Romans 7

A woman bound while her husband lives — you, put to death to the law, become another’s. Is the law sin — may it not be. Desire known through you shall not desire; sin taking a foothold in the commandment and living again; the commandment for life found to be for death. A holy, righteous, good commandment and an I sold under sin. Not practising what I want, doing what I hate — sin dwelling in me. Delight of the inner man and another law in the members. Wretched man that I am — grace to God.

Ἢ ἀγνοεῖτε, ἀδελφοί, γινώσκουσιν γὰρ νόμον λαλῶ, ὅτι ὁ νόμος κυριεύει τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐφ’ ὅσον χρόνον ζῇ;

Or are you ignorant, brothers — for I speak to those who know law — that the law lords it over a man for as long a time as he lives?

ἡ γὰρ ὕπανδρος γυνὴ τῷ ζῶντι ἀνδρὶ δέδεται νόμῳ· ἐὰν δὲ ἀποθάνῃ ὁ ἀνήρ, κατήργηται ἀπὸ τοῦ νόμου τοῦ ἀνδρός.

For the married woman is bound by law to the living husband; but if the husband dies, she is abolished from the law of the husband.

ἄρα οὖν ζῶντος τοῦ ἀνδρὸς μοιχαλὶς χρηματίσει ἐὰν γένηται ἀνδρὶ ἑτέρῳ· ἐὰν δὲ ἀποθάνῃ ὁ ἀνήρ, ἐλευθέρα ἐστὶν ἀπὸ τοῦ νόμου, τοῦ μὴ εἶναι αὐτὴν μοιχαλίδα γενομένην ἀνδρὶ ἑτέρῳ.

So then, while the husband lives she will be called an adulteress if she becomes another man’s; but if the husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress though she has become another man’s.

Ὥστε, ἀδελφοί μου, καὶ ὑμεῖς ἐθανατώθητε τῷ νόμῳ διὰ τοῦ σώματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ, εἰς τὸ γενέσθαι ὑμᾶς ἑτέρῳ, τῷ ἐκ νεκρῶν ἐγερθέντι ἵνα καρποφορήσωμεν τῷ θεῷ.

So, my brothers, you also were put to death to the law through the body of Christ, so that you might become another’s — his who was raised from the dead — so that we might bear fruit to God.

first here Christ Χριστός Christos

Why this rendering

Rom.7.4 Observation

Syntactic observation

Ὥστε, ἀδελφοί μου, καὶ ὑμεῖς ἐθανατώθητε τῷ νόμῳ διὰ τοῦ σώματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ — so, my brothers, you also were put to death to the law through the body of Christ. ἐθανατώθητε is the passive of θανατόω, the verb of Matt 10:21, will put them to death — not the died (ἀποθνῄσκω) of chapter 6 — and to the law (τῷ νόμῳ) is the same dative as 6:2, to sin. Vv.2 and 6 κατήργηται ἀπὸ τοῦ νόμου, abolished from the law, is the καταργέω of 3:3, 3:31 and 4:14 now with a person as subject — this edition keeps abolished and leaves the strangeness, since released would cut the thread to chapter 3. V.3 χρηματίσει, will be called, is the verb of Acts 11:26, were called Christians; μοιχαλίς, adulteress, the word of Matt 12:39, an adulterous generation. V.1 for as long a time as he lives and v.2 the living husband are tied by live. V.5 παθήματα, passions, is the same word as 8:18, the sufferings of the present time — this language renders it by site (recorded as a loss). V.6 καινότης πνεύματος ↔ παλαιότης γράμματος (newness of spirit ↔ oldness of writing) sets against each other the two words of 6:4, newness of life, and 6:6, old man.

Rendering options · 2

Adopted

“abolished from the law” — καταργέω as in chapter 3

Basis One verb, one word — the strangeness belongs to the base text.

“released from the law”

Basis The paraphrase by sense.

