The first part of this verse, he was given over to die because of our sins, is an allusion to Isaiah 53.4, 5; and it reflects a kind of Jewish parallelism (see Revised Standard Version “who was put to death for our trespasses and raised for our justification”).

The verb given over to die literally means “to give over” (see 1.24, 26, 28), but in this context the meaning is “to give over to die” (compare it use in 8.32 where the Good News Translation translates by offered).

In Greek the same preposition is used in each clause and is ambiguously rendered by the Revised Standard Version as “for.” Most commentators appear to take the first “for” as retrospective or causal (“because of our sins”), though An American Translation* seems to take it prospectively (“to make up for our offenses”). On the other hand, the second “for” is usually taken in a prospective or final sense, to put us right with God (Jerusalem Bible “to justify us”; An American Translation* “to make us upright”; Phillips “to secure our justification”; Moffatt “that we might be justified”). It is possible, though not as well in keeping with the context, to understand the second “for” as retrospective (see the alternative rendering in the New English Bible, “raised to life because we were now justified”). The translator should keep in mind that there is no separation in Paul’s thinking between the significance of Christ’s death and resurrection; they are inseparable events, because they both describe the mighty act of God by which we are brought into a right relationship with him and our sins are forgiven.

The passive expression he was given over to die may be rendered as active: “God gave Christ over to die,” “God allowed Christ to die,” or “God handed Christ over to people and they killed him.”

Because of our sins is most frequently translated as “because we had sinned” or “because we had done evil.” The passive expression was raised to life may likewise be made active with God as the agent—for example, “God caused him to live again in order that we would be put right with God,” “… in order to put us right with God,” or “… right with himself.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Romans. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1973. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .