English Standard Version
Romans 7:10
10The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me.
Romans 7:10 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.
- New International Version (NIV)I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death.
- New Living Translation (NLT)and I died. So I discovered that the law’s commands, which were supposed to bring life, brought spiritual death instead.
Context of Romans 7:10
8But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead. 9I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. 11For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. 12So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.
Read all of Romans 7Romans 7:10 word by word
ἐγὼ δὲ ἀπέθανον, καὶ εὑρέθη μοι ἡ ἐντολὴ ἡ εἰς ζωὴν αὕτη εἰς θάνατον·Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·οὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
- Andκαίkai · andG2532
- the commandmentὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- the commandmentἐντολήentolē · commandmentG1785
- toεἰςeis · towardG1519
- lifeζωήzōē · lifeG2222
- Iἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- foundεὑρίσκωheuriskō · to find/meetG2147
- deathθάνατοςthanatos · deathG2288
Cross-references for Romans 7:10
- Romans 10:5For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them.
- Leviticus 18:5You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them: I am the Lord.
- Ezekiel 20:11I gave them my statutes and made known to them my rules, by which, if a person does them, he shall live.
- Luke 10:27And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself."
- 2 Corinthians 3:7Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses' face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end,
Commentaries on Romans 7:10
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 10And the commandment - Meaning the law in general, which was ordained to life; the rule of righteousness teaching those statutes which if a man do he shall live in them, Leviticus 18:5, I found, by transgressing it, to be unto death; for it only presented the duty and laid down the penalty, without affording any strength to resist sin or subdue evil propensities.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 10And the commandment - The Law to which he had referred before. Which was ordained to life - Which was intended to produce life, or happiness. Life here stands opposed to death, and means felicity, peace, eternal bliss; Note, John 3:36. When the apostle says that it was ordained to life, he probably has reference to the numerous passages in the Old Testament which speak of the Law in this manner, Leviticus 18:5, “Ye shall keep my statutes and my judgments…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-13Verses 7-13 There is no way of coming to that knowledge of sin, which is necessary to repentance, and therefore to peace and pardon, but by trying our hearts and lives by the law. In his own case the apostle would not have known the sinfulness of his thoughts, motives, and actions, but by the law. That perfect standard showed how wrong his heart and life were, proving his sins to be more numerous than he had before thought, but it did not contain any…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 10The Old Testament promised a blessed and secure life to those who obeyed the law (for example, Leviticus 18:5, quoted in Romans 10:5). However, people inherit a strong tendency to sin because of the effects of Adam's sin. So, when God’s commands come to us, we often resist and disobey them. So, instead of bringing life, the law only reveals our lost and vulnerable spiritual condition. We need God to change our desires because the law cannot provide this…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 10-1110-11. And--thus. the commandment, which was, &c.--designed to--give life--through the keeping of it. I found to be unto death--through breaking it. For sin--my sinful nature. taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me--or "seduced me"--drew me aside into the very thing which the commandment forbade. and by it slew me--"discovered me to myself to be a condemned and gone man" (compare Ro 7:9, "I died").Read the comment
Topics related to Romans 7:10
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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
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