Romans 6 · Verse 18

Romans 6:18

Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

Romans 6:18, King James Version

Romans 6:18 in other translations

BSB	You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
WEB	Being made free from sin, you became bondservants of righteousness.
ASV	and being made free from sin, ye became servants of righteousness.
YLT	and having been freed from the sin, ye became servants to the righteousness.
DARBY	Now, having got your freedom from sin, ye have become bondmen to righteousness.
BBE	And being made free from sin you have been made the servants of righteousness.
Webster	Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

What does Romans 6:18 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

18. Being then--"And being"; it is the continuation and conclusion of the preceding sentence; not a new one. made free from Sin, ye became the servants of--"servants to" Righteousness--The case is one of emancipation from entire servitude to one Master to entire servitude to another, whose property we are (see on Ro 1:1). There is no middle state of personal independence; for which we were never made, and to which we have no claim. When we would not that God should reign over us, we were in righteous judgment "sold under Sin"; now being through grace "made free from Sin," it is only to become "servants to Righteousness," which is our true freedom.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes

Verse 18. Being then made free from sin. That is, as a master. You are not under its dominion; you are no longer its slaves. They were made free, as a servant is who is set at liberty, and who is, therefore, no longer under obligation to obey.

Ye became the servants, etc. You became voluntarily under the dominion of righteousness; you yielded yourselves to it; and are therefore bound to be holy. Comp. Jn 8:32.

(a) "free from sin" Jn 8:32

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 18 Being then made free from sin - Ελευθερωθεντες is a term that refers to the manumission of a slave. They were redeemed from the slavery of sin, and became the servants of righteousness. Here is another prosopopoeia: both sin and righteousness are personified: sin can enjoin no good and profitable work; righteousness can require none that is unjust or injurious.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Romans 6:16-20

Every man is the servant of the master to whose commands he yields himself; whether it be the sinful dispositions of his heart, in actions which lead to death, or the new and spiritual obedience implanted by regeneration. The apostle rejoiced now they obeyed from the heart the gospel, into which they were delivered as into a mould. As the same metal becomes a new vessel, when melted and recast in another mould, so…

Read the full comment on Romans 6:16-20 →

Romans 6:18 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ἘλευθερωθέντεςEleutherōthentesHaving been set freeG1659

δὲdenowG1161

ἀπὸapofromG575

τῆςtēs<the>G3588

ἁμαρτίαςhamartiassinG266

ἐδουλώθητεedoulōthēteyou have become slavesG1402

τῇtēa<the>G3588

δικαιοσύνῃ.¶dikaiosunēto righteousness.G1343

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Romans 6:18

Romans 6:22
But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
Galatians 5:1
Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
Romans 8:2
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
John 8:32
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Romans 6:7
For he that is dead is freed from sin.
Isaiah 54:17
No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.
Romans 6:14
For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
1 Peter 2:16
As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.
Isaiah 26:13
O Lord our God, other lords beside thee have had dominion over us: but by thee only will we make mention of thy name.
Psalms 119:45
And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts.
Psalms 119:32
I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart.
Psalms 116:16
O Lord, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

made.
14; Ps 116:16; 119:32,45; Lu 1:74,75; Joh 8:32,36; 1Co 7:21,22
Ga 5:1; 1Pe 2:16
servants.
19,20,22; Isa 26:13; 54:17

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Romans 6:17
But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
Romans 6:18
Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
Romans 6:19
I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.

Read all of Romans 6

Romans 6:18 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Y libertados del pecado, sois hechos siervos de la justicia.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Mais ayant été affranchis du péché, vous avez été asservis à la justice
German Elberfelder 1871	Freigemacht aber von der Sünde, seid ihr Sklaven der Gerechtigkeit geworden.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Liberati autem a peccato, servi facti estis justitiæ.