Skip to content
mannafest.faith
Read

Romans 5:14

in Romans 5

Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who did not sin in the way that Adam transgressed. He is a pattern of the One to come.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the likeness of Adam’s transgression, who is a figure of him that was to come.

KJV

Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.

⋯

This verse in Romans 5

Commentary

7 notes on this verse

A commentator

Irenaeus

Against Heresies Book III · Written before 202.

For it was incumbent upon the Mediator between God and men, by His relationship to both, to bring both to friendship and concord, and present man to God, while He revealed God to man. For, in what way could we be partaken of the adoption of sons, unless we had received from Him through the Son that fellowship which refers to Himself, unless His Word, having been made flesh, had entered into communion with us? Wherefore also He passed through every stage of life, restoring to all communion with God.

This site's exposition

sin was in the world before the law

on Romans 5:13-14

Sin was already in the world before the law came, and death reigned from Adam until Moses. Those who died in that stretch lived before any written command stood over them, and death took them from Adam's one act. Verse 14 calls Adam a pattern of the One to come.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses,.... Though the law of Moses was not yet given, death exerted itself, and extended its dominion over all the sons and daughters of Adam, during the interval between Adam and Moses; which clearly shows that sin was in the world, and that there must be a law in being, which that was a transgression of: death is represented as a king, as sin and Satan sometimes are; and indeed, death reigns by sin, and Satan both by sin and death; their empires rise, stand, and fall together.

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)

Death reigned - And how vast is his kingdom! Scarce can we find any king who has as many subjects, as are the kings whom he hath conquered. Even over them that had not sinned after the likeness of Adam's transgression - Even over infants who had never sinned, as Adam did, in their own persons; and over others who had not, like him, sinned against an express law.

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

Sin was in the world before the law; witness Cain's murder, the apostasy of the old world, the wickedness of Sodom. His inference hence is, Therefore there was a law; for sin is not imputed where there is no law. Original sin is a want of conformity to, and actual sin is a transgression of, the law of God: therefore all were under some law.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses - This supposes, as Dr. Taylor very properly observes: - 1. That sin was in the world from Adam to Moses. 2. That law was not in the world from Adam to Moses during the space of about 2500 years; for, after Adam’s transgression, that law was abrogated; and, from that time, men were either under the general covenant of grace given to Adam or Noah, or under that which was specially made with Abraham.

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

"This clause is inserted on the first mention of the name "Adam," the one man of whom he is speaking, to recall the purpose for which he is treating of him, as the figure of Christ" [ALFORD].

The words behind it

24 Greek words

Every 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.

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

18 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

1 Corinthians 15:55“Where, O Death, is your victory? Where, O Death, is your sting?”9 worksRomans 5:21so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.8 works1 Corinthians 15:45So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being;” the last Adam a life-giving spirit.7 worksHebrews 9:27Just as man is appointed to die once, and after that to face judgment,5 worksRomans 5:17For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive an abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!5 worksRomans 8:22We know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until the present time.4 works
The other 12 cross-references, with their words ▾
Genesis 7:22Of all that was on dry land, everything that had the breath of life in its nostrils died.4 worksRomans 6:9For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, He cannot die again; death no longer has dominion over Him.4 worksGenesis 19:25Thus He destroyed these cities and the entire plain, including all the inhabitants of the cities and everything that grew on the ground.3 worksRomans 8:20For the creation was subjected to futility, not by its own will, but because of the One who subjected it, in hope3 worksHosea 6:7But they, like Adam, have transgressed the covenant; there they were unfaithful to Me.3 worksJonah 4:11So should I not care about the great city of Nineveh, which has more than 120,000 people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well?”3 worksHebrews 9:9It is an illustration for the present time, because the gifts and sacrifices being offered were unable to cleanse the conscience of the worshiper.3 worksGenesis 4:8Then Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go out to the field.” And while they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.2 worksExodus 1:6Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died,2 worksGenesis 5:5–31So Adam lived a total of 930 years, and then he died.2 worksExodus 1:22Then Pharaoh commanded all his people: “Every son born to the Hebrews you must throw into the Nile, but every daughter you may allow to live.”2 works1 Corinthians 10:6These things took place as examples to keep us from craving evil things as they did.2 works

The walk

8 stops

Each 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

    Hebrews 9:27

    Just as man is appointed to die once, and after that to face judgment,

    it leads to

    • 2 Corinthians 5:10

      For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive his due for the things done in the body, whether good or bad.

    • Ecclesiastes 12:7

      before the dust returns to the ground from which it came and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

    • Ecclesiastes 12:14

      For God will bring every deed into judgment, along with every hidden thing, whether good or evil.

    • Acts 17:31

      For He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the Man He has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead.”

    • 2 Samuel 14:14

      For surely we will die and be like water poured out on the ground, which cannot be recovered. Yet God does not take away a life; but He devises ways that the banished one…

  • Through

    Romans 5:17

    For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive an abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in…

    it leads to

  • Through

    1 Corinthians 15:45

    So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being;” the last Adam a life-giving spirit.

    it leads to

    • Genesis 2:7

      Then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • John 5:21

      For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom He wishes.

Where this verse is studied

About Romans

The Crucifixion — Gustave Doré (engraving, public domain)
The Crucifixion — Gustave Doré (engraving, public domain)
Romans: the study guide →Read Romans 5 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Irenaeus, Against Heresies Book III; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Robert Haldane, Exposition of the Epistle to the Romans.

Read on in Romans 5 →