Passage

Romans 7.7-25

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. 16. But if what I would not, that I do, I consent unto the law that it is good. 17. So now it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwelleth in me. 18. For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me, but to do that which is good is not. 19. For the good which I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I practise. 20. But if what I would not, that I do, it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwelleth in me. 21. I find then the law, that, to me who would do good, evil is present. 22. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 23. but I see a different law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity under the law of sin which is in my members. 24. Wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me out of the body of this death? 25. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then I of myself with the mind, indeed, serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin." (Romans 7:5-25, 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. 16. But if what I don’t desire, that I do, I consent to the law that it is good. 17. So now it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwells in me. 18. For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwells no good thing. For desire is present with me, but I don’t find it doing that which is good. 19. For the good which I desire, I don’t do; but the evil which I don’t desire, that I practice. 20. But if what I don’t desire, that I do, it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwells in me. 21. I find then the law, that, to me, while I desire to do good, evil is present. 22. For I delight in God’s law after the inward man, 23. but I see a different law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity under the law of sin which is in my members. 24. What a wretched man I am! Who will deliver me out of the body of this death? 25. I thank God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! So then with the mind, I myself serve God’s law, but with the flesh, the sin’s law." (Romans 7:5-25, 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} 16. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. 17. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 18. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. 19. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. 20. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 21. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 22. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 23. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? ^{the body: or, this body of death} 25. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin." (Romans 7:5-25, 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. 16. And if what I do not will, this I do, I consent to the law that [it is] good, 17. and now it is no longer I that work it, but the sin dwelling in me, 18. for I have known that there doth not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh, good: for to will is present with me, and to work that which is right I do not find, 19. for the good that I will, I do not; but the evil that I do not will, this I practise. 20. And if what I do not will, this I do, it is no longer I that work it, but the sin that is dwelling in me. 21. I find, then, the law, that when I desire to do what is right, with me the evil is present, 22. for I delight in the law of God according to the inward man, 23. and I behold another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of the sin that [is] in my members. 24. A wretched man I [am]! who shall deliver me out of the body of this death? 25. I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord; so then, I myself indeed with the mind do serve the law of God, and with the flesh, the law of sin." (Romans 7:5-25, 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; see Lexicon Roadmap.

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Quoted in

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.