Romans 5:19 meaning, Cross Ref, ai commentary KJV NIV ESV NLT

Romans 5:19 kjv

For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

Romans 5:19 nkjv

For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous.

Romans 5:19 niv

For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

Romans 5:19 esv

For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.

Romans 5:19 nlt

Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.

Romans 5 19 Cross References

Verse	Text	Reference
Rom 5:12	Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death...	Adam's one sin brought sin and death to all.
Rom 5:18	Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all..., so	Adam's trespass brought condemnation.
1 Cor 15:22	For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.	Direct Adam-Christ comparison, universal impact.
1 Cor 15:45	So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last...	Christ as the last Adam, giver of life.
Gen 2:16-17	And the Lord God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree...	The commandment Adam disobeyed.
Gen 3:6	When the woman saw that the fruit...she took some and ate it. She also...	The specific act of Adam's (and Eve's) disobedience.
Php 2:8	And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming...	Christ's ultimate obedience, even to death.
Heb 10:9-10	Then he said, "Here I am, I have come to do your will."...By that will...	Christ's obedience as fulfilling God's will.
Isa 53:11	After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied...	Through Christ's suffering, many are made righteous.
2 Cor 5:21	God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might...	Imputation of sin to Christ, righteousness to us.
Rom 3:24	And all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption...	Righteousness is a gift through Christ.
Rom 4:6	David speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits...	God credits righteousness apart from works.
Rom 6:23	For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life...	Contrast of consequences: sin brings death, Christ brings life.
Eph 2:1	As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins.	Humanity's state of being "dead" due to sin.
Col 2:13	When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh...	Sin results in spiritual death, quickened by Christ.
Rom 8:1	Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.	Freedom from condemnation through Christ.
Jn 3:16	For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever	Life through faith in the Son.
Tit 3:7	So that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs...	Justification as a result of God's grace.
Psa 32:1	Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are...	The blessedness of imputed righteousness.
Isa 53:6	We all, like sheep, have gone astray...the LORD has laid on him...	Humanity's universal sin, Christ's bearing of it.
1 Pet 2:24	He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might...	Christ bore our sins to make us righteous.
Gal 3:13	Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us...	Christ's work in reversing the curse of sin.

Romans 5 verses

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

Romans 5 19 Meaning

Romans 5:19 articulates a profound parallel between the work of Adam and the work of Christ, establishing the core doctrine of representative headship. It signifies that just as the one act of disobedience by a single man, Adam, resulted in humanity being constituted as sinners, so too, the one act of obedience by a single Man, Jesus Christ, results in believers being constituted as righteous. This verse underscores the universality of both sin and salvation, deriving not from individual actions but from a divinely ordained legal standing through a representative head.

Romans 5 19 Context

Romans chapter 5 unfolds the glorious benefits of justification by faith, previously expounded in chapters 3 and 4. After declaring peace with God, access by faith into grace, and hope of glory (Rom 5:1-11), Paul introduces a profound theological parallel in verses 12-21 between Adam and Christ. Verse 19 serves as a climactic summary and explication of this contrast. The historical and cultural context for the original audience, likely a diverse group of Jewish and Gentile believers in Rome, would involve grappling with how salvation universally applied across cultural lines. Paul's argument transcends individual merit or adherence to Mosaic Law, placing the origin of humanity's sinfulness and salvation within the framework of two representative heads, thus unifying all believers under one gospel message, effectively nullifying claims based on heritage or works and centering salvation solely on Christ. This understanding combats any belief in earning righteousness.

