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InterlinearVerse GEN EXO LEV NUM DEU JOB JOS JDG RUTH 1 SAM 2 SAM PSA AMOS HOS 1 KI 2 KI 1 CHR 2 CHR PROV ECC SNG JOEL MIC ISA ZEP HAB JER LAM YNA (JNA) NAH OBA DAN EZE EZRA EST NEH HAG ZEC MAL LAO GES LES ESG DNG 2 PS TOB JDT WIS SIR BAR LJE PAZ SUS BEL MAN 1 MAC 2 MAC 3 MAC 4 MAC YHN (JHN) MARK MAT LUKE ACTs YAC (JAM) GAL 1 TH 2 TH 1 COR 2 COR ROM COL PHM EPH PHP 1 TIM TIT 1 PET 2 PET 2 TIM HEB YUD (JUD) 1 YHN (1 JHN) 2 YHN (2 JHN) 3 YHN (3 JHN) REV
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Rom 7 V1 V2 V3 V4 V6 V7 V8 V9 V10 V11 V12 V13 V14 V15 V16 V17 V18 V19 V20 V21 V22 V23 V24 V25
OET (OET-LV) For/Because when we_were in the flesh, the passions of_ the _sins which through the law was_working in the members of_us in_order that to_bear_fruit to_ the _death.
OET (OET-RV) When we were still focused on the physical, the passions aroused by sinning against the law were working in our body parts so that the fruit would be death,
In this section, Paul used the example of marriage and the husband dying to show that believers are no longer under the laws of Moses. They are under the new covenant with Jesus. We have died to sin and God has released us from the law of Moses so that we can serve God as the Holy Spirit guides and empowers us.
Here are other possible headings for this section:
We were released from the Law of Moses to serve God in the new way of the Holy Spirit
Dead to the Law, Alive to Serve in the Spirit
Serve(plur) God in the new way of the Holy Spirit
For when we lived according to the flesh,
For when we(incl) earlier lived according to our physical life,
When our physical being was guiding us, before we believed,
For: Here this word introduces an explanation for what Paul said in 7:4. In some languages it is more natural to omit this word and let the context imply that connection.
when we lived according to the flesh: This clause refers to how believers lived before they believed in Jesus.Cranfield (page 337), Dunn (page 363), and Moo (on TW). Here are other ways to translate this clause:
when we lived according to our human nature (GNT)
While we were still living by our natural inclinations (NJB)
When we were controlled by our old nature (NLT)
when we were still obeying our own desireWestern Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation on TW.
Here this clause refers in general to the way all people live, without focusing on sin, although that is implied. Paul made the idea of sin clear in 7:5b.
the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies,
sinful desires, through the laws of Moses, were working in the parts of our bodies,
the laws of Moses stirred up our thinking and our desires to do evil caused various parts of our bodies.
the sinful passions…were at work: Paul spoke of these passions as if they were people working. In some languages it is not natural to speak of passions in that way. If that is true in your language, translate the meaning in a natural way. For example:
our sinful passions…were like someone working
our sinful desires…were causing us to be working
the sinful passions: The Greek word that the BSB translates as passions refers to any kind of desire. Here Paul referred to only those desires that are sinful.
were at work: The Greek word that the BSB translates as were at work refers to doing something that produces the desired result. It does not imply that the work is difficult.
This phrase indicates that the sinful passions worked over a period of time. Here it refers to the whole time before a believer started believing in Jesus. Here is another way to translate this phrase:
were working
aroused by the law: This phrase is literally “through the law.” It indicates that the Laws of Moses helped the sinful passions to be at work in our members. The Laws of Moses pointed out what deeds were bad to do, and our sinful passions then wanted to do them. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:
stirred up by the Law (GNT)
the sinful desires, which the Law stirred up, were at work
through the Laws of Moses saying what deeds were evil
our bodies: Here the Greek word that the BSB translates as bodies refers to parts of the body. Here it implies deeds done with the parts of the body. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:
any part of yourselves (GNT)
yourselvesYakan Back Translation on TW.
See how you translated “parts” in 6:13.
bearing fruit for death.
and so we bore fruit for death.
And our evil deeds benefited/honored death.
bearing fruit for death: Here the phrase bearing fruit is a metaphor that means “doing evil deeds that produce evil results.” These evil results benefit death and the power that death has over people. In some languages a literal translation would not have the correct meaning. If that is true in your language, you may want to:
Use a simile. For example:
being like plants that produce fruit for death
Make the meaning more explicit. For example:
producing evil results that honor death
Translate without the figure of speech of bearing fruit. For example:
serving death
doing the work of death
living evil lives that glorified death
for death: Here this phrase is used in a similar way as “to God” was in 7:4. It is a figure of speech that speaks of death as if it were a person who benefits from the evil deeds that people do. See the above examples.
Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-words-phrases
γὰρ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὅτε Γάρ ἦμεν ἐν τῇ σαρκί τά παθήματα τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν τά διά τοῦ νόμου ἐνηργεῖτο ἐν τοῖς μέλεσιν ἡμῶν εἰς τό καρποφορῆσαι τῷ θανάτῳ)
For indicates that what follows this word explains what came before it. For here indicates that what follows in the next two verses explains what Paul said in the previous verse. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a different expression. Alternate translation: [In fact,]
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
ἦμεν ἐν τῇ σαρκί
˱we˲_were in the flesh
Here Paul speaks of the flesh as if it were a location that someone could be in. He means his readers used to live according to the desires of their sinful natures. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [we were living according to our sinful natures] or [we were doing whatever we wanted to do]
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns
τὰ παθήματα τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν τὰ διὰ τοῦ νόμου ἐνηργεῖτο
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὅτε Γάρ ἦμεν ἐν τῇ σαρκί τά παθήματα τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν τά διά τοῦ νόμου ἐνηργεῖτο ἐν τοῖς μέλεσιν ἡμῶν εἰς τό καρποφορῆσαι τῷ θανάτῳ)
If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of passions, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: [the desire to sin that was through the law was working]
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis
τὰ διὰ τοῦ νόμου ἐνηργεῖτο
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὅτε Γάρ ἦμεν ἐν τῇ σαρκί τά παθήματα τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν τά διά τοῦ νόμου ἐνηργεῖτο ἐν τοῖς μέλεσιν ἡμῶν εἰς τό καρποφορῆσαι τῷ θανάτῳ)
Paul is leaving out a word that a clause would need in many languages to be complete. If it would be helpful in your language, you could supply the word from the context. Paul said something similar about the law causing sin to increase in [5:20](../05/20.md). Alternate translation: [that were increased through the law were working] or [that were stimulated by the law were working]
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
διὰ τοῦ νόμου
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὅτε Γάρ ἦμεν ἐν τῇ σαρκί τά παθήματα τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν τά διά τοῦ νόμου ἐνηργεῖτο ἐν τοῖς μέλεσιν ἡμῶν εἰς τό καρποφορῆσαι τῷ θανάτῳ)
Here, through indicates the means by which the sinful passions increased. Paul means that the law stimulated people’s desire to sin even more. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: [by means of the law]
Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / personification
ἐνηργεῖτο ἐν τοῖς μέλεσιν ἡμῶν
˓was˒_working in the members ˱of˲_us
Paul speaks of the sinful passions are if they were people who could work within someone’s body parts. He means that people’s sinful desires caused them to sin with their bodies. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [were causing us to use our members to sin]
Note 7 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result
εἰς τὸ καρποφορῆσαι
in_order (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὅτε Γάρ ἦμεν ἐν τῇ σαρκί τά παθήματα τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν τά διά τοῦ νόμου ἐνηργεῖτο ἐν τοῖς μέλεσιν ἡμῶν εἰς τό καρποφορῆσαι τῷ θανάτῳ)
Here, to introduces a result clause. Use a natural way in your language to indicate result. Alternate translation: [which resulted in producing fruit] or [so that they would produce fruit]
Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
εἰς τὸ καρποφορῆσαι τῷ θανάτῳ
in_order (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὅτε Γάρ ἦμεν ἐν τῇ σαρκί τά παθήματα τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν τά διά τοῦ νόμου ἐνηργεῖτο ἐν τοῖς μέλεσιν ἡμῶν εἰς τό καρποφορῆσαι τῷ θανάτῳ)
Here Paul uses fruit to refer to the result or outcome of someone’s actions. Paul is using fruit differently than how he used it in the previous verse. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [so that the outcome was fruit for death]
Note 9 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns
τῷ θανάτῳ
¬the ˱to˲_death
See how you translated death in [6:16](../06/16.md).
Note 10 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
τῷ θανάτῳ
¬the ˱to˲_death
Here, death refers to spiritual death, which is eternal punishment in hell that occurs after physical death. See how you translated the same use of death in [6:16](../06/16.md).
7:5 old nature (literally flesh): Although “flesh” can refer to the human body in a neutral sense (see 8:3, which speaks of Christ coming “in the flesh”), Paul more often uses the word negatively, to denote human existence apart from God. To be “in the flesh” is to be dominated by sin and its hostility to God.
• the law aroused these evil desires: The law of God is a good thing in itself (see 7:12), but it arouses sinful tendencies by provoking the rebellion that is in people’s hearts. When we are in rebellion against God, his commands spark in us a desire to do the exact opposite of what he commands.
OET (OET-LV) For/Because when we_were in the flesh, the passions of_ the _sins which through the law was_working in the members of_us in_order that to_bear_fruit to_ the _death.
OET (OET-RV) When we were still focused on the physical, the passions aroused by sinning against the law were working in our body parts so that the fruit would be death,
Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.
Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.