ROM 7:8 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, orange:accusative/object, pink:genitive/possessor, cyan:dative/indirect object.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT But sin, having taken opportunity through the commandment, produced all covetousness in me. For apart from law, sin is dead.

UST However, since I am sinful, I wanted to covet in many ways because I knew that God commanded us not to covet. This is because if the laws God gave the Jews did not exist, living sinfully would cease.

BLB But sin, having taken an occasion by the commandment, produced in me all covetousness; for apart from the Law, sin is dead.

AICNT But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me every kind of desire; for apart from the law, sin is dead.

OEB But sin took advantage of the commandment to arouse in me every form of covetousness, for where there is no consciousness of Law sin shows no sign of life.

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

WMBB (Same as above)

NET But sin, seizing the opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of wrong desires. For apart from the law, sin is dead.

LSV “You will not covet”; and sin having received an opportunity, through the command, worked in me all covetousness—for apart from law sin is dead.

FBV But through this commandment sin found a way to stir up in me all kinds of selfish desires—for without law, sin is dead.

TCNT But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetousness. For apart from the law sin is dead.

T4T And because of what that commandment stated, my sinful desire to have things that belong to others [PRS] caused me to covet in many ways. Our desire to sin is not stimulated [MET] when there is no law that prohibits our doing sinful things.

LEB But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. 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.

Moff The command gave an impulse to sin, and sin resulted for me in all manner of covetous desire — for sin, apart from law, is lifeless.

Wymth Sin took advantage of this, and by means of the Commandment stirred up within me every kind of coveting; for apart from Law sin would be dead.

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

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

YLT '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.

Drby but sin, getting a point of attack by the commandment, wrought in me every lust; for without law sin [was] dead.

RV but sin, finding occasion, wrought in me through the commandment all manner of coveting: for apart from the law sin is dead.
(but sin, finding occasion, wrought/done in me through the commandment all manner of coveting: for apart from the law sin is dead. )

SLT And sin, having taken occasion by the command, wrought in me every lust. For without law sin dead.

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

KJB-1769 But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.
(But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought/done in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead. )

KJB-1611 But sinne taking occasion by the commaundement, wrought in me all maner of concupiscence. For without the Law sinne was dead.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from capitalisation and punctuation)

Bshps But sinne, takyng occasion by the commaundement, wrought in me all maner of concupiscence. For without the lawe, sinne was dead.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from marking of added words (and possibly capitalisation and punctuation))

Gnva But sinne tooke an occasion by ye commandement, and wrought in me all maner of concupiscence: for without the Lawe sinne is dead.
(But sin took an occasion by ye/you_all commandment, and wrought/done in me all manner of concupiscence: for without the Law sin is dead. )

Cvdl But then toke synne occasion at the commaundement, and stered vp in me all maner of lust. For without the lawe synne was deed.
(But then took sin occasion at the commandment, and stered up in me all manner of lust. For without the law sin was deed.)

TNT But synne toke an occasion by the meanes of the commaundement and wrought in me all manner of concupiscece. For with out the lawe synne was deed.
(But sin took an occasion by the means of the commandment and wrought/done in me all manner of concupiscece. For with out the law sin was deed. )

Wycl And thoruy occasioun takun, synne bi the maundement hath wrouyt in me al coueytise; for withouten the lawe, synne was deed.
(And through occasioun taken, sin by the commandment hath/has wrought/done in me all covetous; for without the law, sin was deed.)

Luth Da nahm aber die Sünde Ursache am Gebot und erregte in mir allerlei Lust. Denn ohne das Gesetz war die Sünde tot.
(So took but the sin(n) cause in/at/on_the commandment/command and excited in to_me all_sorts_of_things desire/lust(n). Because without the law what/which the sin(n) dead.)

ClVg Occasione autem accepta, peccatum per mandatum operatum est in me omnem concupiscentiam. Sine lege enim peccatum mortuum erat.[fn]
(Occasione however accepta, sin through command(n) operatum it_is in/into/on me all desire. Sine lawfully because sin dead was. )

7.8 Occasione autem accepta. Quia talis est nostra carnalitas, ut ardentius desideret prohibita: quibus non memoratis, jaceret quasi sopita. Et diabolus videns legem in auxilium hominibus datam, magis exarsit et magis institit, ut eam verteret illis in perniciem, cum prius quasi secure possidens minus tentaret, vel occasione accepta in ipsis rebus, ut visa muliere vel auro. AUG. Minor erat concupiscentia quando ante legem securus peccabas, etc., usque ad omnis est, quando transcendit legem. AMBR. Omnem concupiscentiam, dicens, cuncta peccata signat. Erat enim ante peccatum, sed non omne, quando crimen prævaricationis adhuc deerat. Sed omne peccatum modo accessit, quia etiam prævaricatio. AUG. Aucta est enim concupiscentia ex prohibitione legis, quando adhuc gratia deerat liberantis.