Romans 5 19 Word analysis

Word-by-word analysis

ὥσπερ (hōsper - "just as," "even as"): A strong comparative particle. It establishes a direct and precise analogy or correspondence between two contrasting yet parallel events or figures (Adam and Christ).
γὰρ (gar - "for"): An explanatory conjunction. It introduces the reason or clarification for the preceding statements (e.g., how sin and death reigned).
διὰ (dia - "through," "by means of"): A preposition, here taking the genitive case. It indicates the means, instrumentality, or causal agent.
τῆς παρακοῆς (tēs parakoēs - "the disobedience"): παρακοή signifies a "hearing amiss," an act of not hearing properly or refusing to obey what is heard. It pinpoints Adam's specific transgression against God's explicit command (Gen 2:16-17) as the direct cause.
τοῦ ἑνὸς ἀνθρώπου (tou henos anthrōpou - "of the one man"): This explicitly identifies Adam. The emphasis on "one" is critical, highlighting singular, representative agency.
ἁμαρτωλοὶ (hamartōloi - "sinners"): A noun or adjective meaning "one who misses the mark," referring to those alienated from God and characterized by sin. This is a state of being, not merely an individual act.
κατεστάθησαν (katestathēsan - "were made," "were constituted"): Aorist passive indicative of καθίστημι (kathistēmi). It denotes a definitive past action, a formal establishment or appointment. Humanity was placed in a state or status of sinfulness by Adam's action, implying legal or representational identification, not just moral contagion.
οἱ πολλοί (hoi polloi - "the many"): In this Pauline context, especially when contrasted with "the one," this term typically signifies "all" within the scope of that action's impact – i.e., all who descended from Adam, and all who are in Christ respectively, though not implying universal salvation, rather universal provision or universal scope for those represented.
οὕτως (houtōs - "so also," "in the same way"): Continues the strict comparative structure, mirroring the consequence of the first part.
καὶ (kai - "and," "also"): Conjoining particle, reinforcing the parallel.
διὰ (dia - "through," "by means of"): Again, denoting instrumentality.
τῆς ὑπακοῆς (tēs hypakoēs - "the obedience"): ὑπακοή signifies "a hearing under," hence, ready and attentive obedience to command. It encompasses Christ's perfect, lifelong obedience to God's will, culminating in His sacrificial death (Phil 2:8, Heb 10:5-10). It is the antithesis of παρακοή.
τοῦ ἑνὸς (tou henos - "of the one"): Implicitly, but unmistakably, refers to Jesus Christ as the "second Adam" or the "last Adam."
δίκαιοι (dikaioi - "righteous"): Justified, upright, innocent, in right relationship with God. This denotes a divinely imputed status of righteousness, opposite of "sinners."
κατασταθήσονται (katastathēsontai - "shall be constituted," "shall be made"): Future passive indicative of καθίστημι. The future tense indicates a certainty for those who believe, while the passive voice stresses that God is the agent who declares and establishes this righteous status.
οἱ πολλοί (hoi polloi - "the many"): Refers to all who are "in Christ" through faith. While parallel to "all" in Adam's case, here it specifies the many beneficiaries of Christ's work – the vast multitude of those whom God saves.

Words-group analysis

ὥσπερ γὰρ διὰ τῆς παρακοῆς τοῦ ἑνὸς ἀνθρώπου ("Just as for through the disobedience of the one man"): This opening phrase firmly establishes the first pole of the comparison, grounding humanity's predicament in a singular, historical act of Adam. It clarifies the root cause ("through the disobedience") and the specific agent ("of the one man").
ἁμαρτωλοὶ κατεστάθησαν οἱ πολλοί ("the many were constituted sinners"): This states the direct and universal consequence of Adam's sin. It emphasizes a constituted legal/representational status rather than merely inherited moral corruption, signifying that all humanity became subject to the judgment due to sin, standing before God as "sinners" by designation, not just by deed.
οὕτως καὶ διὰ τῆς ὑπακοῆς τοῦ ἑνὸς ("so also through the obedience of the one"): This directly counters the preceding phrase, presenting the remedy and the means of salvation. Christ's single, perfect obedience serves as the instrumental cause for humanity's reconciliation with God.
δίκαιοι κατασταθήσονται οἱ πολλοί ("the many shall be constituted righteous"): This is the glorious, salvific result of Christ's obedience. It asserts that those who are "in Christ" will be legally declared and formally constituted as righteous by God. The shift to the future tense and passive voice indicates divine decree and a certain future for all believers.

Romans 5 19 Bonus section

The "one man" versus "the many" principle reveals the depth of God's design in history. He ordained a federal (covenantal) head for humanity, and just as Adam failed for his posterity, Christ perfectly succeeded as the head for His chosen. This legal, rather than merely biological, connection is foundational to understanding imputation – Adam's sin is imputed to us, and Christ's righteousness is imputed to believers. Furthermore, the progression from past tense ("were constituted sinners") to future tense ("shall be constituted righteous") does not imply a delay in righteousness for believers; rather, it highlights the certainty of their ultimate and irreversible standing before God, already a spiritual reality, fully to be revealed. It underscores the completed nature of Christ's work, ensuring the ultimate, unfailing reality of the believers' righteous standing.

Romans 5 19 Commentary

Romans 5:19 distills the essence of redemptive history: humanity's shared destiny hinges on its representative head. Adam's act was one of deliberate rebellion, bringing about a legal state of sinfulness for all mankind; every individual born subsequently inherits this constituted status before God, leading to spiritual death and judgment. In profound contrast, Jesus Christ's perfect, unwavering obedience, which culminated in His sacrificial death on the cross, provided the divine remedy. His singular, obedient act reverses the consequence of Adam's trespass. Through Christ, a new humanity emerges, where "the many" (believers) are not merely forgiven their sins, but are legally constituted righteous in God's sight. This is not about human effort but entirely about God's sovereign imputation, crediting Christ's righteousness to those who put their faith in Him. The emphasis on "constituted" underscores a judicial declaration of standing before God.