Barnes New Testament Notes

Verse 20. Moreover. But. What is said in this verse and the following seems designed to meet the Jew, who might pretend that the law of Moses was intended to meet the evils of sin introduced by Adam, and therefore that the scheme defended by the apostle was unnecessary. He therefore shows them 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 pleaded that it was adapted 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 it supervened the state before Moses, when men 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 such 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 sense may be seen in the lexicons. The way in which the law produces this effect is stated more fully by the apostle in Ro 7:7-11. The law expresses the duty of man: it is spiritual and holy; it is opposed to the guilty passions and pleasures of the world; and it thus excites opposition, provokes to anger, and is the occasion by which sin is called into exercise, and shows 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. See this subject further illustrated in the See Barnes "Ro 7:7-11".

The offence. The offence which had been introduced by Adam, i.e. sin. Comp. Ro 5:15.

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

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

Grace. Favour; mercy.

Did much more abound. Superabounded. The word is used nowhere else in the New Testament, except in 2 Co 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.

{c} "Moreover, the law" Ro 7:8; Joh 15:22; Ga 3:19

{d} "grace did much more abound" Joh 10:10; 1 Ti 1:14