Parallel Verses

Twentieth Century New Testament

What are we to say, then? That Law and sin are the same thing? Heaven forbid! On the contrary, I should not have learned what sin is, had not it been for Law. If the Law did not say 'Thou shalt not covet,' I should not know what it is to covet.

New American Standard Bible

What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, “You shall not covet.”

King James Version

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.

Holman Bible

What should we say then? Is the law sin? Absolutely not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin if it were not for the law. For example, I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, Do not covet.

International Standard Version

What should we say, then? Is the Law sinful? Of course not! In fact, I wouldn't have become aware of sin if it had not been for the Law. I wouldn't have known what it means to covet if the Law had not said, "You must not covet."

A Conservative Version

What will we say then? The law is sin? May it not happen! Yet I did not know sin except through law. For likewise I would not have known lust, if the law did not say, Thou shall not covet.

American Standard Version

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Howbeit, I had not known sin, except through the law: for I had not known coveting, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet:

Amplified

What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, if it had not been for the Law, I would not have recognized sin. For I would not have known [for example] about coveting [what belongs to another, and would have had no sense of guilt] if the Law had not [repeatedly] said, “You shall not covet.”

An Understandable Version

What shall we say then? Is the law of Moses sinful? Certainly not! For I would not have known what sin was if it had not been for the law. For [example]; I would not have known [what it meant] to covet [i.e., have a strong desire for what belongs to someone else] except that the law said [Ex. 20:17], "You must not covet."

Anderson New Testament

What, then, shall we say? Is the law sin? It can not be. Indeed, I had not known sin, except through law. For I had not known evil desire, unless the law had said: You shall not have any evil desire.

Bible in Basic English

What then is to be said? is the law sin? in no way. But I would not have had knowledge of sin but for the law: for I would not have been conscious of desire if the law had not said, You may not have a desire for what is another's.

Common New Testament

What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed, I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "You shall not covet."

Daniel Mace New Testament

Do we then conclude, that the law is the cause of sin? by no means; but I should not have had such a notion of sin, had it not been for the law: for I should not have known concupiscence was a sin, unless the law had said, "thou shalt not covet."

Darby Translation

What shall we say then? is the law sin? Far be the thought. But I had not known sin, unless by law: for I had not had conscience also of lust unless the law had said, Thou shalt not lust;

Godbey New Testament

Then what shall we say? is the law sin? It could not be so; but I did not know sin except through the law: for indeed I had not known lusts, unless the law said, Thou shalt not covet.

Goodspeed New Testament

Then what shall we conclude? That the Law is sin? Certainly not! Yet, if it had not been for the Law, I should never have learned what sin was; I should not have known what it was to covet if the Law had not said, "You must not covet."

John Wesley New Testament

What shall we say then? That the law is sin? God forbid. Yea, I should not have known sin, but for the law. I had not known lust, unless the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.

Julia Smith Translation

What then shall we say? The law sin? It may not be. But I knew not sin except by the law: for I knew not lust, if the law said not, Thou shalt not eagerly desire.

King James 2000

What shall we say then? is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, you shall not covet.

Lexham Expanded Bible

What then shall we say? [Is] the law sin? May it never be! But I would not have known sin except through the law, for I would not have known covetousness if the law had not said, "Do not covet."

Modern King James verseion

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Let it not be said! But I did not know sin except through the law. For also I did not know lust except the law said, You shall not lust.

Modern Spelling Tyndale-Coverdale

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid: but I knew not what sin meant but by the law. For I had not known what lust had meant, except the law had said, "Thou shalt not lust."

Moffatt New Testament

What follows, then? That 'the Law is equivalent to sin'? Never! Why, had it not been for the Law, I would never have known what sin meant! Thus I would never have known what it is to covet, unless the Law had said, You must not covet.

Montgomery New Testament

What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? Certainly not. On the contrary I should not have become acquainted with sin had it not been for the Law; for except the Law had repeatedly said, "Thou shalt not lust," I should never have known the sin of lust.

NET Bible

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Absolutely not! Certainly, I would not have known sin except through the law. For indeed I would not have known what it means to desire something belonging to someone else if the law had not said, "Do not covet."

New Heart English Bible

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? May it never be. However, I would not have known sin, except through the law. For I would not have known coveting, unless the law had said, "You shall not covet."

Noyes New Testament

What then shall we say? Is the Law sin? God forbid! But I should not have known sin, except by the Law; for I should not have known sinful desire, unless the Law had said, "Thou shalt not covet."

Sawyer New Testament

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? By no means. On the contrary I knew not sin except through the law; for I had not known inordinate desire, unless the law had said, You shall not desire inordinately.

The Emphasized Bible

What, then, shall we say? Is the law sin? Far be it! On the contrary, I had not discovered, sin, save through law, for even, of coveting, I had not been aware if, the law, had not kept on saying - Thou shall not covet;

Thomas Haweis New Testament

What then shall we say? Is the law sin? God forbid. Yea, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not even known concupiscence, unless the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.

Webster

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? By no means. No, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.

Weymouth New Testament

What follows? Is the Law itself a sinful thing? No, indeed; on the contrary, unless I had been taught by the Law, I should have known nothing of sin as sin. For instance, I should not have known what covetousness is, if the Law had not repeatedly said, "Thou shalt not covet."

Williams New Testament

What are we then to conclude? Is the law sin? Of course not! Yet, if it had not been for the law, I should not have learned what sin was, for I should not have known what an evil desire was, if the law had not said, "You must not have an evil desire."

World English Bible

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? May it never be! However, I wouldn't have known sin, except through the law. For I wouldn't have known coveting, unless the law had said, "You shall not covet."

