Paragraph 5:20–21

5:20a

In the Greek, 5:20a begins with a word that is usually translated as “but.” Here it introduces a new topic. In some languages it is best to omit this word, as the Berean Standard Bible does.

The law: This phrase refers to the Jewish laws, including the ten commandments. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

The Law (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
God’s law (New Living Translation (2004))

came in: The Greek word is literally “entered alongside” or “intruded.” God added the Law to people’s lives. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

entered people’s lives
-or-
was added (New International Version)
-or-
was introduced (Good News Translation)

so that the trespass would increase: The words so that introduces a purpose for the law coming. This clause indicates that the awareness and seriousness of sin increased. Here are other ways to translate this clause:

to increase the trespass (English Standard Version)
-or-
when sin grew worse (New Century Version)

the trespass: Translate this word as you did in 5:18.

5:20b

but where sin increased: The word where connects this clause to the clause in 5:20c. It indicates that as the awareness and seriousness of sin increased, grace increased even more. In some languages a different word is used for this meaning. For example:

as sins increased
-or-
however much sin increased (New Jerusalem Bible)

sin: Here this word means the same thing as “trespass” in 5:20a. In some languages using two different words would indicate two different things. If that is true in your language, use the same word here as in 5:20a. For example:

trespasses/sins

Some languages may need to use the plural here too.

5:20c

grace increased: This clause indicates that God was kind even more as the awareness and seriousness of sin increased. Here are other ways to translate this clause:

grace abounded (English Standard Version)
-or-
God’s kindness increased (God’s Word)

all the more: As people sinned, God was even more kind to them. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

much more (Good News Translation)
-or-
even more (God’s Word)
-or-
exceeded it (REV)

© 2020 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.