Psalm 106:20

Hebrew Bible

16 In the camp they resented Moses and Aaron the Lord’s holy priest. 17 The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan; it engulfed the group led by Abiram. 18 Fire burned their group; the flames scorched the wicked. 19 They made an image of a calf at Horeb and worshiped a metal idol. 20 They traded their majestic God for the image of an ox that eats grass.

Romans 1:23

New Testament

20 For since the creation of the world his invisible attributes—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen because they are understood through what has been made. So people are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or give him thanks, but they became futile in their thoughts, and their senseless hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for an image resembling mortal human beings or birds or four-footed animals or reptiles.

 Notes and References

"... Cranfield (1975:105) and Dunn (1988a:53) exemplify a recent trend to see this section as a general indictment of all humankind rather than a specific condemnation of the Gentiles. Paul refers to men rather than Gentiles in 1:18, and the language is reminiscent of the Adam story in Genesis 2—3. Also, in 1:23 Paul refers to Psalm 106:20 and Jeremiah 2:11, both detailing Israel’s idolatry. So Paul could move from the general (the sinfulness of all humanity) to the specific (the sinfulness of the Jews). But there is no way any Jewish person reading this would have understood this passage as aimed at himself ..."

Osborne, Grant R. IVP New Testament Commentary Series: Romans (pp. 44-45) Intervarsity Press, 2003

 User Comments

Do you have questions or comments about these texts? Please submit them here.