Albert Barnes Commentary Romans 5:20

"And the law came in besides, that the trespass might abound; but where sin abounded, grace did abound more exceedingly:" — Romans 5:20 (ASV)

Moreover. But. What is said in this verse and the following seems designed to address the Jew, who might claim that the law of Moses was intended to counteract the evils of sin introduced by Adam, and therefore that the teaching defended by the apostle was unnecessary. He therefore shows that the effect of the law of Moses was to increase rather than to diminish the sins which had been introduced into the world. And if such was the fact, it could not be argued that it was suited to overcome the acknowledged evils of the apostasy.

The law. The Mosaic laws and institutions. The word seems to be used here to denote all the laws which were given in the Old Testament.

Entered. This word usually means to enter secretly or surreptitiously. But it appears to be used here simply in the sense that the law came in, or was given. It came in addition to, or was introduced into, the situation existing before Moses, when people were living without a revelation.

That sin, etc. The word “that”—(ina)—in this place, does not mean that it was the design of giving the law that sin might abound or be increased, but that this was in fact the effect. It had this tendency, not to restrain or subdue sin, but to excite and increase it.

That the word has this meaning can be seen in the lexicons. The way in which the law produces this effect is stated more fully by the apostle in Romans 7:7-11. The law expresses human duty: it is spiritual and holy; it is opposed to the guilty passions and pleasures of the world; and it thus excites opposition, provokes anger, and is the occasion by which sin is stirred into action and reveals itself in the heart.

All law, where there is a disposition to do wrong, has this tendency. A command given to a child that is disposed to indulge his passions only tends to excite anger and opposition. If the heart was holy, and there was a disposition to do right, law would have no such tendency. This subject is further illustrated in the comments on Romans 7:7-11.

The offense. The offense which had been introduced by Adam, i.e., sin .

Might abound. Might increase; that is, it would be more apparent, more violent, more extensive. The introduction of the Mosaic law, instead of diminishing the sins of people, only increases them.

But where sin abounded. This was true in all dispensations—before the law and under the law. In all conditions of the human family before the gospel, it was characteristic that sin was prevalent.

Grace. Favor; mercy.

Did much more abound. Superabounded. The word is used nowhere else in the New Testament, except in 2 Corinthians 7:4. It means that the pardoning mercy of the gospel greatly triumphed over sin, even over the sins of the Jews, though those sins were greatly aggravated by the light which they enjoyed under the advantages of Divine revelation.

Grace did much more abound (John 10:10; 1 Timothy 1:14).