Romans 7:8 · Clearspring

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Other translations

WEBBE

But sin, finding occasion through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of coveting. For apart from the law, sin is dead.

BSB

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

KJV

But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.

ASV

but sin, finding occasion, wrought in me through the commandment all manner of coveting: for apart from the law sin [is] dead.

BBE

But sin, taking its chance through that which was ordered by the law, was working in me every form of desire: because without the law sin is dead.

Original Greek

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ἀφορμὴν aphormēn An occasion G874 δὲ de however G1161 λαβοῦσα labousa having taken G2983 ἡ hē (the) G3588 ἁμαρτία hamartia sin G266 διὰ dia through G1223 τῆς tēs the G3588 ἐντολῆς entolēs commandment G1785 κατειργάσατο kateirgasato it produced G2716 ἐν en in G1722 ἐμοὶ emoi me myself G1473 πᾶσαν pasan all G3956 ἐπιθυμίαν epithumian covetousness G1939 χωρὶς chōris apart from G5565 γὰρ gar for G1063 νόμου nomou [the] Law G3551 ἁμαρτία hamartia sin G266 νεκρά nekra [is] dead G3498

The early church

Do you see how he has cleared it of all blame? For "sin," he says, "taking occasion by the commandment," it was, and not the Law, that increased the concupiscence, and the reverse of the Law's intent was brought about. This came of weakness, and not of any badness. For when we desire a thing, and then are hindered of it, the flame of the desire is but increased. Now this came not of the Law; for it hindered us (endeavored) of itself to keep us off from it; but sin, that is, thy own listlessness and bad disposition, used what was good for the reverse. But this is no fault in the physician, but in the patient who applies the medicine wrongly. For the reason of the Law being given was, not to inflame concupiscence, but to extinguish it, though the reverse came of it. Yet the blame attaches not to it, but to us. Since if a person had a fever, and wanted to take cold drink when it was not good for him, and one were not to let him take his fill of it, and so increase his lust after this ruinous pleasure, one could not deservedly be found fault with. For the physician's business is simply prohibiting it, but the restraining himself is the patient's. And what if sin did take occasion from it? Surely there are many bad men who by good precepts grow in their own wickedness. For this was the way in which the devil ruined Judas, by plunging him into avarice, and making him steal what belonged to the poor. However it was not the being entrusted with the bag that brought this to pass, but the wickedness of his own spirit. And Eve, by bringing Adam to eat from the tree, threw him out of Paradise. But neither in that case was the tree the cause, even if it was through it that the occasion took place.

John Chrysostom · d. 407Homilies on Romans

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 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 provision of mercy or grace for his relief. He is ignorant of human nature and the perverseness of his own heart, who does not perceive in himself a readiness to fancy there is something desirable in what is out of reach. We may perceive this in our children, though self-love makes us blind to it in ourselves. The more humble and spiritual any Christian is, the more clearly will he perceive that the apostle describes the true believer, from his first convictions of sin to his greatest progress in grace, during this present imperfect state. St. Paul was once a Pharisee, ignorant of the spirituality of the law, having some correctness of character, without knowing his inward depravity. When the commandment came to his conscience by the convictions of the Holy Spirit, and he saw what it demanded, he found his sinful mind rise against it. He felt at the same time the evil of sin, his own sinful state, that he was unable to fulfil the law, and was like a criminal when condemned. But though the evil principle in the human heart produces sinful motions, and the more by taking occasion of the commandment; yet the law is holy, and the commandment holy, just, and good. It is not favourable to sin, which it pursues into the heart, and discovers and reproves in the inward motions thereof. Nothing is so good but a corrupt and vicious nature will pervert it. The same heat that softens wax, hardens clay. Food or medicine when taken wrong, may cause death, though its nature is to nourish or to heal. The law may cause death through man's depravity, but sin is the poison that brings death. Not the law, but sin discovered by the law, was made death to the apostle. The ruinous nature of sin, and the sinfulness of the human heart, are here clearly shown.

Read Matthew Henry on Romans 7 →

Cross-references

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Topics

Lasciviousness