Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.
Parallel translations
- WEB For one will hardly die for a righteous man. Yet perhaps for a righteous person someone would even dare to die.
- KJV For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
- NKJV For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die.
- NASB For one will hardly die for a righteous person; though perhaps for the good person someone would even dare to die.
- NLT Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good.
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
People rarely die even for a righteous or good person. Human sacrifice has its limits, setting the stage for God's greater love.
Overview
Paul observes that it is hard to find anyone willing to die for a righteous person, though perhaps someone might dare to die for a truly good one. He cites the rarity of human self-sacrifice to heighten the contrast with God's love. This prepares the way for the stunning truth of the next verse, that Christ died for sinners.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- John 15:13Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
- 1 Jn 3:16By this we know what love is: Jesus laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
- Rom 16:4who have risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them.
- Acts 11:24Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.
- 2 Sam 18:27The watchman said, “The first man appears to me to be running like Ahimaaz son of Zadok.” “This is a good man,” said the king. “He comes with good news.”
- Ps 112:5It is well with the man who is generous and lends freely, whose affairs are guided by justice.
- 2 Sam 23:14–17At that time David was in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was at Bethlehem.
- 2 Sam 18:3But the people pleaded, “You must not go out! For if we have to flee, they will pay no attention to us. Even if half of us die, they will not care; but you are worth ten thousand of us. It is better for now if you support us from the city.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Commentaries & study tools
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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 5:7 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.