλλ᾽ εἰδώς, σ. [Refs 4th c.BC+]; especially statesmanlike, in which sense the seven Sages were so called, [Refs 4th c.BC+]: hence, shrewd, worldly-wise, [Refs 6th c.BC+]; πολλὰ σ. [Refs 4th c.BC+]; ἃ δεῖ σ. [Refs 5th c.BC+]: even of animals, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; σ. πειθώ [Refs 5th c.BC+]; εὐβουλία [Refs 4th c.BC+]. my little trick, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; your clever notion, [Refs]; τἀπ᾽ ἐμοῦ σοφά, δάκρυα my tears, all…
σοφός
sophos
akin to saphes (clear); wise (in a most general application):--wise.
Compare 5429.
see GREEK for 5429
σοφός, ή, όν
Adj
wise
σοφός sophos 20x
wise generally, 1 Cor. 1:25; shrewd, clever, Rom. 16:19; 1 Cor. 3:10; 6:5; learned, intelligent, Mt. 11:25; Rom. 1:14, 22; 1 Cor. 1:19, 20, 26, 27; 3:18; in NT divinely instructed, Mt. 23:34; furnished with Christian wisdom, spiritually enlightened, Jas. 3:13; all wise, Rom. 16:27; 1 Tim. 1:17; Jude 25
σοφός σοφός, ή, όν properly, skilled in any handicraft or art, cunning in his craft, Theogn., etc; of a charioteer, Pind.; of poets and musicians, id. Pind.; of a soothsayer, Soph., etc.
clever in matters of common life, wise, prudent, shrewd, ς. ἄνδρες Θεσσαλοί shrewd fellows, the Thessalians! Hdt.; πολλὰ σοφός Aesch.; μείζω σοφίαν σοφός Plat., etc.; τῶν σοφῶν κρείσσω better than all craft, Soph.; σοφόν [ἐστι] c. inf., Eur.
skilled in the sciences, learned, profound, wise, id. Eur., Plat., etc.; hence, ironically, abstruse, obscure, Ar., etc.
pass., of things, cleverly devised, wise, Hdt., etc.; σοφώτερ᾽ ἢ κατ᾽ ἄνδρα συμβαλεῖν things too clever for man to understand, Eur.
Adj-NPM — Adjective · nominative · plural · masculinenominative — the one doing it — the subject.
Agrees with anything else marked plural masculine.
A-NPM Part of Speech: Adjective Case: Nominative Number: Plural Gender: Masculine
21 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 3 different ways. The commonest English word for it is not its meaning — it is one translator's decision, repeated.
Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 20 occurrences — a word inside a phrase counts towards whatever that phrase is doing.
← what comes before
what comes after →
branches are dictionary forms, so endings do not split one phrase into five; the number on a branch is how many times the New Testament takes that path
Counted over the 90 Old Testament verses where this Greek word stands: which Hebrew word keeps standing there too. A correspondence of verses rather than a word-by-word alignment, so read the percentage as strength of evidence, not as a claim about any single verse.
διό μοι δοκοῦσιν οἱ τὰ ὀνόματα τοῖς πράγμασιν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐπιφημίσαντες ἅτε σοφοὶ καλέσαι τὸν ἀριθμὸν ἑπτὰ ἀπὸ τοῦ περὶ αὐτὸν σεβασμοῦ καὶ τῆς προσούσης σεμνότητος·
καὶ ταῦθʼ ἅμα λέγων κελεύει τοὺς ἱερεῖς τὰς αὐτὰς ὄψεις αὐτῷ παρασχεῖν ὁρᾶν, ὡς Αἰγυπτίων σοφῶν ὄντων καὶ περὶ τὴν τούτων ἐπιστήμην, καὶ ὅτι μὴ μόνος αὐτὸς ἔμπειρος ὢν εἰς θεὸν δύναται τὸ ἐν αὐτῇ παράδοξον ἀναφέρων πιθανὸς ὥσπερ ἀπαιδεύτοις ὑπάρχειν.
