Thomas Aquinas Commentary Romans 5:13-14

"for until the law sin was in the world; but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the likeness of Adam`s transgression, who is a figure of him that was to come." — Romans 5:13-14 (ASV)

1. After tracing the origin of sin and death and their entry into the world, the Apostle now clarifies what he has said.

   1. He explains his statement.
   2. He clarifies the comparison he suggested when he said, wherefore as by one man (Romans 5:12).
   3. He explains it with the phrase, who is a figure of him who was to come.

   He had stated that sin and death passed on to all men. Here, following Augustine’s exposition, he intends to explain this by the fact that sin remained even under the law, which implies that the law was unable to expel it.

   In regard to this, he does two things:

   1. He explains his statement regarding sin.
   2. He explains his statement regarding death, with the phrase, but death reigned.

   Regarding the first point, he does two things:

   1. He shows that sin existed under the law.
   2. He shows what the law did in regard to sin, with the phrase, but sin was not imputed.

2. First, therefore, he says it has been stated that all have sinned in Adam, because even the law did not take away sin. Until the law—that is, even under the law, as "until" is taken inclusively—sin was in the world. This can be understood in relation to the natural law and the law of Moses, and similarly, in relation to actual sin and original sin.

   For original sin was in a child "until the law of nature"—that is, until he reached the use of reason through which a person becomes aware of these laws: in sins did my mother conceive me (Psalms 51:5). Nor does this sin pass away with the coming of the natural law in a person; rather, it grows through the addition of actual sin, because, as stated in Ecclesiastes, there is not a just man on earth who does good and never sins (Ecclesiastes 7:20).

   But if we understand it in relation to the law of Moses, then the statement that sin was in the world until the law can be understood not only of original sin but also of actual sin, because both continued in the world before the law and under the law: who can say: I have made my heart clean? (Proverbs 20:9).

3. But although the law did not remove sin, it produced knowledge of sin, which previously was not recognized.

   Hence he continues, but sin was not imputed. This is obvious if it is understood in relation to the natural law. For although original sin is in a child before the natural law and is counted against him by God, it was not imputed to him by other people.

   But if it is understood in relation to the law of Moses, it is clear that some actual sins were not imputed before the law, such as those specifically forbidden by the law, which people did not regard as sins—for example, you shall not covet (Exodus 20:17). However, certain sins were imputed, since they were against the law of nature. For this reason, Joseph is sent to prison on the charge of adultery (Genesis 39:11 and following).

4. Then he deals with death. He says that although sins were not imputed before the law, yet death reigned. This refers to spiritual death—that is, sin or eternal damnation, of which it is written, the death of the wicked is very evil (Psalms 34:21). "Reigned" means it exercised its power over people by bringing them to damnation. This reign extended from Adam, through whom sin entered the world, unto Moses, under whom the law was given, as it says, the law was given through Moses (John 1:17). Death reigned not only over those who sinned by their own actions, but even over them also who have not sinned, after the similitude of the transgression of Adam, who did sin by his own action. As it is written, but like Adam they transgressed the covenant; there they dealt faithlessly with me (Hosea 6:7). This is because even children incurred damnation.

5. Under this interpretation, it is also possible to understand bodily death, which shows the presence of sin even when it was not imputed. It is as if he says: sin indeed was not imputed before the law, but we know that it existed, because death reigned. This refers to bodily death, first by bringing suffering—such as hunger, thirst, and sickness—and finally by destroying life. This death reigned even over them who have not sinned, after the similitude of the transgression of Adam—that is, even over children who committed no actual sins, because they too suffered bodily death before and after the law: what man can live and never see death? (Psalms 89:48).

6. Ambrose explained these words in another way, referring them only to actual sin and the Mosaic law. According to him, these words were written to explain that sin entered this world through the first parent and passed on to everyone.