7.8 Occasione however accepta. Because such it_is our carnaltas, as ardentius desideret prohibita: to_whom not/no memoratis, would_lie as_if sopita. And the_devil seeing the_law in/into/on help/aid(n) to_humans datam, more exarsit and more institit, as her verteret to_them in/into/on perniciem, when/with first/before as_if secure get_itns minus tentaret, or on_occasion accepted in/into/on themselves things, as visa woman or with_gold. AUG. Minor was desire when before the_law securus peccabas, etc., until to everyone it_is, when transcends the_law. AMBR. Everything desire, saying, everything sins signs. It_was because before sin, but not/no everything, when crime transgressedonis still deerat. But everything sin just/only came, because also transgressedo. AUG. Aucta it_is because desire from prohibitione law, when still grace deerat liberantis.

UGNT ἀφορμὴν δὲ λαβοῦσα ἡ ἁμαρτία διὰ τῆς ἐντολῆς, κατειργάσατο ἐν ἐμοὶ πᾶσαν ἐπιθυμίαν; χωρὶς γὰρ νόμου, ἁμαρτία νεκρά.
(aformaʸn de labousa haʸ hamartia dia taʸs entolaʸs, kateirgasato en emoi pasan epithumian; ⱪōris gar nomou, hamartia nekra.)

SBL-GNT ἀφορμὴν δὲ λαβοῦσα ἡ ἁμαρτία διὰ τῆς ἐντολῆς κατειργάσατο ἐν ἐμοὶ πᾶσαν ἐπιθυμίαν, χωρὶς γὰρ νόμου ἁμαρτία νεκρά.
(aformaʸn de labousa haʸ hamartia dia taʸs entolaʸs kateirgasato en emoi pasan epithumian, ⱪōris gar nomou hamartia nekra.)

RP-GNT ἀφορμὴν δὲ λαβοῦσα ἡ ἁμαρτία διὰ τῆς ἐντολῆς κατειργάσατο ἐν ἐμοὶ πᾶσαν ἐπιθυμίαν· χωρὶς γὰρ νόμου ἁμαρτία νεκρά.
(aformaʸn de labousa haʸ hamartia dia taʸs entolaʸs kateirgasato en emoi pasan epithumian; ⱪōris gar nomou hamartia nekra.)

TC-GNT ἀφορμὴν δὲ λαβοῦσα ἡ ἁμαρτία διὰ τῆς ἐντολῆς κατειργάσατο ἐν ἐμοὶ πᾶσαν ἐπιθυμίαν· χωρὶς γὰρ νόμου ἁμαρτία νεκρά.
(aformaʸn de labousa haʸ hamartia dia taʸs entolaʸs kateirgasato en emoi pasan epithumian; ⱪōris gar nomou hamartia nekra. )

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs (from our SR-GNT base).

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 7:7–12: It is sin that is bad, not the laws

In the last section Paul said that believers died to the law of Moses (7:4), that it is obsolete (7:6), and that it arouses sinful passions (7:5). In this section Paul answered a possible wrong conclusion that someone might make from what he just said. Someone might think that Paul meant that the law is sinful. But Paul clearly indicated that he did not think that. The laws of Moses point out what is sin, and sin causes people to want to do the things that the law says are sin. Sinning leads to death. The laws of Moses are holy and good. But the commandments make it clear what sin is and at the same time arouse sinful passions. Those passions lead to death.

Here are other possible headings for this section:

What about the Laws of Moses and sin?

God’s Law Reveals Our Sin (NLT)

Sin deceives us but the law is holy

General Comment on 7:7–25

Paul used the word “I” in this section and 7:13–25 too. There are at least seven different waysSee Cranfield (pages 342–344). that scholars think what Paul meant by “I” here. Here are the five main ones:

Paul was referring to himself as a Christian,See Schreiner (pages 359–364). implying all believers think the same way and have the same struggles.
Paul, as a believer, spoke of his experience before he believed. He spoke generally enough so that other people can see that they had similar struggles.See Jewett (pages 441–444). Paul then spoke about where we stand as believers regarding these struggles in chapter 8.
It refers generally to anyone who is not a believer but wants to be a good person by following the law. Paul used “I” to make the struggles in these verses more personal. Chapter 8 then explains the victory that believers have in contrast to the person of 7:7–25.
Paul was referring to Adam and from that all people.
Paul was referring to the history of Israel.

It is recommended that you use “I” in these verses.The English versions also use “I” and do not explain it in their translations.

