Devine Scripture

Romans 5:20

What does Romans 5:20 mean?

A plain-English look at Romans 5:20 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.

What Romans 5:20 means

The law came in alongside so that the trespass might abound. By specifying God’s will, the law exposed and even intensified human sinfulness. Yet the increase of sin only served to magnify grace: where sin multiplied, grace overflowed far beyond it. The purpose is not to make people sin, but to reveal sin and drive them to God’s remedy. Grace does not merely match sin; it surpasses it. This verse assures the guilty that their sins, however many, are not beyond the power of Christ’s gift. God’s design in salvation is to display grace as decisively stronger than the deepest stain of sin.

Parallel translations

WEB

World English Bible · 2000

And the law came in besides, that the trespass might abound; but where sin abounded, grace did abound more exceedingly:

KJV

King James Version · 1611

Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:

ASV

American Standard Version · 1901

And the law came in besides, that the trespass might abound; but where sin abounded, grace did abound more exceedingly:

BBE

Bible in Basic English · 1949

And the law came in addition, to make wrongdoing worse; but where there was much sin, there was much more grace:

YLT

Young's Literal Translation · 1862

And law came in, that the offence might abound, and where the sin did abound, the grace did overabound,

DRA

Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752

Now the law entered in that sin might abound. And where sin abounded, grace did more abound.

DBY

Darby Bible · 1890

But law came in, in order that the offence might abound; but where sin abounded grace has overabounded,

Context

After summing up Adam’s and Christ’s representative acts (vv18–19), Paul explains the place of the Mosaic law in salvation history. It entered to expose and increase transgression, setting the stage for grace to be seen in its superabundance. This prepares the final declaration in v21 that grace now reigns through righteousness to eternal life. That closing statement will personify the two regimes—sin/death versus grace/righteousness—and anchor the believer’s hope in Jesus Christ our Lord.

v.19For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the one shall the many be made righteous.

v.20This passage

v.21that, as sin reigned in death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Cross references

Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

  • Isaiah 43:24

    Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money, neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices; but thou hast burdened me with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities.

  • 1 Timothy 1:13

    though I was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: howbeit I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief;

  • Romans 6:14

    For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under law, but under grace.

  • Ezekiel 16:60

    Nevertheless I will remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant.

  • 2 Chronicles 33:9

    And Manasseh seduced Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that they did evil more than did the nations whom Jehovah destroyed before the children of Israel.

  • Micah 7:18

    Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth over the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in lovingkindness.

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