Rejected It hides that this is the verb of 3:31, do we abolish law?

Lost in translation

πάθημα is one word at 7:5 (passions of sins) and 8:18 (sufferings), and this language splits it.

this edition — none of the nine carries it (measured)

ὅτε γὰρ ἦμεν ἐν τῇ σαρκί, τὰ παθήματα τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν τὰ διὰ τοῦ νόμου ἐνηργεῖτο ἐν τοῖς μέλεσιν ἡμῶν εἰς τὸ καρποφορῆσαι τῷ θανάτῳ·

For when we were in the flesh, the passions of sins, which were through the law, were working in our members to bear fruit to death;

νυνὶ δὲ κατηργήθημεν ἀπὸ τοῦ νόμου, ἀποθανόντες ἐν ᾧ κατειχόμεθα, ὥστε δουλεύειν ἡμᾶς ἐν καινότητι πνεύματος καὶ οὐ παλαιότητι γράμματος.

but now we were abolished from the law, having died to that in which we were held, so that we are slaves in newness of spirit and not in oldness of writing.

Τί οὖν ἐροῦμεν; ὁ νόμος ἁμαρτία; μὴ γένοιτο· ἀλλὰ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν οὐκ ἔγνων εἰ μὴ διὰ νόμου, τήν τε γὰρ ἐπιθυμίαν οὐκ ᾔδειν εἰ μὴ ὁ νόμος ἔλεγεν· Οὐκ ἐπιθυμήσεις·

What then shall we say? Is the law sin? May it not be! But I did not know sin except through law; for I would not have known desire if the law had not said, “You shall not desire.”

ἀφορμὴν δὲ λαβοῦσα ἡ ἁμαρτία διὰ τῆς ἐντολῆς κατειργάσατο ἐν ἐμοὶ πᾶσαν ἐπιθυμίαν, χωρὶς γὰρ νόμου ἁμαρτία νεκρά.

But sin, taking a foothold through the commandment, worked out in me every desire; for apart from law sin is dead.

Why this rendering

Rom.7.8 Observation

Syntactic observation

ἀφορμὴν δὲ λαβοῦσα ἡ ἁμαρτία διὰ τῆς ἐντολῆς κατειργάσατο ἐν ἐμοὶ πᾶσαν ἐπιθυμίαν — but sin, taking a foothold through the commandment, worked out in me every desire. ἀφορμή, foothold, is the word for a base from which an army sets out — kept apart from opportunity (εὐκαιρία, Matt 26:16) in vv.8 and 11. V.7 you shall not desire (Οὐκ ἐπιθυμήσεις) is the tenth commandment of Exodus 20:17 and has no object; this edition adds none. ἐπιθυμία (desire) and ἐπιθυμέω (desire) stand in one verse, and this language keeps them on one root. V.9 ἀνέζησεν, lived again, is the verb of Luke 15:24, was dead and lived again — here it is sin that lives again. Who the I (ἐγώ) of vv.7-25 is — Paul, Adam, Israel under the law, humanity — the base text does not say; this edition keeps I and does not decide. V.10 εὑρέθη, was found, is the passive of εὑρίσκω, the verb of Matt 13:46, finding. V.11 ἐξηπάτησεν, beguiled, is the verb of the Septuagint at Genesis 3:13, the serpent beguiled me.

Rendering options · 1

Adopted

“I” — left undecided

Basis What the base text does not say the translation does not decide.

ἐγὼ δὲ ἔζων χωρὶς νόμου ποτέ· ἐλθούσης δὲ τῆς ἐντολῆς ἡ ἁμαρτία ἀνέζησεν,

And I was once living apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin lived again,

ἐγὼ δὲ ἀπέθανον, καὶ εὑρέθη μοι ἡ ἐντολὴ ἡ εἰς ζωὴν αὕτη εἰς θάνατον·

and I died, and the commandment that was for life was found by me to be for death;

ἡ γὰρ ἁμαρτία ἀφορμὴν λαβοῦσα διὰ τῆς ἐντολῆς ἐξηπάτησέν με καὶ δι’ αὐτῆς ἀπέκτεινεν.

for sin, taking a foothold through the commandment, beguiled me and through it killed me.

