Amplified Bible
Romans 6:16
16Do you not know that when you continually offer yourselves to someone to do his will, you are the slaves of the one whom you obey, either [slaves] of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness (right standing with God)?
Romans 6:16 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
- New International Version (NIV)Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?
- English Standard Version (ESV)Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?
- New King James Version (NKJV)Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?
Context of Romans 6:16
14For sin will no longer be a master over you, since you are not under Law [as slaves], but under [unmerited] grace [as recipients of God’s favor and mercy]. 15What then [are we to conclude]? Shall we sin because we are not under Law, but under [God’s] grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that when you continually offer yourselves to someone to do his will, you are the slaves of the one whom you obey, either [slaves] of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness (right standing with God)? 17But thank God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient with all your heart to the standard of teaching in which you were instructed and to which you were committed. 18And having been set free from sin, you have become the slaves of righteousness [of conformity to God’s will and purpose].
Read all of Romans 6Romans 6:16 word by word
οὐκ οἴδατε ὅτι ᾧ παριστάνετε ἑαυτοὺς δούλους εἰς ὑπακοήν, δοῦλοί ἐστε ᾧ ὑπακούετε, ἤτοι ἁμαρτίας εἰς θάνατον ἢ ὑπακοῆς εἰς δικαιοσύνην;Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Know yeεἴδωeidō · to perceive: understandG1492
- notοὐou · noG3756
- thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
- to whomὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
- ye yieldπαρίστημιparistēmi paristanō · to stand byG3936
- yourselvesἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
- servantsδοῦλοςdoulos · slaveG1401
- toεἰςeis · towardG1519
- obeyὑπακοήhupakoē · obedienceG5218
- ye areεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- ye obeyὑπακούωhupakouō · to obeyG5219
- whetherἤτοιētoi · whetherG2273
- of sinἁμαρτίαhamartia · sinG266
- deathθάνατοςthanatos · deathG2288
- orἤē · orG2228
- righteousnessδικαιοσύνηdikaiosunē · righteousnessG1343
Cross-references for Romans 6:16
- Romans 6:3Or are you ignorant of the fact that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?
- Romans 6:13Do not go on offering members of your body to sin as instruments of wickedness. But offer yourselves to God [in a decisive act] as those alive [raised] from the dead [to a new life], and your members [all of your abilities—sanctified, set apart] as instruments of righteousness [yielded] to God.
- Joshua 24:15If it is unacceptable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
- Matthew 6:24“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon [money, possessions, fame, status, or whatever is valued more than the Lord].
- John 8:34Jesus answered, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, everyone who practices sin habitually is a slave of sin.
- 2 Peter 2:19They promise them liberty, when they themselves are the slaves of depravity—for by whatever anyone is defeated and overcome, to that [person, thing, philosophy, or concept] he is continually enslaved.
- Romans 6:12Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts and passions.
Commentaries on Romans 6:16
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16To whom ye yield yourselves - Can you suppose that you should continue to be the servants of Christ if ye give way to sin? Is he not the master who exacts the service, and to whom the service is performed? Sin is the service of Satan; righteousness the service of Christ. If ye sin ye are the servants of Satan, and not the servants of God. The word , which we translate servant, properly signifies slave; and a slave among the Greeks and Romans was…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16Know ye not - The objection noticed in Romans 6:15, the apostle answers by a reference to the known laws of servitude or slavery, Romans 6:16-20, and by showing that Christians, who had been the slaves of sin, have now become the servants of righteousness, and were therefore bound by the proper laws of servitude to obey their new master: as if he had said, “I assume that you know: you are acquainted with the laws of servitude; you know what is required…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-20Verses 16-20 Every man is the servant of the master to whose commands he yields himself; whether it be the sinful dispositions of his heart, in actions which lead to death, or the new and spiritual obedience implanted by regeneration. The apostle rejoiced now they obeyed from the heart the gospel, into which they were delivered as into a mould. As the same metal becomes a new vessel, when melted and recast in another mould, so the believer has become a…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16righteousness (Greek dikaiosunē): In the first part of Romans, Paul uses this Greek word in a legal sense. It refers either to God’s action of placing people in a right relationship with himself or to the right standing believers receive because of Christ’s work (see, for example, 1:17; 3:21–22; 4:3, 5). Here, Paul uses the same word in the way it is often used in the Old Testament. It means the right kind of behavior that God expects from his people.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 15-1615-16. What then? ... Know ye not--it is a dictate of common sense.Read the comment
Topics related to Romans 6:16
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Romans 6
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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