[B-Greek] Romans 6:7

Iver Larsen iver_larsen at sil.org
Fri May 21 01:29:17 EDT 2004


>
>   I noticed an interesting choice of words in Romans 6:7       hO
> GAR APOQANWN DEDIKAIWTAI APW THS hAMARTIAS.
>
>   It seems odd to me that Paul would choose DEDIKAIWTAI to
> express our English phrase, "freed from sin".  It doesn't seem to
> fit with his argument here.  I would expect some form of
> ELEUQEROW.  Any opinions?


Well, Paul could have used ELEUQEROW, since he does use this word in a
similar context in 6:18 and 22. In 6:7 it is the preposition APO that
carries the implicit idea of being freed from. The person who has been
justified, has entered a life that is APO THS hAMARTIAS - away from (the
power of) sin. My guess is that DIKAIOW is a legal term so the sense could
be that sin no longer has any legal authority over the one who has died.
Maybe one could say: has been released from the power/authority of sin.

Iver Larsen




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