What Does Romans 5:17 Mean in the King James?
For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The same Greek verb names death’s reign and the recipients’ reign, so the verse describes a transfer of dominion into life through Jesus.
THE MEANING
Your life is described as moving from death’s rule into a greater reign in life: abundance of favor and alignment arrive as gifts through Jesus Christ. The life you receive is not framed as wages for deserving it; through Jesus, you share in its reign.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
It undoes the belief that death has the final, unanswerable claim on you: the verse says a greater life-reign is given through Jesus to those receiving favor and alignment.
THE ROOT
βασιλεύω
basileuō
GROWS FROM
βασιλευ-
basileu-
to rule as king; to reign.
The verse uses the same verb for death’s rule and for the rule of those receiving the gift. English preserves the repetition, but the shared root makes the reversal especially clear: the recipients move from being under a reign to reigning in life.
ALSO GROWS
basileus: king
βασιλεύς
The related noun makes the kingly force in “reign” explicit: the verse is speaking about who holds authority.
basileia: kingdom; rule
βασιλεία
This branch names the realm or rule associated with a king, echoing the verse’s change in dominion.
παράπτωμα
paraptōma
GROWS FROM
πίπτω
piptō
to fall.
“Offence” can sound like an insult, while παράπτωμα (paraptōma) carries the image of a fall or misstep. The verse connects that fall with death becoming a ruler, giving the word a consequence deeper than a momentary offense.
ALSO GROWS
parapiptō: to fall away
παραπίπτω
This related verb keeps the image of falling, showing how the root can describe a departure or lapse.
ptōma: a fallen body; corpse
πτῶμα
This branch preserves the physical image of a fall and sharpens the verse’s connection between the offence and death.
δικαιοσύνη
dikaiosynē
GROWS FROM
δικαιο-
dikaio-
justice or rightness; what is aligned as right.
“righteousness” in this verse is dikaiosynē. Here alignment is named as a gift, not a wage. That makes it part of what the recipients receive, alongside abundance of favor, as they come to reign in life.
ALSO GROWS
dikaios: just; right
δίκαιος
This related adjective points to the quality of rightness or alignment contained in the gift.
dikaioō: to justify; declare or set right
δικαιόω
This related verb connects alignment with being set right, which fits the verse’s description of righteousness as received.
THE PATTERN
The claim of death is answered by a greater life that takes its place in authority.
But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah.Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.THE THREAD
That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.“Reigned” and “reign” come from the same Greek verb family, βασιλεύω (basileuō, “to reign”). This next verse spells out the contrast: sin’s reign leads to death, while favor reigns through alignment into the life of the ages through Jesus.
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