ὥσπερ δι᾽ ἑνὸς ἀνθρώπου … ἐφ᾽ ᾧ πάντες ἥμαρτον (5:12)
Says Sin entered δι᾽ ἑνὸς ἀνθρώπου (di' henos anthrōpou, "through one man"), death through sin, and death διῆλθεν (diēlthen, "spread") to all. ἥμαρτον (hēmarton, "sinned") is aorist, as in 3:23.
Uncertain The syntax. This note leans to an anacoluthon: ὥσπερ ("just as") has no matching οὕτως καί, the sentence breaks off (SBLGNT's dash), and 5:18–19 complete it (ὡς … οὕτως καί). The alternative takes καὶ οὕτως in 5:12 as the second half.
Uncertain ἐφ᾽ ᾧ (eph' hō). This note leans to "because" (BSB). Grounds: Abbott-Smith gives "for the reason that, because" for Rom 5:12 and 2 Cor 5:4, where Paul uses it so. Alternatives: "with the result that"; "on the basis of which (death)"; "in whom" (Adam), which needs ἐν, not ἐπί, and a distant antecedent.
The Vulgate renders ἐφ᾽ ᾧ in quo, "in whom." This mistranslates the Greek: ἐπί with the dative does not mean "in."
Uncertain How all sinned in relation to Adam. This note leans to federal headship with immediate imputation: Adam's one trespass is counted to all he represented (WCF 6.3, by reference). Grounds: 5:15–19 trace death and condemnation to the one trespass, and the parallel credits Christ's righteousness. Realism holds that all sinned in Adam as present in him; ground: aorist ἥμαρτον as one act. Mediate imputation holds that guilt follows inherited corruption; ground: ἥμαρτον as personal sinning. The Pelagian view, that all sin by imitating Adam, falls outside what 5:15–19 affirm.
Claims
- SaysSin entered through one man, death through sin, and death spread to all, because all sinned (aorist ἥμαρτον) (5:12).
- UncertainWhether 5:12 breaks off after ὥσπερ and is completed in 5:18–19 (lean; no οὕτως καί; SBLGNT's dash) or καὶ οὕτως gives its second half (alternative).
- UncertainWhether ἐφ᾽ ᾧ means 'because' (lean; Abbott-Smith; 2 Cor 5:4) or 'with the result that', 'on the basis of which (death)', or 'in whom' (alternatives; the last needs ἐν and a distant antecedent).
- UncertainWhether all sinned in Adam by federal headship with immediate imputation (lean; 5:15–19 trace condemnation to the one trespass; the parallel with Christ; WCF 6.3), by realism (alternative; ἥμαρτον as one act in Adam), or by mediate imputation through inherited corruption (alternative; ἥμαρτον as personal sinning); the Pelagian imitation view falls outside what 5:15–19 affirm.
Citations
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Abbott-Smith public domain s.v. ἐπί (ἐφ’ ᾧ, Ro 5:12 II Co 5:4) —
for the reason that, because
- BSB public domain Rom 5:12; 2 Cor 5:4
- 🔒︎ Vulgate (Clem.) public domain Rom 5:12 (by reference)
- WCF public domain 6.3 (by reference)
- Hodge, Romans public domain on Rom 5:12-21 (by reference; not checked)
- 🔒︎ Murray, Romans (NICNT) Copyrighted on Rom 5:12-21 (by reference; not checked)
- 🔒︎ Cranfield, Romans (ICC) Copyrighted on Rom 5:12 (by reference; not checked)
2026-10-30
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