SIL Translator’s Notes on Romans 7:15

7:15a

In the Greek, 7:15a also begins with a word that is usually translated as “For.” This word introduces an explanation of Paul being “sold under sin” (7:14c). In some languages, it may be more natural to omit this word and leave the connection implicit, as the Berean Standard Bible does.

I do not understand what I do: The Greek is literally “What I do, I do not understand.” Paul did not understand why he sinned, when he knew better.

7:15b

For: This word introduces an explanation of Paul not understanding his own actions (7:15a).

what I want to do, I do not do: The Greek is literally “not what I want this I do.” Many English versions and scholars connect the word not with do, as in the Berean Standard Bible. That makes more sense of the contrasting connection that follows this clause in the Greek.

7:15c

But: Some languages will not see the connection here as contrast. For example:

and at-the-same-time
-or-
That which I…

what I hate, I do: The Greek is literally “what I hate this I do.” The words what I hate are emphasized.

hate: This word refers to a very strong dislike. Here it includes Paul despising those things that he was doing. Here are other ways to translate this word:

detest (Revised English Bible)
-or-
am disgusted with

© 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.

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