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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadJohn Bengel Commentary - Romans 5:17 - 5:17
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Rom 5:17. Τοῦ ἑνὸς-διὰ τοῦ ἑνὸς, of the one man, by the one) A very significant repetition; lest the sins committed by individuals should seem rather [than the offence of the one man] to have produced death.-ἐβασίλευσε, reigned) The word in the preterite tense looks back from the economy of grace to the economy of sin; as presently after the expression shall reign, in the future, looks forward from the economy of sin, to the economy of grace and eternal life; so Rom 5:19.-τὴν περισσείαν) Πλεονάζειν, and περισσεύειν differ, as much in the positive, and more in the comparative, Rom 5:20. Abundance of grace, is put in opposition to the one offence.-λαμβάνοντες, receiving) Λαμβάνειν may be rendered either as a neuter-passive verb, empfangen, erlangen, kriegen to receive, to acquire, to get; or actively, annehmen, to take. The former is the better sense; still the relation to δωρεὰν a gift, is more suitable to the act of taking. In justification, man does something; but the act of taking, so far as it is an act, does not justify, but that which is taken or laid hold of. The gift and taking, are correlatives. Furthermore, this verb is not used, when we are speaking of sin; and it is for the same reason, owing to which it happens that we are not said to reign in death, but death reigned; but life reigns in us, 2Co 4:12, and we in life. Christ, in this passage, is King of them that reign. Life and reigning are mentioned in connection also, in Rev 20:4. The term life is repeated from ch. Rom 1:17, and often recurs, presently after, in Rom 5:18; Rom 5:21, and in the following chapters.