εὐλογητὸς ὁ κύριος ἡμῶν, ἀδελφοί, ὁ σοφίαν καὶ νοῦν θέμενος ἐν ἡμῖν τῶν κρυφίων αὐτοῦ: λέγει γὰρ ὁ προφήτης παραβολὴν κυρίου: τίς νοήσει, εἰ μὴ σοφὸς καὶ ἐπιστήμων καὶ ἀγαπῶν τὸν κύριον αὐτοῦ;
ιε τρίτη πόσις Θευξου … Λυσίμαχος σοφός Σεφθάϊς ἐναγωγὸς ε … Ἰώσηπος ἱερεὺς εν … γίνονται Α ιϛ τετάρτη πόσις Θημᾶς
A Διόδοτος Νωρβανᾶς Κλαρᾶς ἐπακολουθοῦντος Γαίου Ἰουλίου Σαλουίου Μητόκῳ σιτολόγωι χαίρειν· μέτρησον Σόφῳ συνδούλῳ ὑπὲρ μηνὸς Σεβαστοῦ καὶ Φαῶφι καὶ Νέου Σεβαστοῦ καὶ Χοιὰχ μηνῶν δ πυροῦ
Ἰουλίου Σαλουίου σιτολόγωι χαίρειν· μέτρησον ἐμοὶ ὑπὲρ μηνὸς Τῦβι πυροῦ ἀρτάβην μίαν α καὶ Σόφῳ ὁμοίως ὑπὲρ τοῦ αὐτοῦ μηνὸς α. ἔτους ιβ Νέρωνος Κλαυδίου Καίσαρος Σεβαστοῦ Γερμανικοῦ Αὐτοκράτορος
The Greek word μωραίνω (*mōrainō*) means to make foolish or to become foolish. It is derived from μωρός (*mōros*), which means foolish. In the New Testament, it is used to describe both the act of making someone foolish (1 Corinthians 1:20) and the passive state of becoming foolish (Romans 1:22). It also refers to salt losing its flavor (Matthew 5:13; Luke 14:34).
μωραίνω: 1 aor. ἐμώρανα; 1 aor. pass. ἐμωράνθην; (μωρός); 1. in class. Grk. to be foolish, to act foolishly. 2. in bibl. Grk. a. to make foolish: pass. Ro. i. 22 (Is. xix. 11; Jer. x.14; 2S. xxiv. 10); i. 4. to prove a person or thing to be foolish: τὴν σοφίαν τοῦ κόσμου, 1 Co. i. 20 (τὴν βουλὴν αὐτῶν, Is. xliv. 25). b. to make flat and tasteless: pass. of salt that has lost its strength and flavor, Mt. v. 13; Lk. xiv. 34.
μωραίνω (mōrainō) — be foolish.
μωρ-αίνω,
future - ᾰνῶ [Refs 5th c.BC+]: aorist ἐμώρᾱνα [Refs 4th c.BC+] —passive, see below [Refs]: (μῶρος):—to be silly, foolish, drivel, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; play the fool, [Refs 4th c.BC+] make a mad attempt, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; οὐδεὶς.. ταῦτα μωραίνει indulges in these follies, [Refs 5th c.BC+]: euphemistic of illicit love, γυναῖκα μωραίνουσαν [Refs]
II. causal, make foolish, convict of folly, ἡ βουλὴ αὐτῶν μωρανθήσεται [LXX]; ἐμωράνθην σφόδρα[LXX+NT]:—passive, to become foolish, be stupefied, [αἶγες] ἑστᾶσιν ὥσπερ μεμωραμμέναι [Refs 4th c.BC+]; to become insipid, ἐὰν τὸ ἅλας μωρανθῇ [NT]
μωραίνω
moraino
from 3474; to become insipid; figuratively, to make (passively, act)
as a simpleton:--become fool, make foolish, lose savour.
see GREEK for 3474
μωραίνω
v.
I make foolish, taint, make useless
μωραίνω mōrainō 4x
to be foolish, to play the fool; in NT trans. to make foolish, convict of folly, 1 Cor. 1:20; pass. to be convicted of folly, to incur the character of folly, Rom. 1:22; to be rendered insipid, Mt. 5:13; Lk. 14:34*
μωραίνω μωραίνω, μῶρος to be silly, foolish, Eur., Xen., etc.:—c. acc. rei, πεῖραν μωραίνειν to make a mad attempt, Aesch.
Causal, to make foolish, convict of folly, NTest.:—Pass., of salt, to become insipid, lose its savour, id. NTest.
Verb-API-3P — Verb · aorist · passive · indicative · third person · pluralaorist passive indicative — a completed action, viewed as a whole.
V-API-3P Part of Speech: Verb Tense: Aorist Voice: Passive Mood: Indicative Person: third Number: Plural
- All men are, without the knowledge of God
- Deny God
Ps 14:1; 53:1
- Blaspheme God
- Reproach God
- Make a mock at sin
- Despise instruction
4 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 3 different ways. The commonest English word for it is not its meaning — it is one translator's decision, repeated.
Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 4 occurrences — a word inside a phrase counts towards whatever that phrase is doing.
← what comes before
what comes after →
branches are dictionary forms, so endings do not split one phrase into five; the number on a branch is how many times the New Testament takes that path