ὥστε ὁ μὲν νόμος ἅγιος, καὶ ἡ ἐντολὴ ἁγία καὶ δικαία καὶ ἀγαθή.

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

Τὸ οὖν ἀγαθὸν ἐμοὶ ⸀ἐγένετο θάνατος; μὴ γένοιτο· ἀλλὰ ἡ ἁμαρτία, ἵνα φανῇ ἁμαρτία διὰ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ μοι κατεργαζομένη θάνατον· ἵνα γένηται καθ’ ὑπερβολὴν ἁμαρτωλὸς ἡ ἁμαρτία διὰ τῆς ἐντολῆς.

Did the good, then, become death to me? May it not be! Rather, sin did — so that it might appear as sin, working out death to me through the good — so that sin might become exceedingly sinful through the commandment.

Οἴδαμεν γὰρ ὅτι ὁ νόμος πνευματικός ἐστιν· ἐγὼ δὲ ⸀σάρκινός εἰμι, πεπραμένος ὑπὸ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν.

For we know that the law is spiritual; but I am of flesh, sold under sin.

ὃ γὰρ κατεργάζομαι οὐ γινώσκω· οὐ γὰρ ὃ θέλω τοῦτο πράσσω, ἀλλ’ ὃ μισῶ τοῦτο ποιῶ.

For what I work out I do not know; for what I want, this I do not practise, but what I hate, this I do.

Why this rendering

Rom.7.15 Observation

Syntactic observation

ὃ γὰρ κατεργάζομαι οὐ γινώσκω· οὐ γὰρ ὃ θέλω τοῦτο πράσσω, ἀλλ’ ὃ μισῶ τοῦτο ποιῶ — for what I work out I do not know; for what I want, this I do not practise, but what I hate, this I do. Vv.15-20 alternate three verbs of doing — κατεργάζομαι (work out: vv.15, 17, 18, 20), πράσσω (practise: vv.15, 19), ποιέω (do: vv.15, 16, 19, 20, 21); this edition keeps them apart as work out / practise / do, the pairing held since 1:32 and 2:3. There are also two words for good — ἀγαθός (vv.12, 13, 18, 19) and καλός (vv.16, 18, 21) — and this language has only good for both (recorded as a loss). Vv.17 and 20 ἡ οἰκοῦσα ἐν ἐμοὶ ἁμαρτία, the sin dwelling in me: οἰκέω is one root with κατοικέω, the settled of Matt 2:23. Vv.17 and 20 are the same sentence — the base text repeats it, and so does this edition. V.18 παράκειται, lies beside, stands only here and in v.21 in the New Testament — the wanting and the evil both lie beside.

Rendering options · 1

Adopted

“work out / practise / do” — three verbs kept as three

Basis Where the base text distinguishes, so does the rendering.

Lost in translation

ἀγαθός ↔ καλός — this language has good for both and loses the pair.

Survives in · this edition — 1 of the nine carry it (not this language)

εἰ δὲ ὃ οὐ θέλω τοῦτο ποιῶ, σύμφημι τῷ νόμῳ ὅτι καλός.

But if what I do not want, this I do, I agree with the law that it is good.

νυνὶ δὲ οὐκέτι ἐγὼ κατεργάζομαι αὐτὸ ἀλλὰ ἡ ⸀οἰκοῦσα ἐν ἐμοὶ ἁμαρτία.

But now it is no longer I who work it out, but the sin dwelling in me.

οἶδα γὰρ ὅτι οὐκ οἰκεῖ ἐν ἐμοί, τοῦτ’ ἔστιν ἐν τῇ σαρκί μου, ἀγαθόν· τὸ γὰρ θέλειν παράκειταί μοι, τὸ δὲ κατεργάζεσθαι τὸ καλὸν ⸀οὔ·

For I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh; for to want lies beside me, but to work out the good does not.

