Romans 7 · Verse 5

Romans 7:5

For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.

Romans 7:5, King James Version

Romans 7:5 in other translations

BSB	For when we lived according to the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, bearing fruit for death.
WEB	For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were through the law worked in our members to bring out fruit to death.
ASV	For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were through the law, wrought in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.
YLT	for when we were in the flesh, the passions of the sins, that are through the law, were working in our members, to bear fruit to the death;
DARBY	For when we were in the flesh the passions of sins, which were by the law, wrought in our members to bring forth fruit to death;
BBE	For when we were in the flesh, the evil passions which came into being through the law were working in our bodies to give the fruit of death.
Webster	For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit to death:

What does Romans 7:5 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

5. For when we were in the flesh--in our unregenerate state, as we came into the world. See on Joh 3:6 and Ro 8:5-9. the motions--"passions" (Margin), "affections" (as in Ga 5:24), or "stirrings." of sins--that is, "prompting to the commission of sins." which were by the law--by occasion of the law, which fretted, irritated our inward corruption by its prohibitions. See on Ro 7:7-9. did work in our members--the members of the body, as the instruments by which these inward stirrings find vent in action, and become facts of the life. See on Ro 6:6. to bring forth fruit unto death--death in the sense of Ro 6:21. Thus hopeless is all holy fruit before union to Christ.

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

Barnes' Notes

Verse 5. For when, etc. The illustration in this verse and the following is designed to show more at length the effect of the law, whenever and wherever applied; whether ill a state of nature or of grace. It was always the same. It was the occasion of agitation and conflict in a man's own mind. This was true when a sinner was under conviction; and it was true when a man was a Christian. In all circumstances where the law was applied to the corrupt mind of man, it produced this agitation and conflict. Even in the Christian's mind it produced this agitation, Rom 7:14-24, as it had done and would do in the mind of a sinner under conviction, Rom 7:7-12 and consequently there was no hope of release but in the delivering and sanctifying power of the gospel, Rom 7:25, 8:1-3.

In the flesh. Unconverted; subject to the controlling passions and propensities of a corrupt nature. Comp. Rom 7:8,9. The connexion shows that this must be the meaning here, and the design of this illustration is to show the effect of the law before a man is converted, Rom 7:5-12. This is the obvious meaning, and all the laws of interpretation require us so to understand it.

The motions of sins. (ταπαθηματα). This translation is unhappy. The expression "motions of sins" conveys no idea. The original means simply the passions, the evil affections, the corrupt desires. See the margin. The expression, passions of sins, is a Hebraism, meaning sinful passions, and refers here to the corrupt propensities and inclinations of the unrenewed heart.

Which were by the law. Not that they were originated or created by the law; for a law does not originate evil propensities, and a holy law would not cause sinful passions; but they were excited, called up, inflamed by tile law, which forbids their indulgence.

Did work in our members. In our body; that is, in us. Those sinful propensities made use of our members as instruments to secure gratification. Rom 6:12,13. Comp. Rom 7:23.

To bring forth fruit unto death. To produce crime, agitation, conflict, distress, and to lead to death. We were brought under the dominion of death; and the consequence of the indulgence of those passions would be fatal. Comp. Rom 6:21.

(m) "in the flesh" Rom 8:8,9 (1) "motions" or, "passions" (n) "bring forth fruit unto death" Rom 6:21

