Romans 6:21
in Romans 6What fruit did you reap at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? The outcome of those things is death.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
What fruit then had ye at that time in the things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
KJV
What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
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This verse in Romans 6
Commentary
14 notes on this verse"What fruit, therefore," he says, "did you have then in those things of which you are now ashamed? For their end is death." Divine Scripture teaches that there is fruit both of good things and of evil, as the Savior himself says in the Gospels: "Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree evil, and its fruit evil. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruits, nor an evil tree good fruits."
This site's exposition
free of obligation to righteousness
on Romans 6:20-21
Slaves to sin were free of obligation to righteousness, and verse 20 states that plainly. Verse 21 asks what fruit came of it, the things these readers are now ashamed of, with death as the outcome. The shame itself marks a standard that has changed.
This site's exposition
the things of which you are now ashamed
Chrysostom reasons that if the memory of the old life makes them ashamed, the life itself was worse. Matthew Henry looks to the outcome, a road pleasant at the start and bitter at the end. The fruit reaped then was death.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
So great was the slavery, that even the recollection of it now makes you ashamed; but if the recollection makes one ashamed, the reality would much more. And so you gained now in two ways, in having been freed from the shame; and also in having come to know the condition you were in; just as then ye were injured in two ways, in doing things deserving shame, and in not even knowing to be ashamed. And this is worse than the former. Yet still ye kept in a state of servitude. Having then proved most abundantly the harm of what took place then from the shame of it, he comes to the thing in question. Now what is this thing? "For the end of those things is death." Since then shame seems to be no such serious evil, he comes to what is very fearful, I mean death; though in good truth what he had before mentioned were enough. For consider how exceeding great the mischief must be, inasmuch as, even when freed from the vengeance due to it, they could not get free of the shame. What wages then, he says, do you expect from the reality, when from the bare recollection, and that too when you are freed from the vengeance, you hide your face and blush, though under such grace as you are! But God's side is far otherwise.
What are the fruits of sin? Learning from them what a good life is we are ashamed by the way we lived so wickedly before. And it is not only that the opinion of the pagans is wicked but also the heresy which is found …
The Medieval Church2 voices
Then when he says, what fruit therefore, he shows the effect of sin. One effect he excludes, namely, a fruitful return, when he says, what fruit therefore had you, namely, when you were committing those sins. For the works of sin are unfruitful, because they …
And what fruit did you have from impurity? None, except dishonor — and why do I speak of dishonor? You had death as your fruit: "for the end of those things is death," both bodily very often, and spiritual always. But from death you have …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Nay, your having been so formerly tends much to the magnifying of divine mercy and grace in the happy change. God be thanked that the former sinfulness is such a foil and such a spur to your present holiness." [2.] You have yielded your members servants to uncleanness, and to iniquity unto iniquity,
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
6 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
He argues from the end of all these things. it is the prerogative of rational creatures that they are endued with a power of prospect, are capable of looking forward, considering the latter end of things. To persuade us from sin to holiness here are blessing and cursing, good and evil, life and death, set before us; and we are put to our choice. (1.) The end of sin is death (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
): The end of those things is death. Though the way may seem pleasant and inviting, yet the end is dismal: at the last it bites; it will be bitterness in the latter end. The wages of sin is death,
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
What fruit had ye then in those things?.... That is, what profit, pleasure, satisfaction, or comfort, had ye in the commission of sin? Sin yields no real profit to the servants of it.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
What fruit, then ... - What reward, or what advantage. This is an argument drawn from the experience of Christians respecting the indulgence of sinful passions. The question discussed throughout this chapter is, whether the gospel plan of justification by faith leads to indulgence in sin? The argument here is drawn from the past experience which Christians have had in the ways of transgression. They have tried it; they know its effects; they have tasted its bitterness; they have reaped its fruits.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death--What permanent advantage, and what abiding satisfaction, have those things yielded? The apostle answers his own question:--"Abiding satisfaction, did I ask?
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
What fruit had ye then in those things - God designs that every man shall reap benefit by his service. What benefit have ye derived from the service of sin? Whereof ye are now ashamed? - Ye blush to remember your former life. It was scandalous to yourselves, injurious to others, and highly provoking to God. The end of those things is death - Whatever sin may promise of pleasure or advantage, the end to which it necessarily tends is the destruction of body and soul.
The words behind it
14 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| τίνα | tina | What | G5101 → | 563 times |
| οὖν | oun | therefore | G3767 → | 497 times |
| καρπὸν | karpon | fruit | G2590 → | 66 times |
| εἴχετε | eichete | had you | G2192 → | 707 times |
| τότε, | tote | then | G5119 → | |
| ἐφ᾽ | eph᾽ | in the [things] | G1909 → | 883 times |
| οἷς | hois | of which | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| νῦν | nun | now | G3568 → | 145 times |
| ἐπαισχύνεσθε; | epaischunesthe | you are ashamed? | G1870 → | |
| τὸ | to | The | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| γὰρ | gar | for | G1063 → | 1039 times |
| τέλος | telos | end | G5056 → | 40 times |
| ἐκείνων | ekeinon | of those things | G1565 → | 260 times |
| θάνατος. | thanatos | [is] death. | G2288 → | 120 times |
τίναWhat
tinaG5101 →563 times
οὖνtherefore
ounG3767 →497 times
καρπὸνfruit
karponG2590 →66 times
εἴχετεhad you
eicheteG2192 →707 times
τότε,then
toteG5119 →
ἐφ᾽in the [things]
eph᾽G1909 →883 times
οἷςof which
hoisG3739 →1405 times
νῦνnow
nunG3568 →145 times
ἐπαισχύνεσθε;you are ashamed?
epaischunestheG1870 →
τὸThe
toG3588 →19766 times
γὰρfor
garG1063 →1039 times
τέλοςend
telosG5056 →40 times
ἐκείνωνof those things
ekeinonG1565 →260 times
θάνατος.[is] death.
thanatosG2288 →120 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Romans 6:23For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
it leads to
- John 3:36
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. Whoever rejects the Son will not see life. Instead, the wrath of God remains on him.”
- Romans 5:12
Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, so also death was passed on to all men, because all sinned.
- James 1:15
Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
- John 6:40
For it is My Father’s will that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”
- Ezekiel 18:20
The soul who sins is the one who will die. A son will not bear the iniquity of his father, and a father will not bear the iniquity of his son. The righteousness of…
- John 3:36
Through
Proverbs 14:12There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.
it leads to
- Proverbs 16:25
There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.
- Matthew 7:13–14
Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.
- Proverbs 12:15
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to counsel.
- Proverbs 16:25
Where this verse is studied
About Romans
This page draws on 12 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrosiaster, COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES; Frederic Godet, Commentary on St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Romans 12; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Origen of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Romans and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Romans.