Romans 5:20

Geneva Bible (1560)

Moreouer the Law entred thereupon that the offence shoulde abound: neuerthelesse, where sinne abounded, there grace abounded much more:

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Νόμος δὲ παρεισῆλθεν, ἵνα πλεονάσῃ τὸ παράπτωμα. Οὗ δὲ ἐπλεόνασεν ἡ ἁμαρτία, ὑπερεπερίσσευσεν ἡ χάρις:

Transliteration

Nomos de pareisēlthen, in order that might pleonasē the paraptōma. Where de epleonasen the hamartia, hypereperisseusen the charis:

Grammar Details

• *Nomos*: nominative singular masculine - law
• *de*: postpositive conjunction - but/and/now
• *pareisēlthen*: aorist active indicative, 3rd person singular - came in alongside/entered secretly
• *pleonasē*: aorist active subjunctive, 3rd person singular - might abound/increase
• *paraptōma*: nominative singular neuter - trespass/offense
• *epleonasen*: aorist active indicative, 3rd person singular - abounded/increased
• *hamartia*: nominative singular feminine - sin
• *hypereperisseusen*: aorist active indicative, 3rd person singular - superabounded/abounded much more
• *charis*: nominative singular feminine - grace

Word Meanings

• *Nomos*: law/legal system/rule
• *pareisēlthen*: came in alongside/entered secretly/came in besides
• *pleonasē*: might abound/increase/multiply
• *paraptōma*: trespass/offense/transgression/fall
• *epleonasen*: abounded/increased/multiplied
• *hamartia*: sin/wrongdoing/missing the mark
• *hypereperisseusen*: superabounded/abounded much more/overflowed exceedingly
• *charis*: grace/favor/kindness

