God’s Word Translation
Romans 5:21
21As sin ruled by bringing death, God’s kindness would rule by bringing us his approval. This results in our living forever because of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 5:21 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
- New International Version (NIV)so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
- English Standard Version (ESV)so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
- New King James Version (NKJV)so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Context of Romans 5:21
19Clearly, through one person’s disobedience humanity became sinful, and through one person’s obedience humanity will receive God’s approval. 20The laws in Moses’ Teachings were added to increase the failure. But where sin increased, God’s kindness increased even more. As sin ruled by bringing death, God’s kindness would rule by bringing us his approval. This results in our living forever because of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Read all of Romans 5Romans 5:21 word by word
ἵνα ὥσπερ ἐβασίλευσεν ἡ ἁμαρτία ἐν τῷ θανάτῳ, οὕτως καὶ ἡ χάρις βασιλεύσῃ διὰ δικαιοσύνης εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
- asὥσπερhōsper · just asG5618
- sinὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- sinἁμαρτίαhamartia · sinG266
- hath reignedβασιλεύωbasileuō · to reignG936
- untoἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- deathθάνατοςthanatos · deathG2288
- evenκαίkai · andG2532
- soοὕτωςhoutō · thus(-ly)G3779
- graceχάριςcharis · graceG5485
- throughδιάdia · through/because ofG1223
- righteousnessδικαιοσύνηdikaiosunē · righteousnessG1343
- untoεἰςeis · towardG1519
- eternalαἰώνιοςaiōnios · eternalG166
- lifeζωήzōē · lifeG2222
- JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
- ChristΧριστόςChristos · ChristG5547
- ourἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- Lordκύριοςkurios · lord: GodG2962
Cross-references for Romans 5:21
- Romans 5:14Yet, death ruled from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin in the same way Adam did when he disobeyed. Adam is an image of the one who would come.
- Romans 6:12Therefore, never let sin rule your physical body so that you obey its desires.
- John 1:16Each of us has received one gift after another because of all that the Word is.
- Hebrews 4:16So we can go confidently to the throne of God’s kindness to receive mercy and find kindness, which will help us at the right time.
- 1 Peter 5:10God, who shows you his kindness and who has called you through Christ Jesus to his eternal glory, will restore you, strengthen you, make you strong, and support you as you suffer for a little while.
- Romans 5:17It is certain that death ruled because of one person’s failure. It’s even more certain that those who receive God’s overflowing kindness and the gift of his approval will rule in life because of one person, Jesus Christ.
- Romans 4:13So it was not by obeying the laws in Moses’ Teachings that Abraham or his descendants received the promise that he would inherit the world. Rather, he received this promise through God’s approval that comes by faith.
- Romans 8:10However, if Christ lives in you, your bodies are dead because of sin, but your spirits are alive because you have God’s approval.
- 2 Peter 1:1From Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ. To those who have obtained a faith that is as valuable as ours, a faith based on the approval that comes from our God and Savior, Jesus Christ.
- Romans 6:23The payment for sin is death, but the gift that God freely gives is everlasting life found in Christ Jesus our Lord.
- John 10:28and I give them eternal life. They will never be lost, and no one will tear them away from me.
- 1 John 2:25Christ has given us the promise of eternal life.
- 1 John 5:11This is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is found in his Son.
Commentaries on Romans 5:21
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21That as sin hath reigned unto death - As extensively, as deeply, as universally, as sin, whether implying the act of transgression or the impure principle from which the act proceeds, or both. Hath reigned, subjected the whole earth and all its inhabitants; the whole soul, and all its powers and faculties, unto death, temporal of the body, spiritual of the soul, and eternal of both; even so, as extensively, deeply, and universally might grace reign…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21That as sin hath reigned - Note, Romans 5:14. Unto death - Producing or causing death. Even so - In like manner, also. The provisions of redemption are in themselves ample to meet all the ruins of the fall. Might grace reign - Might mercy be triumphant; see John 1:17, “Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” Through righteousness - Through, or by means of, God‘s plan of justification; Note, Romans 1:17. Unto eternal life - This stands opposed to “death” in…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
- 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 5:21
In the dictionaries
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
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