   For until the law—that is, before the law of Moses—sin was in the world, namely, actual sin, for people sinned against the law of nature in many ways. Hence, it is said, the men of Sodom were the wickedest (Genesis 13:13). But sin was not imputed, when the law was not. This does not mean it was not considered something to be punished by men, since there are records of men being punished for sin before the time of the law (Genesis 39–40). Rather, it was not considered as something to be punished by God. At that time, people did not believe that God would punish or reward human actions: he walks about the poles of heaven and does not consider our things (Job 22:14). But after the law was given by God, it was recognized that sins are imputed by God for punishment and not only by men. Consequently, because people did not believe they would be punished by God for their sins, they sinned freely and without restraint whenever they did not fear human judgment.

   Hence he adds: But death—that is, sin—reigned, meaning it exercised its power in every way, from Adam unto Moses (exclusive of Moses). For when the law was given through Moses, it began to weaken the reign of sin by instilling fear of divine judgment: oh, that they had such a mind as this always, to fear me and keep my commandments (Deuteronomy 5:28). Sin reigned, I say, until Moses, not over all, but over them who have sinned after the similitude of the transgression of Adam.

   For Ambrose says that the word not is not found in the ancient manuscripts; therefore, he believes it was added by corrupting scribes. Adam, indeed, believed the devil’s promise more than God’s threat, as is clear in Genesis 3; in a way, then, he preferred the devil to God. Therefore, idolaters sin in the likeness of Adam’s sin, because they abandon the worship of God to worship the devil. Over such people, therefore, death—that is, sin—reigned completely, because it possessed them entirely. But there were true worshippers of God before the law. Even if they sinned, sin did not reign over them, because it did not separate them totally from God. Rather, they sinned "under God"—that is, under faith in the one God, if they sinned mortally, or under the charity of God, if they sinned venially.

7. From both these interpretations, a third can be obtained which seems more in accord with the Apostle’s intention.

   For he had said that by one man sin entered into this world (Romans 5:12). But because sin is a transgression of the divine law, it might seem that this would not be true during the time before the law, especially since he had stated, for where there is no law, neither is there transgression (Romans 4:15). Consequently, one might suppose that sin entered the world not through a man but through the law. To exclude this, he says, until the law—referring to the time before the law—sin was in the world, both original and actual. But it was not recognized as something to be punished by God. And this is what he adds: but sin was not imputed, namely, as an offense against God, when the law—that is, the divinely given law—was not.

8. For there were certain persons, as the Philosopher (Aristotle) says (Ethics 5.10), who believed that nothing is just or unjust by nature, but only by human law. According to this view, a sin was not imputed as being contrary to God, especially original sin, since it was not known.

   But the error of this opinion is shown by its effect, because bodily death reigned from Adam, through whom original sin entered the world, until Moses, under whom the law was given. Consequently, since death is the effect of sin (especially original sin), it is clear that original sin existed in the world before the law.

   But lest anyone suppose that they died on account of actual sins, he excludes this when he says that death reigned even over them who have not sinned by their own act—namely, children and the just who did not sin mortally, but did sin in the first man, as has been stated. Therefore, he adds, after the similitude of the transgression of Adam, since they contracted the likeness of that sin through their origin along with the likeness of nature. It is as if he says: The fact that they died without personal sin shows that the likeness of Adam’s sin had been spread to them by virtue of their origin. And this is what the Apostle intends to convey: that original sin entered the world through Adam.

9. Then when he says, who is a figure of him, he explains the comparison that was implied in the adverb as (Romans 5:12). Hence he says, who—namely, Adam—was a figure of the one who was to come, that is, of Christ, although in an opposite way.

   For just as sin and death entered the world through Adam, so justice and life entered through Christ: the first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven (1 Corinthians 15:47).

   There are other likenesses between Christ and Adam. Just as Adam’s body was formed without intercourse, so was Christ’s body from the Virgin. Again, just as the woman was taken from the side of the sleeping Adam, so from the side of the sleeping Christ flowed blood and water (John 19:34), which signify the sacraments by which the Church was formed.