Romans 5:12

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.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Paul, writing to the church in Rome, mid-argument on justification by faith, pivots to the universal human condition under sin and death. He is laying the problem-side of the Adam–Christ parallel that runs through this chapter.

The words — διὰ (dia, "through") does the structural work, appearing twice to chain the causal sequence: sin through one man, death through sin. It is the hinge that makes the completed parallel in v. 19 possible.

The thread — The same "through a man" logic appears in 1 Corinthians 15:21 and is completed in Romans 5:19; Romans 6:23 supplies the warrant ("the wages of sin is death").

Why it lands — The verse places the reader inside "all men" with no opt-out; it is the problem statement that makes the gift in vv. 17–19 necessary. It asks the reader to accept that the scope of the remedy is as wide as the scope of the disease.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Greek words

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:

Cross-references

1 Corinthians 15:21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.
Romans 5:19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the 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 after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
Genesis 2:17 but you must not eat from 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 Surely I was brought forth in iniquity; I was sinful when my mother conceived me.
Genesis 3:19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat your bread, until you return to the ground—because out of it were you taken. For dust you are, and to dust you shall return.”
1 John 1:8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
Genesis 3:6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eyes, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom, she took the fruit and ate it. She also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate it.