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Meaning, commentary and cross references

Romans 5:12

“Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—”
Romans 5:12 (ESV)
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In other translations

  • KJV · King James Version

    Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

  • NIV · New International Version

    Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—

  • WEB · World English Bible

    Therefore, as sin entered into the world through one man, and death through sin, so death passed to all men because all sinned.

What does Romans 5:12 mean?

John Gill · Exposition of the Entire Bible, on Romans 5:12

Wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world,.... The design of these words, and of the following, is to show how men came to be in the condition before described, as "ungodly", Romans 5:6, "sinners", Romans 5:8, and "enemies", Romans 5:10; and to express the love of Christ in the redemption of them; and the largeness of God's grace to all sorts of men: the connection of them is with Romans 5:11, by which it appears that the saints have not only an expiation of sin by the blood of Christ, but a perfect righteousness, by which they are justified in the sight of God; and the manner how they came at it, or this becomes theirs, together with the necessity of their having such an one, are…

John Gill, Exposition of the Entire Bible (1746–63). Public domain. Digital text: Free Use Bible API (bible.helloao.org).

Matthew Henry · Commentary on the Whole Bible, on Romans 5:6–21

Sin had before entered into the world of angels, when many of them revolted from their allegiance and left their first estate; but it never entered into the world of mankind till Adam sinned. Then it entered as an enemy, to kill and destroy, as a thief, to rob and despoil; and a dismal entry it was. Then entered the guilt of Adam's sin imputed to posterity, and a general corruption and depravedness of nature. Eph' hō - for that (so we read it), rather in whom, all have sinned.

Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible (1706–21; Romans–Revelation completed by Nonconformist ministers). Public domain. Digital text: Free Use Bible API (bible.helloao.org).

John Calvin · Commentaries, on Romans 5:12–14

12. Quamobrem sicut per unum hominem peccatmn in mundum introiit, et per peccatum mors; atque ita in omnes homines mors pervagata est. quandoquidem omnes peccaverunt: 13. (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 13. (Nam usque ad legem peccatum erat in mundo; peccatum autem non imputatur, quum non est lex: 14.

John Calvin, Commentaries (Calvin Translation Society English text). Public domain. Digital text: Free Use Bible API (bible.helloao.org).

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Context: Romans 5:9–15 (WEB)

9Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we will be saved from God’s wrath through him. 10For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we will be saved by his life. 11Not only so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. 12Therefore, as sin entered into the world through one man, and death through sin, so death passed to all men because all sinned. 13For until the law, sin was in the world; but sin is not charged when there is no law. 14Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those whose sins weren’t like Adam’s disobedience, who is a foreshadowing of him who was to come. 15But the free gift isn’t like the trespass. For if by the trespass of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many.

Read all of Romans 5

Cross references

  • 1 Corinthians 15:21–22

    For since death came by man, the resurrection of the dead also came by man.

  • Romans 5:19

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

  • Romans 6:23

    For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

  • Romans 3:23

    for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;

  • James 1:15

    Then the lust, when it has conceived, bears sin. The sin, when it is full grown, produces death.

  • Genesis 2:17

    but you shall not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; for in the day that you eat of it, you will surely die.”

  • Psalms 51:5
  • Genesis 3:19

    You will eat bread by the sweat of your face until you return to the ground, for you were taken out of it. For you are dust, and you shall return to dust.”

Key words

In the Baptist Catechism

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