This verse relates back to the discussion of God’s wrath; already God has caused men to begin to reap the result of their sins. In Greek they say they are wise is also a clause of concession, as is they know God in the preceding verse. Stylistically this may be handled in English by making the concession clause in Greek into the main clause in English, and by making the main Greek clause into an adversative clause in English. In Greek the words rendered wise and fools are at extreme opposite ends of the standards of measurement for people. Paul is saying that because the people have rejected God, they are exactly the opposite of what they think themselves to be.

Verse 22 may be rendered in some languages as “they pretended they had big minds, and they came down to no minds” or “they said their heads were wise, but their heads were only gourds.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Romans. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1973. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .