Berean Standard Bible
Romans 7:18
18I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh; for I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.
Romans 7:18 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
- New International Version (NIV)For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.
- English Standard Version (ESV)For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.
- New King James Version (NKJV)For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.
Context of Romans 7:18
16And if I do what I do not want to do, I admit that the law is good. 17In that case, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh; for I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19For I do not do the good I want to do. Instead, I keep on doing the evil I do not want to do. 20And if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
Read all of Romans 7Romans 7:18 word by word
οἶδα γὰρ ὅτι οὐκ οἰκεῖ ἐν ἐμοί, τοῦτ᾽ ἔστιν ἐν τῇ σαρκί μου, ἀγαθόν· τὸ γὰρ θέλειν παράκειταί μοι, τὸ δὲ κατεργάζεσθαι τὸ καλὸν οὐχRead the interlinear
- ·γάρgar · forG1063
- I knowεἴδωeidō · to perceive: understandG1492
- thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
- nothingοὐou · noG3756
- goodἀγαθόςagathos · goodG18
- livesοἰκέωoikeō · to dwellG3611
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- meἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- thatοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
- isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- fleshσάρξsarx · fleshG4561
- haveπαράκειμαιparakeimai · be presentG3873
- desireθέλωthelō ethelō · to will/desireG2309
- to doκατεργάζομαιkatergazomai · to workout/produceG2716
- goodκαλόςkalos · goodG2570
- butδέde · thenG1161
Cross-references for Romans 7:18
- Genesis 6:5Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great upon the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was altogether evil all the time.
- Genesis 8:21When the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, He said in His heart, “Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from his youth. And never again will I destroy all living creatures as I have done.
- Job 14:4Who can bring out clean from unclean? No one!
- Job 15:14What is man, that he should be pure, or one born of woman, that he should be righteous?
- Job 25:4How then can a man be just before God? How can one born of woman be pure?
- Psalms 51:5Surely I was brought forth in iniquity; I was sinful when my mother conceived me.
- Isaiah 64:6Each of us has become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away like the wind.
- Matthew 15:19For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander.
- Mark 7:21For from within the hearts of men come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,
- Luke 11:13So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
- Ephesians 2:1And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,
- 1 Peter 4:2Consequently, he does not live out his remaining time on earth for human passions, but for the will of God.
- Romans 7:5For when we lived according to the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, bearing fruit for death.
- Romans 8:3For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man, as an offering for sin. He thus condemned sin in the flesh,
- Romans 13:14Instead, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.
- John 3:6Flesh is born of flesh, but spirit is born of the Spirit.
Commentaries on Romans 7:18
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18For I know that in me, etc. - I have learned by experience that in an unregenerate man there is no good. There is no principle by which the soul can be brought into the light; no principle by which it can be restored to purity: fleshly appetites alone prevail; and the brute runs away with the man. For to will is present with me - Though the whole soul has suffered indescribably by the Fall, yet there are some faculties that appear to have suffered less…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18For I know - This is designed as an illustration of what he had just said, that sin dwelt in him. That is, in my flesh - In my unrenewed nature; in my propensities and inclinations before conversion. Does not this qualifying expression show that in this discussion he was speaking of himself as a renewed man? Hence, he is careful to imply that there was at that time in him something that was right or acceptable with God, but that that did not pertain to…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18-22Verses 18-22 The more pure and holy the heart is, it will have the more quick feeling as to the sin that remains in it. The believer sees more of the beauty of holiness and the excellence of the law. His earnest desires to obey, increase as he grows in grace. But the whole good on which his will is fully bent, he does not do; sin ever springing up in him, through remaining corruption, he often does evil, though against the fixed determination of his will…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 18in my flesh: See study note on 6:19. This phrase may refer to Paul’s former life before God redeemed him. It may also refer to a part of Paul that is still connected to this world and resists God’s will.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1818. For, &c.--better, "For I know that there dwelleth not in me, that is in my flesh, any good." for to will--"desire." is present with me; but how to perform that which is good--the supplement "how," in our version, weakens the statement. I find not--Here, again, we have the double self of the renewed man; "In me dwelleth no good; but this corrupt self is not my true self; it is but sin dwelling in my real self, as a renewed man."Read the comment
Topics related to Romans 7:18
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Romans 7
- 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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