1:28 And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God, 5 God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what should not be done. 6
5:12 So then, just as sin entered the world through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to all people 7 because 8 all sinned –
5:18 Consequently, 9 just as condemnation 10 for all people 11 came 12 through one transgression, 13 so too through the one righteous act 14 came righteousness leading to life 15 for all people. 5:19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man 16 many 17 were made sinners, so also through the obedience of one man 18 many 19 will be made righteous.
“If the Lord of armies 21 had not left us descendants,
we would have become like Sodom,
and we would have resembled Gomorrah.” 22
1 tn The nature of the “righteousness” described here and the force of the genitive θεοῦ (“of God”) which follows have been much debated. (1) Some (e.g. C. E. B. Cranfield, Romans [ICC], 1:98) understand “righteousness” to refer to the righteous status given to believers as a result of God’s justifying activity, and see the genitive “of God” as a genitive of source (= “from God”). (2) Others see the “righteousness” as God’s act or declaration that makes righteous (i.e., justifies) those who turn to him in faith, taking the genitive “of God” as a subjective genitive (see E. Käsemann, Romans, 25-30). (3) Still others see the “righteousness of God” mentioned here as the attribute of God himself, understanding the genitive “of God” as a possessive genitive (“God’s righteousness”).
2 tn Grk “in it”; the referent (the gospel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
3 tn Or “by faith for faith,” or “by faith to faith.” There are many interpretations of the phrase ἐκ πίστεως εἰς πίστιν (ek pistew" ei" pistin). It may have the idea that this righteousness is obtained by faith (ἐκ πίστεως) because it was designed for faith (εἰς πίστιν). For a summary see J. Murray, Romans (NICNT), 1:363-74.
4 sn A quotation from Hab 2:4.
5 tn Grk “and just as they did not approve to have God in knowledge.”
6 tn Grk “the things that are improper.”
7 tn Here ἀνθρώπους (anqrwpou") has been translated as a generic (“people”) since both men and women are clearly intended in this context.
8 tn The translation of the phrase ἐφ᾿ ᾧ (ef Jw) has been heavily debated. For a discussion of all the possibilities, see C. E. B. Cranfield, “On Some of the Problems in the Interpretation of Romans 5.12,” SJT 22 (1969): 324-41. Only a few of the major options can be mentioned here: (1) the phrase can be taken as a relative clause in which the pronoun refers to Adam, “death spread to all people in whom [Adam] all sinned.” (2) The phrase can be taken with consecutive (resultative) force, meaning “death spread to all people with the result that all sinned.” (3) Others take the phrase as causal in force: “death spread to all people because all sinned.”
9 tn There is a double connective here that cannot be easily preserved in English: “consequently therefore,” emphasizing the conclusion of what he has been arguing.
10 tn Grk “[it is] unto condemnation for all people.”
11 tn Here ἀνθρώπους (anqrwpou") has been translated as a generic (“people”) since both men and women are clearly intended in this context.
12 tn There are no verbs in the Greek text of v. 18, forcing translators to supply phrases like “came through one transgression,” “resulted from one transgression,” etc.
13 sn One transgression refers to the sin of Adam in Gen 3:1-24.
14 sn The one righteous act refers to Jesus’ death on the cross.
15 tn Grk “righteousness of life.”
16 sn Here the one man refers to Adam (cf. 5:14).
17 tn Grk “the many.”
18 sn One man refers here to Jesus Christ.
19 tn Grk “the many.”
20 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
21 tn Traditionally, “Lord of hosts”; Grk “Lord Sabaoth,” which means “Lord of the [heavenly] armies,” sometimes translated more generally as “Lord Almighty.”
22 sn A quotation from Isa 1:9.
23 sn A quotation from Ps 69:9.