Romans 5:20

Romans 5:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
• New International Version (NIV)The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more,
• English Standard Version (ESV)Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,
• New King James Version (NKJV)Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more,

Context of Romans 5:20

18So God's punishment came to all people because of that one wrong thing that Adam did. But the one thing that Christ did makes people free. God accepts all people because of that one good thing that Christ did. Those people receive true life from God. 19One man did not obey God and, as a result, many people became guilty because of their sins. But, because one man did obey God, many people will become right with God. God gave his Law to Moses to show more clearly that people were doing wrong things. But when people did more and more wrong things, God continued to be kind in more and more ways. 21We see that sin ruled people's lives and brought death to them. But God's gift makes people right with him, and that is what rules their lives. People receive that gift because God is kind. As a result, they will have life with God for ever, because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done.

Romans 5:20 word by word

Νόμος δὲ παρεισῆλθεν, ἵνα πλεονάσῃ τὸ παράπτωμα· οὗ δὲ ἐπλεόνασεν ἡ ἁμαρτία, ὑπερεπερίσσευσεν ἡ χάρις,Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Moreoverδέde · thenG1161
• the lawνόμοςnomos · lawG3551
• enteredπαρεισέρχομαιpareiserchomai · to come inG3922
• thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• the offenceὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the offenceπαράπτωμαparaptōma · trespassG3900
• might aboundπλεονάζωpleonazō · to increaseG4121
• whereοὗhou · whitherG3757
• sinἁμαρτίαhamartia · sinG266
• graceχάριςcharis · graceG5485
• did much more aboundὑπερπερισσεύωhuperperisseuō · to aboundG5248

Cross-references for Romans 5:20

• Romans 3:19So, we know that God's Law belongs to the Jews. God told them to obey everything that his Law teaches. As a result, nobody can say: ‘God should not punish me.’ Everybody in the world must stand in front of God and he will judge them.
• Romans 4:15The rules in Moses' Law say that God will punish people who do not obey those rules. But without any rules, there is nothing for people to obey.
• Romans 6:14Sin will no longer have authority over you. You do not have a new life because you obey the Law which God gave to Moses. You have a new life because God is very kind to you.
• Romans 7:5In our old lives, we did the bad things that we wanted to do. God's laws brought bad thoughts into our minds. As a result, our bodies did many wrong things. In the end, those bad things lead to death.
• John 15:22I have come and I have spoken my message to them. If I had not done that, they would not have been guilty of their sin. But now they cannot say, “We have not done anything wrong.”
• 2 Corinthians 3:7Moses wrote the words of the old agreement on pieces of stone. It showed how great and powerful God was. Moses' face shone brightly after God spoke to him. It did not stay bright, but the Israelite people still could not look at Moses' face. The old agreement that brought death was powerful.
• Galatians 3:19So we could ask: Why did God give his Law to his people after his promise to Abraham? He gave his Law to show them which things are wrong. It would have authority until Abraham's special descendant would come. That was the descendant that God had promised to bless. God used angels to give his Law to his people. It was Moses who received the Law from God, and Moses then took it to God's people.
• Romans 6:1Someone might say, ‘Perhaps we should continue to do wrong things. Then God can be kind to us in more and more ways.’
• 2 Chronicles 33:9But Manasseh caused Judah's people and the people of Jerusalem to turn away from God. So they did more evil things than the people who lived in Canaan before them. The Lord had destroyed those nations so that the Israelites could live there.
• Psalms 25:11Lord, my sins are very many. Please forgive me, and show that your name is great.
• Isaiah 1:18The Lord says, ‘Please come, so that we talk about this together. Even if your sins are like a red stain, they will become as white as snow. Even if they are bright red, they will become like white wool.
• Isaiah 43:24You did not buy any spices to offer them to me. You did not bring me the fat from your sacrifices to make me happy. Instead, you have made it difficult for me, because of all your sins. All the evil things that you do have caused me to become very tired.
• Jeremiah 3:8Israel was not faithful to me and she served other gods. So I sent her away, like a husband may send his wife away if she is not faithful to him. Judah saw what happened to Israel, but she was not afraid. Like a prostitute, she also went to find other gods that she could serve.
• Ezekiel 16:52So now you must accept that you are guilty. You have done such wicked things that your sisters think that they are good people. You have done much worse things than they ever did. I must punish you even more than I punished them. So you should be ashamed and you should accept your punishment. You have made your sisters seem to be righteous.
• Ezekiel 36:25You will become pure, as if I splash you with clean water. I will remove all the things that make you unclean. I will take away the idols that you worship.
• Micah 7:18No other god is like you. You chose us to be your people. And you decide not to remember what we have done wrong. Not many of your people remain and we have done bad things. But you choose to forget those bad things. You will not always be angry, because you want very much to be kind.

Commentaries on Romans 5:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20The law entered that (̔ ) the offense might abound - After considering various opinions concerning the true meaning of this verse, (see under Romans 5:12; (note)), I am induced to prefer my own, as being the most simple. By law I understand the Mosaic law. By entering in, , or, rather, coming in privily, see Galatians 2:4, (the only place where it occurs besides), I understand the temporary or limited use of that law, which was, as far as its rites and…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20Moreover - But. What is said in this verse and the following, seems designed to meet the Jew, who might pretend that the Law of Moses was intended to meet the evils of sin introduced by Adam, and therefore that the scheme defended by the apostle was unnecessary. He therefore shows them that the effect of the Law of Moses was to increase rather than to diminish the sins which had been introduced into the world. And if such was the fact, it could not be…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 20-21Verses 20-21 By Christ and his righteousness, we have more and greater privileges than we lost by the offence of Adam. The moral law showed that many thoughts, tempers, words, and actions, were sinful, thus transgressions were multiplied. Not making sin to abound the more, but discovering the sinfulness of it, even as the letting in a clearer light into a room, discovers the dust and filth which were there before, but were not seen. The sin of Adam, and…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20Many Jews believed that God’s law, given to Israel, reversed or reduced the harmful effects of Adam’s sin. Paul says instead that God’s law caused sin to increase and helped people see their sin more clearly.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 20-2120-21. Moreover the law--"The law, however." The Jew might say, If the whole purposes of God towards men center in Adam and Christ, where does "the law" come in, and what was the use of it? Answer: It entered--But the word expresses an important idea besides "entering." It signifies, "entered incidentally," or "parenthetically." (In Ga 2:4 the same word is rendered, "came in privily.") The meaning is, that the promulgation of the law at Sinai was no…Read the comment

Topics related to Romans 5:20

• Adam
• Atonement
• Grace of God
• Justification
• Salvation
• Sin

In the dictionaries

• Abound
• Access
• Atonement
• Condemnation
• Die
• Disobedience
• Faith
• Figure
• Grace
• Pardon

Commentaries on Romans 5

• 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
• 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