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 5 For, when we were in the flesh - When we were without the Gospel, in our carnal and unregenerated state, though believing in the law of Moses, and performing the rites and offices of our religion. The motions of sins, which were by the law - Τα παθηματα των ἁμαρτιων, the passions of sins, the evil propensities to sins; to every particular sin there is a propensity: one propensity does not excite to all kinds of sinful acts; hence the apostle uses the plural number, the Passions or propensities of Sins; sins being not more various than their propensities in the unregenerate heart, which excite to them. These παθηματα, propensities, constitute the fallen nature; they are the disease of the heart, the pollution and corruption of the soul. Did work in our members - The evil propensity acts εν τοις μελεσιν, in the whole nervous and muscular system, applying that stimulus to every part which is necessary to excite them to action. To bring forth fruit unto death - To produce those acts of transgression which subject the sinner to death, temporal and eternal. When the apostle says, the motion of sin which were by the law, he points out a most striking and invariable characteristic of sin, viz. its rebellious nature; it ever acts against law, and the most powerfully against known law. Because the law requires obedience, therefore it will transgress. The law is equally against evil passions and evil actions, and both these exert themselves against it. So, these motions which were by the law, became roused into the most powerful activity by the prohibitions of the law. They were comparatively dormant till the law said, thou shalt Not do this, thou shalt Do that; then the rebellious principle in the evil propensity became roused, and acts of transgression and omissions of duty were the immediate consequences.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Romans 7:1-6

So long as a man continues under the law as a covenant, and seeks justification by his own obedience, he continues the slave of sin in some form. Nothing but the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, can make any sinner free from the law of sin and death. Believers are delivered from that power of the law, which condemns for the sins committed by them. And they are delivered from that power of the law which stirs up and…

Read the full comment on Romans 7:1-6 →

Romans 7:5 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.

ὅτεhoteWhileG3753

γὰρgarforG1063

ἦμενēmenwe wereG1510

ἐνeninG1722

τῇtēatheG3588

σαρκί,sarkiflesh,G4561

τὰtatheG3588

παθήματαpathēmatapassionsG3804

τῶνtōn<the>G3588

ἁμαρτιῶνhamartiōnof sinsG266

τὰtathat [were]G3588

διὰdiathroughG1223

τοῦtoutheG3588

νόμουnomoulawG3551

ἐνηργεῖτοenērgeitowere at workG1754

ἐνeninG1722

τοῖςtoistheG3588

μέλεσινmelesinmembersG3196

ἡμῶνhēmōnof usG3165

εἰςeistoG1519

τὸtotheG3588

καρποφορῆσαιkarpophorēsaibringing forth of fruitG2592

τῷtō<the>G3588

θανάτῳ·thanatōto death;G2288

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

Cross references for Romans 7:5

Ephesians 2:3
Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
Galatians 5:16-17
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
Galatians 5:24
And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
Galatians 3:10
For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
Romans 6:13
Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
Romans 6:21
What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
Colossians 3:5
Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
1 John 3:4
Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
Romans 7:7-13
What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead. For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. …
1 Corinthians 15:56
The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
Romans 7:23
But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
Romans 5:20
Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

in the flesh.
8:8,9; Joh 3:6; Ga 5:16,17,24; Eph 2:3,11; Tit 3:3
motions. Gr. passions.
1:26; *Gr:
which.
3:20; 4:15; 5:20; 1Co 15:56; 2Co 3:6-9; Ga 3:10; Jas 2:9,10; 1Jo 3:4
did work.
8-13; Mt 15:19; Ga 5:19-21; Jas 1:15
members.
23; 6:13,19; Col 3:5; Jas 4:1
bring.
6:21

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

Context

Romans 7:4
Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
Romans 7:5
For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.
Romans 7:6
But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

Read all of Romans 7

Romans 7:5 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Porque mientras estábamos en la carne, los afectos de los pecados que eran por la ley, obraban en nuestros miembros fructificando para muerte.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Car, quand nous étions dans la chair, les passions des péchés, lesquelles sont par la loi, agissaient dans nos membres pour porter du fruit pour la mort;
German Elberfelder 1871	Denn als wir im Fleische waren, wirkten die Leidenschaften der Sünden, die durch das Gesetz sind, in unseren Gliedern, um dem Tode Frucht zu bringen.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Cum enim essemus in carne, passiones peccatorum, quæ per legem erant, operabantur in membris nostris, ut fructificarent morti.