Romans 5:13
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For sin was in the world before the law was given; but sin is not taken into account when there is no law.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
For until the law sin was in the world--that is during all the period from Adam "until the law" of Moses was given, God continued to treat men as sinners. but sin is not imputed where there is no law--"There must therefore have been a law during that period, because sin was then imputed"; as is now to be shown.
Open source ↗The apostle, having made good his point, and fully proved justification by faith, in this chapter proceeds in the explication, illustration, and application of that truth. I. He shows the fruits of justification (Rom 5:1-5). II. He shows the fountain and foundation of justification in the death of Jesus Christ, which he discourses of at large in the rest of the chapter.
Open source ↗5:13-14 Paul continues his explanation of “everyone sinned” (5:12) by stating that people who died between the times of Adam and Moses were not subject to specific commandments from God. Therefore, their condemnation was not only because of their own sin. It was because of their union with Adam, who sinned by violating an explicit commandment of God.
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
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because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law, there is no transgression.
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
Everyone who practices sin practices lawlessness as well. Indeed, sin is lawlessness.
What he did was wicked in the sight of the LORD, so He put Onan to death as well.
But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; so the LORD put him to death.
Then the LORD said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great. Because their sin is so grievous,
When the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, He said in His heart, “Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from his youth. And never again will I destroy all living creatures as I have done.
But the men of Sodom were wicked, sinning greatly against the LORD.
Before they had gone to bed, all the men of the city of Sodom, both young and old, surrounded the house.
Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and full of violence.