Passage

Romans 7.7-13

Book: Romans · NASB95

Immediate context (±2 verses)

ASV (ASV)

"5. For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were through the law, wrought in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. 6. But now we have been discharged from the law, having died to that wherein we were held; so that we serve in newness of the spirit, and not in oldness of the letter."

"7. What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Howbeit, I had not known sin, except through the law: for I had not known coveting, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet: 8. but sin, finding occasion, wrought in me through the commandment all manner of coveting: for apart from the law sin is dead. 9. And I was alive apart from the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died; 10. and the commandment, which was unto life, this I found to be unto death: 11. for sin, finding occasion, through the commandment beguiled me, and through it slew me. 12. So that the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and righteous, and good. 13. Did then that which is good become death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might be shown to be sin, by working death to me through that which is good;, that through the commandment sin might become exceeding sinful."

"14. For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. 15. For that which I do I know not: for not what I would, that do I practise; but what I hate, that I do." (Romans 7:5-15, ASV)

WEB (WEB)

"5. For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were through the law, worked in our members to bring out fruit to death. 6. But now we have been discharged from the law, having died to that in which we were held; so that we serve in newness of the spirit, and not in oldness of the letter."

"7. What shall we say then? Is the law sin? May it never be! However, I wouldn’t have known sin, except through the law. For I wouldn’t have known coveting, unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.” 8. But sin, finding occasion through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of coveting. For apart from the law, sin is dead. 9. I was alive apart from the law once, but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. 10. The commandment, which was for life, this I found to be for death; 11. for sin, finding occasion through the commandment, deceived me, and through it killed me. 12. Therefore the law indeed is holy, and the commandment holy, and righteous, and good. 13. Did then that which is good become death to me? May it never be! But sin, that it might be shown to be sin, by producing death in me through that which is good; that through the commandment sin might become exceedingly sinful."

"14. For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am fleshly, sold under sin. 15. For I don’t know what I am doing. For I don’t practice what I desire to do; but what I hate, that I do." (Romans 7:5-15, WEB)

KJV (KJV)

"5. 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. ^{motions: Gr. passions} 6. But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. ^{that being: or, being dead to that}"

"7. What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. ^{lust: or, concupiscence} 8. But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead. 9. For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. 10. And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. 11. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me. 12. Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. 13. Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful."

"14. For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. 15. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. ^{allow: Gr. know}" (Romans 7:5-15, KJV)

YLT (YLT)

"5. for when we were in the flesh, the passions of the sins, that [are] through the law, were working in our members, to bear fruit to the death; 6. and now we have ceased from the law, that being dead in which we were held, so that we may serve in newness of spirit, and not in oldness of letter."

"7. What, then, shall we say? the law [is] sin? let it not be! but the sin I did not know except through law, for also the covetousness I had not known if the law had not said: 8. 'Thou shalt not covet;' and the sin having received an opportunity, through the command, did work in me all covetousness, for apart from law sin is dead. 9. And I was alive apart from law once, and the command having come, the sin revived, and I died; 10. and the command that [is] for life, this was found by me for death; 11. for the sin, having received an opportunity, through the command, did deceive me, and through it did slay [me]; 12. so that the law, indeed, [is] holy, and the command holy, and righteous, and good. 13. That which is good then, to me hath it become death? let it not be! but the sin, that it might appear sin, through the good, working death to me, that the sin might become exceeding sinful through the command,"

"14. for we have known that the law is spiritual, and I am fleshly, sold by the sin; 15. for that which I work, I do not acknowledge; for not what I will, this I practise, but what I hate, this I do." (Romans 7:5-15, YLT)

Setting

Speaker: TBD
Audience: TBD
Location: TBD
Time period: TBD

Theological reading

Patristic / early-church-father exegesis, to be added.

Key words

Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word.

TBD
TBD
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Quoted in

Mosaic Law

Notes

Your annotations.

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.