Referenced Verses

• Ps 25:11 : 11 For thy Names sake, O Lord, be merciful vnto mine iniquitie, for it is great.
• Rom 6:1 : 1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue still in sinne, that grace may abounde? God forbid.
• Titus 3:3-7 : 3 For wee our selues also were in times past vnwise, disobedient, deceiued, seruing the lustes and diuers pleasures, liuing in maliciousnes and enuie, hatefull, and hating one another: 4 But when that bountifulnesse & that loue of God our Sauiour toward man appeared, 5 Not by the woorkes of righteousnesse, which we had done, but according to his mercie he saued vs, by the washing of the newe birth, and the renewing of the holy Ghost, 6 Which he shed on vs aboundantly, through Iesus Christ our Sauiour, 7 That we, being iustified by his grace, should be made heires according to the hope of eternall life.
• Gal 3:19-25 : 19 Wherefore then serueth the Law? It was added because of the transgressions, til the seed came, vnto the which the promise was made: and it was ordeined by Angels in the hande of a Mediatour. 20 Nowe a Mediatour is not a Mediatour of one: but God is one. 21 Is the Lawe then against the promises of God? God forbid: For if there had bene a Lawe giuen which coulde haue giuen life, surely righteousnes should haue bene by the Lawe. 22 But the Scripture hath concluded all vnder sinne, that the promes by the faith of Iesus Christ should be giuen to them that beleeue. 23 But before faith came, we were kept vnder the Law, as vnder a garison, and shut vp vnto that faith, which should afterward be reueiled. 24 Wherefore the Lawe was our scholemaster to bring vs to Christ, that we might be made righteous by faith. 25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer vnder a scholemaster.
• Rom 6:14 : 14 For sinne shall not haue dominion ouer you: for ye are not vnder ye Lawe, but vnder grace.
• John 15:22 : 22 If I had not come and spoken vnto them, they shoulde not haue had sinne: but nowe haue they no cloke for their sinne.
• Rom 4:15 : 15 For the Lawe causeth wrath: for where no Lawe is, there is no transgression.
• 2 Chr 33:9-9 : 9 So Manasseh made Iudah and the inhabitants of Ierusalem to erre, and to doe worse then the heathen, whome the Lord had destroyed before the children of Israel. 10 And the Lorde spake to Manasseh and to his people, but they would not regarde. 11 Wherefore the Lorde brought vpon them the captaines of the hoste of the King of Asshur, which tooke Manasseh and put him in fetters, & bound him in chaines, & caryed him to Babel. 12 And when he was in tribulation, he prayed to the Lorde his God, and humbled him selfe greatly before the God of his fathers, 13 And prayed vnto him: and God was entreated of him, and heard his prayer, and brought him againe to Ierusalem into his kingdome: then Manasseh knewe that the Lorde was God.
• Rom 3:19-20 : 19 Now we know that whatsoeuer ye Lawe saieth, it saieth it to them which are vnder ye Law, that euery mouth may bee stopped, and all the world be subiect to the iudgement of God. 20 Therefore by the woorkes of the Lawe shall no flesh be iustified in his sight: for by the Lawe commeth the knowledge of sinne.
• Rom 7:5-9 : 5 For when we were in ye flesh, the affections of sinnes, which were by the Law, had force in our members, to bring foorth fruit vnto death. 6 But now we are deliuered from the Lawe, he being dead in whom we were holden, that we should serue in newnesse of Spirite, and not in the oldnesse of the letter. 7 What shall we say then? Is the Lawe sinne? God forbid. Nay, I knewe not sinne, but by the Lawe: for I had not knowen lust, except the Lawe had sayd, Thou shalt not lust. 8 But sinne tooke an occasion by ye commandement, and wrought in me all maner of concupiscence: for without the Lawe sinne is dead. 9 For I once was aliue, wtout the Law: but when the commandement came, sinne reuiued, 10 But I died: and the same commandement which was ordeined vnto life, was found to be vnto me vnto death. 11 For sinne tooke occasion by the commandement, and deceiued me, and thereby slewe me. 12 Wherefore the Lawe is holy, and that commandement is holy, and iust, and good. 13 Was that then which is good, made death vnto me? God forbid: but sinne, that it might appeare sinne, wrought death in me by that which is good, that sinne might be out of measure sinfull by the commandement.
• 1 Cor 6:9-9 : 9 Knowe yee not that the vnrighteous shall not inherite the kingdome of God? Be not deceiued: neither fornicatours, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor wantons, nor buggerers, 10 Nor theeues, nor couetous, nor drunkards, nor railers, nor extortioners shall inherite the kingdome of God. 11 And such were some of you: but yee are washed, but yee are sanctified, but yee are iustified in the Name of the Lorde Iesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
• 2 Cor 3:7-9 : 7 If then the ministration of death written with letters and ingrauen in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel coulde not beholde the face of Moses, for the glorie of his countenance (which glorie is done away.) 8 Howe shall not the ministration of the Spirite be more glorious? 9 For if the ministerie of condemnation was glorious, much more doeth the ministration of righteousnesse exceede in glorie.
• Isa 1:18 : 18 Come nowe, and let vs reason together, sayth the Lord: though your sinnes were as crimsin, they shalbe made white as snowe: though they were red like skarlet, they shalbe as wooll.
• Isa 43:24-25 : 24 Thou boughtest mee no sweete sauour with money, neither hast thou made mee drunke with the fatte of thy sacrifices, but thou hast made mee to serue with thy sinnes, and wearied mee with thine iniquities. 25 I, euen I am he that putteth away thine iniquities for mine owne sake, and will not remember thy sinnes.
