Romans 6:19

Romans 6:19 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
• English Standard Version (ESV)I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.
• New King James Version (NKJV)I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.
• New Living Translation (NLT)Because of the weakness of your human nature, I am using the illustration of slavery to help you understand all this. Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin. Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy.

Context of Romans 6:19

17But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. 18You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. 20When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death!

Romans 6:19 word by word

Ἀνθρώπινον λέγω διὰ τὴν ἀσθένειαν τῆς σαρκὸς ὑμῶν. ὥσπερ γὰρ παρεστήσατε τὰ μέλη ὑμῶν δοῦλα τῇ ἀκαθαρσίᾳ καὶ τῇ ἀνομίᾳ εἰς τὴν ἀνομίαν, οὕτως νῦν παραστήσατε τὰ μέλη ὑμῶν δοῦλα τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ εἰς ἁγιασμόν.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• I speakλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• after the manner of menἀνθρώπινοςanthrōpinos · humanG442
• because ofδιάdia · through/because ofG1223
• the infirmityὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the infirmityἀσθένειαastheneia · weakness: weakG769
• of yourσύsu · youG4771
• fleshσάρξsarx · fleshG4561
• forγάρgar · forG1063
• asὥσπερhōsper · just asG5618
• ye have yieldedπαρίστημιparistēmi paristanō · to stand byG3936
• membersμέλοςmelos · memberG3196
• servantsδοῦλοςdoulos · slaveG1401
• to uncleannessἀκαθαρσίαakatharsia · impurityG167
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• to iniquityἀνομίαanomia · lawlessnessG458
• untoεἰςeis · towardG1519
• even soοὕτωςhoutō · thus(-ly)G3779
• nowνῦνnun · nowG3568
• to righteousnessδικαιοσύνηdikaiosunē · righteousnessG1343
• holinessἁγιασμόςhagiasmos · holinessG38

Cross-references for Romans 6:19

• Romans 3:5But if our unrighteousness brings out God’s righteousness more clearly, what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us? (I am using a human argument.)
• 1 Corinthians 9:8Do I say this merely on human authority? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing?
• 1 Corinthians 15:32If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus with no more than human hopes, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”
• Galatians 3:15Brothers and sisters, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case.
• Romans 8:26In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.
• Romans 15:1We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.
• Hebrews 4:15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.
• Romans 6:13Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness.
• 1 Corinthians 6:11And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
• Ephesians 2:2in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.
• Colossians 3:5Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.
• 1 Peter 4:2As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.
• Romans 6:16Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?
• 1 Corinthians 5:6Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough?
• 1 Corinthians 15:33Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”
• 2 Timothy 2:16Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly.

Commentaries on Romans 6:19

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 19I speak after the manner of men - This phrase is often used by the Greek writers to signify what was easy to be comprehended; what was ad captum vulgi, level with common understandings, delivered in a popular style; what was different from the high flights of the poets, and the studied sublime obscurity of the philosophers. Because of the infirmity of your flesh - As if he had said: I make use of metaphors and figures connected with well-known natural…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 19I speak after the manner of men - I speak as people usually speak; or I draw an illustration from common life, in order to make myself better understood. Because of the infirmity of your flesh - The word “infirmity” means weakness, feebleness; and is opposed to vigor and strength. The word “flesh” is used often to denote the corrupt passions of people; but it may refer here to their intellect, or understanding; “Because of your imperfection of spiritual…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-20Verses 16-20 Every man is the servant of the master to whose commands he yields himself; whether it be the sinful dispositions of his heart, in actions which lead to death, or the new and spiritual obedience implanted by regeneration. The apostle rejoiced now they obeyed from the heart the gospel, into which they were delivered as into a mould. As the same metal becomes a new vessel, when melted and recast in another mould, so the believer has become a…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 19Paul uses the Greek word sarx (human nature, or flesh) to describe human weakness and the tendency to sin. Paul uses the illustration of slavery to show the relationship of the human nature to sin.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1919. I speak after the manner of men--descending, for illustration, to the level of common affairs. because of the infirmity of your flesh--the weakness of your spiritual apprehension. for as ye have yielded--"as ye yielded," the thing being viewed as now past. your members servants to Uncleanness and to Iniquity unto--the practice of iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to Righteousness unto holiness--rather, "unto (the attainment of)…Read the comment

Topics related to Romans 6:19

• Consecration
• Depravity of Man
• Holiness
• Regeneration
• Righteous
• Righteousness
• Servant

In the dictionaries

• Destroy
• Flesh
• Fruit
• Holiness
• Newness
• Obey
• Reign
• Wages
• Works, Good
• Baptismal Regeneration

Commentaries on Romans 6

• 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