οὐ γὰρ ὃ θέλω ποιῶ ἀγαθόν, ἀλλὰ ὃ οὐ θέλω κακὸν τοῦτο πράσσω.

For the good that I want I do not do, but the evil that I do not want, this I practise.

εἰ δὲ ὃ οὐ ⸀θέλω τοῦτο ποιῶ, οὐκέτι ἐγὼ κατεργάζομαι αὐτὸ ἀλλὰ ἡ οἰκοῦσα ἐν ἐμοὶ ἁμαρτία.

But if what I do not want, this I do, it is no longer I who work it out, but the sin dwelling in me.

Εὑρίσκω ἄρα τὸν νόμον τῷ θέλοντι ἐμοὶ ποιεῖν τὸ καλὸν ὅτι ἐμοὶ τὸ κακὸν παράκειται·

I find, then, this law: that to me who wants to do the good, the evil lies beside me.

συνήδομαι γὰρ τῷ νόμῳ τοῦ θεοῦ κατὰ τὸν ἔσω ἄνθρωπον,

For I delight together in the law of God according to the inner man,

βλέπω δὲ ἕτερον νόμον ἐν τοῖς μέλεσίν μου ἀντιστρατευόμενον τῷ νόμῳ τοῦ νοός μου καὶ αἰχμαλωτίζοντά με ⸀ἐν τῷ νόμῳ τῆς ἁμαρτίας τῷ ὄντι ἐν τοῖς μέλεσίν μου.

but I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind and taking me captive in the law of sin that is in my members.

ταλαίπωρος ἐγὼ ἄνθρωπος· τίς με ῥύσεται ἐκ τοῦ σώματος τοῦ θανάτου τούτου;

Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from the body of this death?

Why this rendering

Rom.7.24 Observation

Syntactic observation

ταλαίπωρος ἐγὼ ἄνθρωπος· τίς με ῥύσεται ἐκ τοῦ σώματος τοῦ θανάτου τούτου — wretched man that I am! who will rescue me from the body of this death? τούτου (this) stands right after θανάτου (death) but can attach to σώματος (body) — the body of this death, or this body of death; this edition keeps the word order and lets the reader hold both. In vv.21-25 νόμος, law, comes seven times with different genitives — the law of God, the law of my mind, the law of sin, another law in the members, this law of v.21; this edition keeps law for all seven and does not paraphrase as principle (the decision of 3:27) — the strange places are the base text’s own. V.22 τὸν ἔσω ἄνθρωπον, the inner man: ἔσω is the word of Matt 26:58, going inside. V.23 ἀντιστρατευόμενον, warring against, is a word of στρατεύομαι, serve as a soldier (Luke 3:14), and αἰχμαλωτίζοντα, taking captive, the verb of Luke 21:24, led captive — the military figure of chapter 6 continues. V.25 χάρις τῷ θεῷ, grace to God, is the exclamation of 6:17, and the Ἄρα οὖν (so then) that follows keeps the base text’s order, conclusion after exclamation — not rearranged. ῥύσεται, rescue, is the verb of Matt 6:13, deliver us from the evil.

Rendering options · 2

Adopted

“law” seven times — only the genitives change

Basis As decided at 3:27.

“principle”

Basis The paraphrase by sense.

Rejected One word taking seven different genitives is the structure of the passage.

⸀χάρις τῷ θεῷ διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν. Ἄρα οὖν αὐτὸς ἐγὼ τῷ μὲν νοῒ δουλεύω νόμῳ θεοῦ, τῇ δὲ σαρκὶ νόμῳ ἁμαρτίας.

Grace to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself with the mind am a slave to the law of God, but with the flesh to the law of sin.

first here Jesus Ἰησοῦς Iēsous