• Jer 3:8-9 : 8 When I sawe, howe that by all occasions rebellious Israel had plaied the harlot, I cast her away, and gaue her a bill of diuorcement: yet her rebellious sister Iudah was not afraied, but shee went also, and plaied the harlot. 9 So that for the lightnesse of her whoredome shee hath euen defiled the lande: for shee hath committed fornication with stones and stockes. 10 Neuerthelesse for all this, her rebellious sister Iudah hath not returned vnto mee with her whole heart, but fainedly, sayth the Lord. 11 And the Lord said vnto me, The rebellious Israel hath iustified her selfe more then the rebellious Iudah. 12 Goe and crie these woordes towarde the North and say, Thou disobedient Israel, returne, sayeth the Lorde, and I will not let my wrath fall vpon you: for I am mercifull, sayeth the Lord, and I will not always keepe mine anger. 13 But knowe thine iniquitie: for thou hast rebelled against the Lord thy God, & hast scattered thy waies to the straunge gods vnder euery greene tree, but yee woulde not obey my voyce, sayeth the Lord. 14 O yee disobedient children, turne againe, sayeth the Lorde, for I am your Lorde, and I will take you one of a citie, and two of a tribe and wil bring you to Zion,
• Ezek 16:52 : 52 Therefore thou which hast iustified thy sisters, beare thine owne shame for thy sinnes, that thou hast committed more abominable then they which are more righteous then thou art: be thou therefore confounded also, and beare thy shame, seeing that thou hast iustified thy sisters.
• Ezek 16:60-63 : 60 Neuerthelesse, I wil remember my couenant made with thee in ye dayes of thy youth, and I wil confirme vnto thee an euerlasting couenant. 61 Then thou shalt remember thy wayes, and be ashamed, when thou shalt receiue thy sisters, both thy elder & thy yonger, and I will giue them vnto thee for daughters, but not by thy couenat. 62 And I wil establish my couenant with thee, and thou shalt knowe that I am the Lord, 63 That thou mayest remember, and be ashamed, & neuer open thy mouth any more: because of thy shame when I am pacified toward thee, for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord God.
• Ezek 36:25-32 : 25 Then wil I powre cleane water vpon you, and ye shalbe cleane: yea, from all your filthines, and from all your idoles wil I clense you. 26 A newe heart also will I giue you, and a new spirit wil I put within you, and I will take away the stonie heart out of your body, and I will giue you an heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my spirite within you, and cause you to walke in my statutes, and ye shall keepe my iudgements and do them. 28 And ye shall dwell in the land, that I gaue to your fathers, and ye shalbe my people, & I will be your God. 29 I will also deliuer you from all your filthinesse, and I will call for corne, and will increase it, and lay no famine vpon you. 30 For I will multiplie the fruite of the trees, & the increase of the fielde, that ye shal beare no more the reproch of famine among the heathen. 31 Then shal ye remember your owne wicked wayes, & your deedes that were not good, & shal iudge your selues worthie to haue bene destroyed for your iniquities, and for your abominations. 32 Be it knowen vnto you that I do not this for your sakes, sayth the Lord God: therefore, O ye house of Israel, be ashamed, and confounded for your owne wayes.
• Mic 7:18-19 : 18 Who is a God like vnto thee, that taketh away iniquitie, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage! He reteineth not his wrath for euer, because mercie pleaseth him. 19 He will turne againe, and haue compassion vpon vs: he will subdue our iniquities, and cast all their sinnes into the bottome of the sea.
• Matt 9:13 : 13 But goe yee and learne what this is, I will haue mercie, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but the sinners to repentance.
• Luke 7:47 : 47 Wherefore I say vnto thee, many sinnes are forgiuen her: for she loued much. To whom a litle is forgiuen, he doeth loue a litle.
• Luke 23:39-43 : 39 And one of the euill doers, which were hanged, railed on him, saying, If thou be that Christ, saue thy selfe and vs. 40 But the other answered, and rebuked him, saying, Fearest thou not God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? 41 We are in deede righteously here: for we receiue things worthy of that we haue done: but this man hath done nothing amisse. 42 And he sayd vnto Iesus, Lorde, remember me, when thou commest into thy kingdome. 43 Then Iesus said vnto him, Verely I say vnto thee, to day shalt thou be with me in Paradise.
• John 10:10 : 10 The theefe commeth not, but for to steale, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might haue life, and haue it in abundance.
• Eph 1:6-8 : 6 To the prayse of the glory of his grace, wherewith he hath made vs freely accepted in his beloued, 7 By whom we haue redemption through his blood, euen the forgiuenes of sinnes, according to his rich grace: 8 Whereby he hath bene aboundant toward vs in all wisedome and vnderstanding,
• Eph 2:1-5 : 1 And you hath he quickened, that were dead in trespasses and sinnes, 2 Wherein, in times past ye walked, according to the course of this world, and after the prince that ruleth in the aire, euen the spirite, that nowe worketh in the children of disobedience, 3 Among whom we also had our conuersation in time past, in the lustes of our flesh, in fulfilling the will of the flesh, and of the minde, and were by nature the children of wrath, as well as others. 4 But God which is rich in mercie, through his great loue wherewith he loued vs, 5 Euen when we were dead by sinnes, hath quickened vs together in Christ, by whose grace ye are saued,
• 1 Tim 1:13-16 : 13 When before I was a blasphemer, and a persecuter, and an oppresser: but I was receiued to mercie: for I did it ignorantly through vnbeliefe. 14 But the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and loue, which is in Christ Iesus. 15 This is a true saying, and by all meanes worthy to be receiued, that Christ Iesus came into the worlde to saue sinners, of whom I am chiefe. 16 Notwithstanding, for this cause was I receiued to mercie, that Iesus Christ should first shewe on me all long suffering vnto the ensample of them, which shall in time to come beleeue in him vnto eternall life.