Romans 7:10 kjv
And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.
Romans 7:10 nkjv
And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death.
Romans 7:10 niv
I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death.
Romans 7:10 esv
The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me.
Romans 7:10 nlt
and I died. So I discovered that the law's commands, which were supposed to bring life, brought spiritual death instead.
Romans 7 10 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Romans 3:20 | For by works of the law no human being will be justified | Law reveals sin |
| Romans 6:23 | For the wages of sin is death | Sin's consequence |
| 1 Cor 15:56 | The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. | Law empowers sin |
| Gal 3:21 | ...if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would truly be by the law. | Law's inability to give life |
| Lev 18:5 | You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them. | Law's promise of life |
| Deut 30:19 | ... choose life, that you and your offspring may live... | Choice and life |
| 2 Cor 3:6 | ...for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. | Letter vs. Spirit |
| John 1:17 | For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. | Grace vs. Law |
| Romans 5:13 | ...sin indeed was in the world before the law was given... | Sin's pre-existence |
| Romans 5:20 | Now the law came in to increase the trespass... | Law increases transgression |
| Romans 7:11 | For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me... | Sin's mechanism |
| Romans 7:13 | ...so that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure. | Law exposes sin's sinfulness |
| Rom 8:2 | For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. | Freedom in Christ |
| Gal 2:16 | ...we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ... | Justification by faith |
| Acts 13:39 | and by him [Jesus] everyone who believes is freed from all sins that you were not able to be freed from by the law of Moses. | Freedom in Jesus |
| Eph 2:8-9 | For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. | Salvation by grace |
| Rom 7:7 | What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. | Law reveals sin |
| Ps 19:7 | The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. | Law's good intention |
| Ex 20:17 | You shall not covet... | The commandment itself |
| Prov 13:14 | The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death. | Teaching and life/death |
Romans 7 verses
Romans 7 10 Meaning
This verse highlights the spiritual paradox of God's law. The commandment, which was intended to lead to life, paradoxically resulted in death for Paul. This occurred because the sin nature, which resides within him, exploited the commandment to deceive and kill him.
Romans 7 10 Context
This verse is part of Paul's detailed exposition in Romans 7 on the relationship between the believer, sin, and the law. He uses his own experience to illustrate how the Mosaic Law, while holy and good in itself, reveals sin and, in the hands of sin, becomes an instrument of death for the unregenerate person. This section is crucial for understanding Paul's doctrine of salvation by grace through faith, apart from works of the law. The immediate context involves his argument that the law, given by God for life, ultimately leads to death in his experience because sin used it as an occasion for transgression.
Romans 7 10 Word Analysis
- The (men) commandment (h
ejntolh/hē entolḗ): Refers to a specific divine instruction or law. Here it points to any of God's commandments, but often understood in the context of the Mosaic Law, particularly the one mentioned in the previous verse (likely coveting, Romans 7:7-8). - was to (h
hperejntn zwhn/ eis tēn zōēn): "towards life," or "for life." This indicates the intended purpose or goal of the commandment from God's perspective. - found to (eJvreqh
h/heurēthē): "was found." This is a passive verb suggesting an outcome or discovery. - that (eis)
/ eis)): "unto," "into," "for the purpose of." Connects the action to the result. - the very (aujth
h/hautḗ): Refers back to the commandment itself, emphasizing its role. - which (per hJuJ
Ejntolh/ per hē entolḗ): "through which." Specifies the means or medium. - thing (ejrg
v/ergon): "work," "deed," or "thing." - for (eis)
/ eis)): "unto," "into," "for the purpose of." - death (qan
tvv/thánaton): Death, the opposite of life; refers to spiritual separation from God, and ultimately physical death.
Words-group by words-group analysis
- "the commandment was to me for life": This phrase encapsulates the God-intended purpose of divine law – to guide individuals towards a life pleasing to God, implying flourishing and eternal life. It's the promise of Lev 18:5.
- "but to me it was found to be to death": This stark contrast reveals the failure of the law in Paul's personal experience of sin's dominion. It wasn't that the law was inherently bad, but rather, sin transformed its life-giving potential into a mechanism of death for Paul. This is a crucial insight into the effect of sin on God's good provision.
- "which is the thing for death": Paul explicitly states that the commandment, in its interaction with his sin-bound nature, became the vehicle or means by which death was brought about. Sin seized upon this holy standard and made it an instrument of its destructive work.
Romans 7 10 Bonus Section
The paradox described here, where a good thing becomes a source of harm due to corrupt interaction, is a common theme in spiritual warfare. Sin is portrayed not just as an action, but as a power or presence that actively subverts God's good provisions. The Law’s holiness acts as a light, exposing the darkness of sin, and this very exposure, when met by sin's cunning, intensifies the sting of death. This highlights the profound need for God’s grace and the Holy Spirit to empower believers to truly live by the Law’s principles, not out of obligation but out of love and transformed nature.
Romans 7 10 Commentary
Paul explains a critical paradox: God's Law, intended for life, instead brought death to him. This wasn't due to the Law's deficiency but because his sinful nature exploited it. The Law revealed the extent of sin, and through this exposure, sin caused his death. The Law, therefore, became a tool for sin, not a path to life in Paul's experience before understanding God's grace. This illustrates that mere knowledge of God's will (the Law) without the Spirit's power cannot overcome sin's dominion.