When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.
Parallel translations
- WEB Therefore as sin entered into the world through one man, and death through sin; and so death passed to all men, because all sinned.
- KJV 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:
- BSB Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, so also death was passed on to all men, because all sinned.
- NKJV Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—
- NASB Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all mankind, because all sinned—
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Sin and death entered the world through one man, Adam, and spread to all because all sinned. Humanity's plight traces back to Adam.
Overview
Paul begins his comparison of Adam and Christ, explaining that sin entered through 'one man' and brought death to all. The precise relationship between Adam's sin and our own ('because all sinned') has been discussed among faithful interpreters, but the clear teaching is that Adam's fall plunged the whole race into sin and death. This sets up Christ as the second Adam who reverses the ruin.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 16
- 1 Cor 15:21–22For since death came by man, the resurrection of the dead also came by man.
- Rom 5:19For as through the one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the one, many will be made righteous.
- Rom 6:23For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
- Rom 3:23for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;
- Jas 1:15Then the lust, when it has conceived, bears sin; and the sin, when it is full grown, produces death.
- Gen 2:17but 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.”
- Ps 51:5Behold, I was born in iniquity. In sin my mother conceived me.
- Gen 3:19By the sweat of your face will you eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
- 1 Jn 1:8–10If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
- Gen 3:6When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took some of its fruit, and ate; and she gave some to her husband with her, and he ate it, too.
- Rom 5:21that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
- Ezek 18:4Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins, he shall die.
- Jas 3:2For in many things we all stumble. If anyone doesn’t stumble in word, the same is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body also.
- Rev 20:14–15Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
- Rom 5:14–17Nevertheless 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.
- Gen 3:22–24Yahweh God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand, and also take of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever...”
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Christ at the center
Paul unfolds the gospel in full: Christ our righteousness received by faith, the second Adam in whom many are made righteous, in whose death and resurrection we are buried and raised.
How Romans 5:12 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.