Focused Passage

Romans 7:7-13

Released from the Law, Exposed by the Law, and Crying Out for Deliverance

Paul moves from release from the law through death with Christ, to service in the new way of the Spirit, to the law's role in revealing sin, to sin's exploitation of the commandment, to the inner conflict that cries out for deliverance through Jesus Christ.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

7 What then shall we say? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed, I would not have been mindful of sin if not for the law. For I would not have been aware of coveting if the law had not said, “Do not covet.”

8 But sin, seizing its opportunity through the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from the law, sin is dead.

9 Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died.

10 So I discovered that the very commandment that was meant to bring life actually brought death.

11 For sin, seizing its opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through the commandment put me to death.

12 So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous, and good.

13 Did that which is good, then, become death to me? Certainly not! But in order that sin might be exposed as sin, it produced death in me through what was good, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 7

Original words

What Τί G5101 Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singular then οὖν G3767 Conjunction shall we say ἐροῦμεν G2046 Verb - Future Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural [Is] the G3588 Article - Nominative Masculine Singular law νόμος G3551 Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular sin ἁμαρτία G266 Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular vvv μὴ G3361 Adverb Certainly not γένοιτο G1096 Verb - Aorist Optative Middle - 3rd Person Singular Indeed ἀλλὰ G235 Conjunction vvv οὐκ G3756 Adverb I would not have been mindful of ἔγνων G1097 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular - τὴν G3588 Article - Accusative Feminine Singular sin ἁμαρτίαν G266 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular if εἰ G1487 Conjunction not μὴ G3361 Adverb for διὰ G1223 Preposition the law νόμου G3551 Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular vvv τε G5037 Conjunction For γὰρ G1063 Conjunction vvv οὐκ G3756 Adverb I would not have been aware of ᾔδειν G1492 Verb - Pluperfect Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular - τήν G3588 Article - Accusative Feminine Singular coveting ἐπιθυμίαν G1939 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular if εἰ G1487 Conjunction the G3588 Article - Nominative Masculine Singular law νόμος G3551 Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular {had} not μὴ G3361 Adverb said ἔλεγεν G2036 Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular vvv Οὐκ G3756 Adverb Do not covet ἐπιθυμήσεις G1937 Verb - Future Indicative Active - 2nd Person Singular

BSB notes

  • Exodus 20:17; Deuteronomy 5:21
Verse 8

Original words

But δὲ G1161 Conjunction - G3588 Article - Nominative Feminine Singular sin ἁμαρτία G266 Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular seizing λαβοῦσα G2983 Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Feminine Singular [its] opportunity ἀφορμὴν G874 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular through διὰ G1223 Preposition the τῆς G3588 Article - Genitive Feminine Singular commandment ἐντολῆς G1785 Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular produced κατειργάσατο G2716 Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular in ἐν G1722 Preposition me ἐμοὶ G1473 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 1st Person Singular every kind πᾶσαν G3956 Adjective - Accusative Feminine Singular of covetous desire ἐπιθυμίαν G1939 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular For γὰρ G1063 Conjunction apart from χωρὶς G5565 Preposition [the] law νόμου G3551 Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular sin ἁμαρτία G266 Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular [is] dead νεκρά G3498 Adjective - Nominative Feminine Singular
Verse 9

Original words

- δὲ G1161 Conjunction Once ποτέ G4218 Particle I Ἐγὼ G1473 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person Singular was alive ἔζων G2198 Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular apart from χωρὶς G5565 Preposition [the] law νόμου G3551 Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular but [when] δὲ G1161 Conjunction the τῆς G3588 Article - Genitive Feminine Singular commandment ἐντολῆς G1785 Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular came ἐλθούσης G2064 Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Genitive Feminine Singular - G3588 Article - Nominative Feminine Singular sin ἁμαρτία G266 Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular sprang to life ἀνέζησεν G326 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular and δὲ G1161 Conjunction I ἐγὼ G1473 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person Singular died ἀπέθανον G599 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Verse 10

Original words

So καὶ G2532 Conjunction I μοι G1473 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 1st Person Singular discovered that εὑρέθη G2147 Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular the αὕτη G3778 Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Feminine Singular very G3588 Article - Nominative Feminine Singular commandment ἐντολὴ G1785 Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular that was G3588 Article - Nominative Feminine Singular meant to bring εἰς G1519 Preposition life ζωὴν G2222 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular [actually brought] εἰς G1519 Preposition death θάνατον G2288 Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Verse 11

Original words

For γὰρ G1063 Conjunction - G3588 Article - Nominative Feminine Singular sin ἁμαρτία G266 Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular seizing λαβοῦσα G2983 Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Feminine Singular [its] opportunity ἀφορμὴν G874 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular through διὰ G1223 Preposition the τῆς G3588 Article - Genitive Feminine Singular commandment ἐντολῆς G1785 Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular deceived ἐξηπάτησέν G1818 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular me με G1473 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 1st Person Singular and καὶ G2532 Conjunction through δι’ G1223 Preposition [the commandment] αὐτῆς G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Feminine 3rd Person Singular put [me] to death ἀπέκτεινεν G615 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Verse 12

Original words

So Ὥστε G5620 Conjunction then μὲν G3303 Conjunction the G3588 Article - Nominative Masculine Singular law [is] νόμος G3551 Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular holy ἅγιος G40 Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular and καὶ G2532 Conjunction the G3588 Article - Nominative Feminine Singular commandment [is] ἐντολὴ G1785 Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular holy ἁγία G40 Adjective - Nominative Feminine Singular - καὶ G2532 Conjunction righteous δικαία G1342 Adjective - Nominative Feminine Singular and καὶ G2532 Conjunction good ἀγαθή G18 Adjective - Nominative Feminine Singular
Verse 13

Original words

{Did} that which Τὸ G3588 Article - Nominative Neuter Singular [is] good ἀγαθὸν G18 Adjective - Nominative Neuter Singular then οὖν G3767 Conjunction become ἐγένετο G1096 Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular death θάνατος G2288 Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular to me ἐμοὶ G1473 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 1st Person Singular vvv μὴ G3361 Adverb Certainly not γένοιτο G1096 Verb - Aorist Optative Middle - 3rd Person Singular But ἀλλὰ G235 Conjunction in order that ἵνα G2443 Conjunction - G3588 Article - Nominative Feminine Singular sin ἁμαρτία G266 Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular might be exposed as φανῇ G5316 Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Passive - 3rd Person Singular sin ἁμαρτία G266 Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular it produced κατεργαζομένη G2716 Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Feminine Singular death θάνατον G2288 Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular in me μοι G1473 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 1st Person Singular through διὰ G1223 Preposition what [was] τοῦ G3588 Article - Genitive Neuter Singular good ἀγαθοῦ G18 Adjective - Genitive Neuter Singular so that ἵνα G2443 Conjunction through διὰ G1223 Preposition the τῆς G3588 Article - Genitive Feminine Singular commandment ἐντολῆς G1785 Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular - G3588 Article - Nominative Feminine Singular sin ἁμαρτία G266 Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular might become γένηται G1096 Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Middle - 3rd Person Singular vvv καθ’ G2596 Preposition utterly ὑπερβολὴν G5236 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular sinful ἁμαρτωλὸς G268 Adjective - Nominative Feminine Singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.