7:8a–b

But sin, seizing its opportunity through the commandment, produced in me: The figure of speech here speaks of sin as a person that seized its opportunity. Some languages must translate the meaning without the figure of speech. For example:

through the existence of the commandment, the power of sin caused me to have

sin was like a bad/evil person, who seeing an opportunity because of what the commandment said, caused/pulled me into

7:8a

But sin, seizing its opportunity through the commandment,

And sin took the opportunities/openings by using the command
With that law/command as/like a tool, sin took any chance/occasion

But: There is contrast of “Do not covet” (7:7e) with sin producing all kinds of coveting (7:8a–b). But there is no contrast to the main point of 7:7 (“if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin”). Some languages will not see the connection as contrast here. For example:

When…Otomi Back Translation on TW.

And (NCV)

seizing its opportunity: The Greek word that the BSB translates as seizing is literally “having taken.” Sin, as if it were a person, saw an opportunity to cause Paul to covet. That opportunity came about because the law said “do not covet,” and Paul (and anyone for that matter) then wanted what did not belong to him. Here are other ways to translate these words:

finding an opportunity (NABRE)

took the opportunity (GW)

its opportunity: The word opportunity refers to a situation that someone can use to their benefit. Paul may have seen a nice house or nice clothing that belonged to someone else, and sin took that situation and tempted Paul to covet those things. Here are other ways to translate this word:

a chance

a road/way

possibility

through the commandment: Here the word through refers to something being used as a tool to do something.Dunn (page 380) calls it the “instrument” of sin. Here it indicates that the commandment was like a tool that sin used to influence Paul. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

in the commandment (NABRE)

using this commandment

the commandment: This refers to the words of someone in authority saying what should be done or what should not be done.

The word commandment is singular and a different Greek word that the word translated as “law” in 7:7. So it probably refers to the one law Paul mentioned in 7:7: “You shall not covet.”Jewett (pages 449–450), Witherington (page 189), Moo (on TW).

Some languages use the same word for “law” and commandment. If that is true in your language, refer to the law in 7:7e. For example:

that law

7:8b

produced in me every kind of covetous desire.

and created in me every kind of desire to take for myself the things of someone else,
and caused inside me to desire all kinds of other people’s things.

produced in me: The Greek word that the BSB translates as produced refers to causing something to existBDAG (page 531). and focuses on the result rather than the action itself.Moulton and Milligan (page 335). Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

making me have (CEV)

work in my heart with the result thatUma Back Translation on TW.

The Greek tense is a simple past. It is not clear if Paul implied whether this action had stopped or continued at the time he wrote this letter. Later he talked about his feelings at the time using the present tense. But here you should use the past tense.

every kind of covetous desire: The phrase covetous desire refers to desiring to possess for oneself something that belongs to someone else, like “covet” in 7:7. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

all kinds of coveting

all ways to covet

7:8c

For apart from the law, sin is dead.

because without the Laws, sin is like something dead.
For if the laws of Moses did not exist, sinning would have no power.

For: This conjunction introduces the basis for Paul saying that sin used the law like a tool to cause Paul to covet. Here is another way to translate this word:

because

apart from the law: This phrase supposes there is no law for the sake of what Paul said next. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

without the law (KJV)

If there were no law (NLT)

the law: Here the word law refers to the laws of Moses.

sin is dead: The Greek has no verb here. In English usually a form of “be/is” can be added. Another way to translate this expression is:

sin lies dead (ESV)

The word dead is figurative here. It refers to sin being without power. Some languages will need to:

Change it to a simile. For example:
sin is like a dead thing
Translate without the figure of speech. For example:
sin has no power (NCV)

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / personification

ἀφορμὴν & λαβοῦσα ἡ ἁμαρτία διὰ τῆς ἐντολῆς, κατειργάσατο ἐν ἐμοὶ πᾶσαν ἐπιθυμίαν

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἀφορμήν Δέ λαβοῦσα ἡ ἁμαρτία διά τῆς ἐντολῆς κατειργάσατο ἐν ἐμοί πασᾶν ἐπιθυμίαν χωρίς γάρ νόμου ἁμαρτία νεκρά)

Here Paul speaks of sin as if it were a person who could take an opportunity and produce covetousness within a person. Paul means that his desire to sin by coveting increased when he learned the commandment that prohibits coveting. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [my desire to sin, increasing as a result of the commandment, led me to covet]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

τῆς ἐντολῆς

the commandment

Here, the commandment refers specifically to the command, “You will not covet,” in the previous verse. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: [the command that we should not covet]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

τῆς ἐντολῆς

the commandment

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of commandment, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: [what God commanded]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

ἐπιθυμίαν

covetousness

See how you translated covetousness in the previous verse.

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / personification

χωρὶς & νόμου, ἁμαρτία νεκρά