Romans 7:5

Romans 7:5 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.
• English Standard Version (ESV)For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death.
• New King James Version (NKJV)For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death.
• New Living Translation (NLT)When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death.

Context of Romans 7:5

3So then, if she has sexual relations with another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress if she marries another man. 4So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. For when we were in the realm of the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death. 6But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code. 7What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”

Romans 7:5 word by word

ὅτε γὰρ ἦμεν ἐν τῇ σαρκί, τὰ παθήματα τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν τὰ διὰ τοῦ νόμου ἐνηργεῖτο ἐν τοῖς μέλεσιν ἡμῶν εἰς τὸ καρποφορῆσαι τῷ θανάτῳ·Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Forγάρgar · forG1063
• whenὅτεhote ho te hē te tō te · whenG3753
• we wereεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• the fleshσάρξsarx · fleshG4561
• the motionsπάθημαpathēma · sufferingG3804
• of sinsἁμαρτίαhamartia · sinG266
• byδιάdia · through/because ofG1223
• the lawνόμοςnomos · lawG3551
• did workἐνεργέωenergeō · be activeG1754
• ourἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• membersμέλοςmelos · memberG3196
• toεἰςeis · towardG1519
• bring forth fruitκαρποφορέωkarpophoreō · to bear fruitG2592
• unto deathθάνατοςthanatos · deathG2288

Cross-references for Romans 7:5

• Romans 8:8Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.
• John 3:6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.
• Galatians 5:16So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
• Ephesians 2:3All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.
• Romans 1:26Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones.
• Romans 3:20Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.
• Romans 4:15because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.
• Romans 5:20The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more,
• 1 Corinthians 15:56The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
• 2 Corinthians 3:6He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
• Galatians 3:10For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”
• James 2:9But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.
• 1 John 3:4Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.
• Romans 7:8But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead.
• Matthew 15:19For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.
• Galatians 5:19The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;

Commentaries on Romans 7:5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5For, when we were in the flesh - When we were without the Gospel, in our carnal and unregenerated state, though believing in the law of Moses, and performing the rites and offices of our religion. The motions of sins, which were by the law - ̔, the passions of sins, the evil propensities to sins; to every particular sin there is a propensity: one propensity does not excite to all kinds of sinful acts; hence the apostle uses the plural number, the Passions…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5For when … - The illustration in this verse and the following is designed to show more at length the effect of the Law, whenever and whereever applied; whether in a state of nature or of grace. It was always the same. It was the occasion of agitation and conflict in a man‘s own mind. This was true when a sinner was under conviction; and it was true when a man was a Christian. In all circumstances where the Law was applied to the corrupt mind of man, it…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5the flesh: The word flesh can sometimes refer to the human body in a neutral way. For example, Paul speaks of Christ coming “in the flesh” (see 8:3). More often, however, Paul uses flesh in a negative sense. It describes human life lived apart from God. To live according to the flesh means to be ruled by sin and opposed to God. the sinful passions aroused by the law: God’s law is good in itself (see 7:12). However, because people have sinful hearts (inner…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. For when we were in the flesh--in our unregenerate state, as we came into the world. See on Joh 3:6 and Ro 8:5-9. the motions--"passions" (Margin), "affections" (as in Ga 5:24), or "stirrings." of sins--that is, "prompting to the commission of sins." which were by the law--by occasion of the law, which fretted, irritated our inward corruption by its prohibitions. See on Ro 7:7-9. did work in our members--the members of the body, as the instruments by…Read the comment

Topics related to Romans 7:5

• Death
• Depravity of Man
• Justification
• Law
• Righteousness
• Sin
• Temptation

In the dictionaries

• Appear
• Captivity
• Concupiscence
• Condescend
• Consent
• Delight
• Flesh
• Fruit
• Member
• Mind

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