Romans 7:9

Romans 7:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.
• New International Version (NIV)Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died.
• English Standard Version (ESV)I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died.
• New King James Version (NKJV)I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died.

Context of Romans 7:9

7What shall we say then? Is the Torah sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the Torah. For I would not have known about coveting if the Torah had not said, “You shall not covet.” 8But sin, taking an opportunity, worked in me through the commandment all kinds of coveting. For apart from the Torah, sin is dead. Once I was alive apart from the Torah; but when the commandment came, sin came to life 10and I died. The commandment meant for life was found to cause death. 11Sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me.

Romans 7:9 word by word

ἐγὼ δὲ ἔζων χωρὶς νόμου ποτέ· ἐλθούσης δὲ τῆς ἐντολῆς ἡ ἁμαρτία ἀνέζησεν,Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Forδέde · thenG1161
• Iἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• was aliveζάωzaō · to liveG2198
• withoutχωρίςchōris · withoutG5565
• the lawνόμοςnomos · lawG3551
• onceποτέpote · once/whenG4218
• whenἔρχομαιerchomai · to come/goG2064
• the commandmentὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the commandmentἐντολήentolē · commandmentG1785
• sinἁμαρτίαhamartia · sinG266
• revivedἀναζάωanazaō · to reviveG326
• diedἀποθνήσκωapothnēskō · to dieG599

Cross-references for Romans 7:9

• Matthew 19:20“All these I’ve kept,” the young man said to Him. “What do I still lack?”
• Luke 10:25Now a certain Torah lawyer stood up to entrap Yeshua, saying, “Teacher, what should I do to gain eternal life?”
• Luke 15:29But he answered and said to his father, ‘Look, so many years I’ve slaved away for you—not once did I ignore your order. Yet you’ve never given me a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.
• Luke 18:9Then Yeshua spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, while holding others in contempt.
• Philippians 3:5circumcised the eighth day; of the nation of Israel; from the tribe of Benjamin; a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the Torah, a Pharisee;
• Matthew 5:21“You have heard it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever commits murder shall be subject to judgment.’
• Matthew 15:4For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother must be put to death.’
• Mark 7:8Having left behind the commandment of God, you hold on to the tradition of men.”
• Romans 3:19Now we know that whatever the Torah says, it says to those within the Torah, so that every mouth may be shut and the whole world may become accountable to God.
• Romans 10:5For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on Torah, “The man who does these things shall live by them.”
• Psalms 40:12Adonai, do not withhold Your compassions from me. Let Your mercy and Your truth always protect me.
• Galatians 3:10For all who rely on the deeds of Torah are under a curse—for the Scriptures say, “Cursed is everyone who does not keep doing everything written in the scroll of the Torah.”
• James 2:10For whoever keeps the whole Torah but stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.
• Romans 7:21So I find the principle—that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good.
• Romans 8:7For the mindset of the flesh is hostile toward God, for it does not submit itself to the law of God—for it cannot.
• Romans 7:4Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you also were made dead to the Torah through the body of Messiah, so that you might be joined to another—the One who was raised from the dead—in order that we might bear fruit for God.

Commentaries on Romans 7:9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9I was alive without the law once - Dr. Whitby paraphrases the verse thus: - "For the seed of Abraham was alive without the law once, before the law was given, I being not obnoxious to death for that to which the law had not threatened death; but when the commandment came, forbidding it under that penalty, sin revived, and I died; i.e. it got strength to draw me to sin, and to condemn me to death. Sin is, in Scripture, represented as an enemy that seeks…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9For I - There seems to be no doubt that the apostle here refers to his own past experience. Yet in this he speaks the sentiment of all who are unconverted, and who are depending on their own righteousness. Was alive - This is opposed to what he immediately adds respecting another state, in which he was when he died. It must mean, therefore, that he had a certain kind of peace; he deemed himself secure; he was free from the convictions of conscience and…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. 9Once I was alive apart from the law: Paul might be referring to his early childhood, before he fully understood the law's demands. but when the commandment came: Paul's experience with the law as he matured reflects everyone's experience. With the law, we have more accountability to God. This gives sin power and leads to greater judgment (7:10; see 4:15; 5:14, 20).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. For I was alive without the law once--"In the days of my ignorance, when, in this sense, a stranger to the law, I deemed myself a righteous man, and, as such, entitled to life at the hand of God." but when the commandment came--forbidding all irregular desire; for the apostle sees in this the spirit of the whole law. sin revived--"came to life"; in its malignity and strength it unexpectedly revealed itself, as if sprung from the dead. and I died--"saw…Read the comment

Topics related to Romans 7:9

• Death
• Good and Evil
• Justification

In the dictionaries

• Appear
• Captivity
• Concupiscence
• Condescend
• Consent
• Delight
• Member
• Mind
• Occasion
• Revive

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