Lexical Summary metallassó: To change, to exchange Original Word: μεταλλάσσω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance to exchangeFrom meta and allasso; to exchange -- change. see GREEK meta see GREEK allasso NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom meta and allassó Definition to change, exchange NASB Translation exchanged (2). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 3337: μεταλλάσσωμεταλλάσσω: 1 aorist μετηλλαξα; from Herodotus down; (not In the Sept., yet nine times in 2 Macc.; also 1 Esdr. 1:31); to exchange, change (cf. μετά, III. 2): τί ἐν τίνιt, one thing with (for) another (on this construction see ἀλλάσσω), Romans 1:25; τί εἰς τί, one thing into another, Romans 1:26. Topical Lexicon Semantic Range and Conceptual Background The verb conveys the idea of an intentional exchange—replacing one object of value or allegiance with another. It presupposes a prior possession of something original, authentic, and worthy, followed by a deliberate substitution with something of inferior or opposite quality. In the Greco-Roman world the term could describe barter in the marketplace; Paul re-purposes that commercial image to depict a catastrophic moral and spiritual trade. Occurrences in the New Testament Romans 1:25 and Romans 1:26 employ the aorist form to describe humanity’s decisive act of turning away from God. The repetition creates a rhetorical crescendo: in verse 25 mankind “exchanged the truth of God for a lie,” and in verse 26 women “exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones.” The double use underscores that doctrinal apostasy (false worship) and ethical departure (sexual perversion) spring from the same root—willful exchange. Theological Significance 1. Reversal of Created Order Genesis presents God as the sovereign Giver; the creature’s fitting response is worship and obedience. The verb depicts a reversal: worship is redirected from Creator to creation, and moral norms are inverted. The exchange language thus highlights sin as disorder rather than mere deficiency. Paul’s “God gave them over” (Romans 1:24, 26, 28) shows that the exchange triggers divine handing-over, not annihilation. This passive judgment allows sinful desire to run its course, revealing God’s justice and preserving creaturely freedom. Later in Romans Paul will speak of another exchange—Christ taking the sinner’s penalty (Romans 3:24-26; 2 Corinthians 5:21). The gospel answers the tragic trade of Romans 1 with a gracious counter-trade, restoring right relationship. Historical Context of Paul’s Statement Writing to believers in the capital of the Empire, Paul indicts Gentile culture saturated with idolatry and sexual immorality. Contemporary Roman religion sanctioned the worship of images, and Greco-Roman literature often celebrated same-sex activity. By depicting these practices as an “exchange,” Paul corrects any notion that they are harmless cultural preferences; they are evidence of suppressed revelation (Romans 1:18-20). Relationship to Old Testament Concepts The Hebrew prophets likewise accused Israel of “exchanging” God’s glory for idols (Jeremiah 2:11; Psalm 106:20). Paul echoes that covenantal vocabulary, tying Gentile idolatry to Israel’s historic sin and proving the universal scope of human rebellion. Practical and Pastoral Applications • Discernment in Worship: Believers today face subtle invitations to replace God’s truth with cultural narratives. Regular exposure to Scripture guards against modern exchanges. Summary Strong’s Greek 3337 illuminates sin as an intentional, catastrophic swap: truth for lie, Creator for creature, natural for unnatural. Paul’s choice of this marketplace verb exposes the folly of idolatry and underscores the need for the gospel’s redemptive exchange, where Christ gives His righteousness in place of human guilt. Forms and Transliterations μεταλλάξαι μεταλλεύσεις μεταμέλειά μετηλλαξαν μετήλλαξαν μετήλλαξε metellaxan metēllaxan metḗllaxanLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Romans 1:25 V-AIA-3PGRK: οἵτινες μετήλλαξαν τὴν ἀλήθειαν NAS: For they exchanged the truth of God KJV: Who changed the truth of God INT: who changed the truth Romans 1:26 V-AIA-3P |
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