Worrell New Testament

What, then, shall we say? Is the law sin? It could not be! But I had not known sin, except through law; for I would not know even coveting, if the law did not say, "You shall not covet;"

Worsley New Testament

What shall we say then? is the law sin? God forbid! Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust to be sinful, if the law had not said, "Thou shalt not covet."

Youngs Literal Translation

What, then, shall we say? the law is sin? let it not be! but the sin I did not know except through law, for also the covetousness I had not known if the law had not said:

Interlinear

English(KJV)
Strong's
Root Form
Definition
Usage
τίς 
Tis 
Usage: 344

shall we say
ἐρέω 
Ereo 
Usage: 41

οὖν 
Oun 
therefore, then, so, and, now, wherefore, but, not tr,
Usage: 417

Is the law
νόμος 
Nomos 
law
Usage: 179

sin
ἁμαρτία 
Hamartia 
ἁμαρτία 
Hamartia 
Usage: 143
Usage: 143

γίνομαι 
Ginomai 
be, come to pass, be made, be done, come, become, God forbid , arise, have, be fulfilled, be married to, be preferred, not tr, , vr done
Usage: 531

Nay
ἀλλά 
Alla 
but, yea, yet, nevertheless, howbeit, nay, therefore, save, not tr,
Usage: 461

I had
γινώσκω 
Ginosko 
εἴδω 
Eido 
Usage: 147
Usage: 519

not
οὐ 
Ou 
οὐ 
Ou 
οὐ 
Ou 
not, no, cannot ,
not, no, cannot ,
not, no, cannot ,
Usage: 1032
Usage: 1032
Usage: 1032

γινώσκω 
Ginosko 
εἴδω 
Eido 
Usage: 147
Usage: 519

but
μή 
me 
not, no, that not, God forbid 9, lest, neither, no man , but, none, not translated,
Usage: 493

by
διά 
Dia 
by, through, with, for, for ... sake, therefore , for this cause , because,
Usage: 527

the law
νόμος 
Nomos 
νόμος 
Nomos 
Usage: 179
Usage: 179

for
γάρ 
Gar 
for, , not tr
Usage: 825

ἐπιθυμία 
Epithumia 
Usage: 35

μή 
me 
not, no, that not, God forbid 9, lest, neither, no man , but, none, not translated,
Usage: 493

λέγω 
Lego 
Usage: 1045

Thou shalt
ἐπιθυμέω 
Epithumeo 
Usage: 10

Images Romans 7:7

Prayers for Romans 7:7

Context Readings

Knowledge Of Sin Comes Through The Law

6 But now we are set free from the Law, because we are dead to that which once kept us under restraint; and so we serve under new, spiritual conditions, and not under old, written regulations. 7 What are we to say, then? That Law and sin are the same thing? Heaven forbid! On the contrary, I should not have learned what sin is, had not it been for Law. If the Law did not say 'Thou shalt not covet,' I should not know what it is to covet. 8 But sin took advantage of the Commandment to arouse in me every form of covetousness, for where there is no consciousness of Law sin shows no sign of life.


Cross References

Romans 3:20

For 'no human being will be pronounced righteous before God' as the result of obedience to Law; for it is Law that shows what sin is.

Romans 7:8

But sin took advantage of the Commandment to arouse in me every form of covetousness, for where there is no consciousness of Law sin shows no sign of life.

Romans 3:5

But what if our wrong-doing makes God's righteousness all the clearer? Will God be wrong in inflicting punishment? (I can but speak as a man.) Heaven forbid!

Romans 4:15

Law entails punishment; but, where no Law exists, no breach of it is possible.

Romans 13:9

The commandments, 'Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not covet,' and whatever other commandment there is, are all summed up in the words--'Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thou dost thyself.'

Matthew 5:28

I, however, say to you that any one who looks at a woman with an impure intention has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Luke 12:15

And then he added: "Take care to keep yourselves free from every form of covetousness; for even in the height of his prosperity a man's true Life does not depend on what he has."

Acts 20:33

I have never coveted any one's gold or silver or clothing.

Romans 4:1

What then, it may be asked, are we to say about Abraham, the ancestor of our nation?

Romans 6:15

What follows, then? Are we to sin because we are living under the reign of Love and not of Law? Heaven forbid!

Romans 7:5

When we were living merely earthly lives, our sinful passions, aroused by the Law, were active in every part of our bodies, with the result that our lives bore fruit for Death.

Romans 7:11

Sin took advantage of the Commandment to deceive me, and used it to bring about my Death.

Romans 7:13

Did, then, a thing, which in itself was good, involve Death in my case? Heaven forbid! It was sin that involved Death; so that, by its use of what I regarded as good to bring about my Death, its true nature might appear; and in this way the Commandment showed how intensely sinful sin is.

1 Corinthians 15:56

It is sin that gives death its sting, and it is the Law that gives sin its power.

Ephesians 5:3

As for unchastity and every kind of impurity, or greed, do not let them even be mentioned among you, as befits Christ's People,

Colossians 3:5

Therefore destroy all that is earthly in you--immorality, uncleanness, passions, evil desires, and that greed which is idolatry.

1 Thessalonians 4:5

And not for the mere gratification of his passions, like the Gentiles who know nothing of God;

1 John 2:15-16

Do not love the world or what the world can offer. When any one loves the world, there is no love for the Father in him;

King James Version Public Domain

Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers.

International Standard Version Copyright © 1996-2008 by the ISV Foundation.

New American Standard Bible Copyright ©1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org

American Standard Version Public Domain

NET Bible copyright © 1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. NetBible

Basic English, produced by Mr C. K. Ogden of the Orthological Institute - public domain