New English Translation
Romans 8:3
3For God achieved what the law could not do because it was weakened through the flesh. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and concerning sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,
Romans 8:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
- New International Version (NIV)For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh,
- English Standard Version (ESV)For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,
- New King James Version (NKJV)For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,
Context of Romans 8:3
1There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2For the law of the life-giving Spirit in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. For God achieved what the law could not do because it was weakened through the flesh. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and concerning sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4so that the righteous requirement of the law may be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5For those who live according to the flesh have their outlook shaped by the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit have their outlook shaped by the things of the Spirit.
Read all of Romans 8Romans 8:3 word by word
τὸ γὰρ ἀδύνατον τοῦ νόμου, ἐν ᾧ ἠσθένει διὰ τῆς σαρκός, ὁ θεὸς τὸν ἑαυτοῦ υἱὸν πέμψας ἐν ὁμοιώματι σαρκὸς ἁμαρτίας καὶ περὶ ἁμαρτίας κατέκρινεν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἐν τῇ σαρκί,Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Forγάρgar · forG1063
- the lawνόμοςnomos · lawG3551
- could not doἀδύνατοςadunatos · unableG102
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- thatὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
- it was weakἀσθενέωastheneō · be weak: weakG770
- throughδιάdia · through/because ofG1223
- the fleshσάρξsarx · fleshG4561
- Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- sendingπέμπωpempō · to sendG3992
- his ownἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
- Sonυἱόςuihos · sonG5207
- the likenessὁμοίωμαhomoiōma · likenessG3667
- of sinfulἁμαρτίαhamartia · sinG266
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- forπερίperi · aboutG4012
- condemnedκατακρίνωkatakrinō · to condemnG2632
Cross-references for Romans 8:3
- Romans 3:20For no one is declared righteous before him by the works of the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.
- Romans 7:5For when we were in the flesh, the sinful desires, aroused by the law, were active in the members of our body to bear fruit for death.
- Acts 13:39and by this one everyone who believes is justified from everything from which the law of Moses could not justify you.
- Galatians 3:21Is the law therefore opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that was able to give life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law.
- Hebrews 7:18On the one hand a former command is set aside because it is weak and useless,
- Hebrews 10:1For the law possesses a shadow of the good things to come but not the reality itself, and is therefore completely unable, by the same sacrifices offered continually, year after year, to perfect those who come to worship.
- Romans 8:32Indeed, he who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will he not also, along with him, freely give us all things?
- John 3:14Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
- Galatians 4:4But when the appropriate time had come, God sent out his Son, born of a woman, born under the law,
- 1 John 4:10In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
- Romans 9:3For I could wish that I myself were accursed – cut off from Christ – for the sake of my people, my fellow countrymen,
- Mark 15:27And they crucified two outlaws with him, one on his right and one on his left.
- John 9:24Then they summoned the man who used to be blind a second time and said to him, “Promise before God to tell the truth. We know that this man is a sinner.”
- 2 Corinthians 5:21God made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we would become the righteousness of God.
- Galatians 3:13Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us (because it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”)
- Romans 6:6We know that our old man was crucified with him so that the body of sin would no longer dominate us, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.
Commentaries on Romans 8:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3For what the law could not do - The law could not pardon; the law could not sanctify; the law could not dispense with its own requisitions; it is the rule of righteousness, and therefore must condemn unrighteousness. This is its unalterable nature. Had there been perfect obedience to its dictates, instead of condemning, it would have applauded and rewarded; but as the flesh, the carnal and rebellious principle, had prevailed, and transgression had taken…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3For what the law could not do - The Law of God, the moral law. It could not free from sin and condemnation. This the apostle had fully shown in Romans 7:12, but it was owing to the strength of the natural passions and the sinfulness of the unrenewed heart; see Romans 7:7-11, where this influence is fully explained. God, sending his own Son - That is, God did, or accomplished, that, by sending his Son, which the Law could not do. The word did, or…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3the flesh: See study note on 6:19. in the likeness of sinful man: Jesus fully shared human flesh and life in a world ruled by sin. He identified with sinful people so that he could act as their representative. At the same time, he did not himself commit sin. an offering for sin: In the Greek Old Testament, this phrase frequently describes a sin offering, and three of the eight New Testament occurrences also have this meaning (Hebrews 10:6, 8; 13:11)…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3-43-4. For what the law could not do, &c.--a difficult and much controverted verse. But it is clearly, we think, the law's inability to free us from the dominion of sin that the apostle has in view; as has partly appeared already (see on Ro 8:2), and will more fully appear presently. The law could irritate our sinful nature into more virulent action, as we have seen in Ro 7:5, but it could not secure its own fulfilment. How that is accomplished comes now to…Read the comment
Topics related to Romans 8:3
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Romans 8
- 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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