Romans 7:15
New International Version
I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.

New Living Translation
I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate.

English Standard Version
For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.

Berean Standard Bible
I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do. But what I hate, I do.

Berean Literal Bible
For what I do, I do not understand. For what I want, this I do not do; but what I hate, this I do.

King James Bible
For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.

New King James Version
For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.

New American Standard Bible
For I do not understand what I am doing; for I am not practicing what I want to do, but I do the very thing I hate.

NASB 1995
For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.

NASB 1977
For that which I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.

Legacy Standard Bible
For what I am working out, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.

Amplified Bible
For I do not understand my own actions [I am baffled and bewildered by them]. I do not practice what I want to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate [and yielding to my human nature, my worldliness—my sinful capacity].

Christian Standard Bible
For I do not understand what I am doing, because I do not practice what I want to do, but I do what I hate.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
For I do not understand what I am doing, because I do not practice what I want to do, but I do what I hate.

American Standard Version
For that which I do I know not: for not what I would, that do I practise; but what I hate, that I do.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
For that which I committed I did not understand, neither was it anything that I chose, but I was doing what I hated.

Contemporary English Version
In fact, I don't understand why I act the way I do. I don't do what I know is right. I do the things I hate.

Douay-Rheims Bible
For that which I work, I understand not. For I do not that good which I will; but the evil which I hate, that I do.

English Revised Version
For that which I do I know not: for not what I would, that do I practise; but what I hate, that I do.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I don't realize what I'm doing. I don't do what I want to do. Instead, I do what I hate.

Good News Translation
I do not understand what I do; for I don't do what I would like to do, but instead I do what I hate.

International Standard Version
I don't understand what I am doing. For I don't practice what I want to do, but instead do what I hate.

Literal Standard Version
for that which I work, I do not acknowledge; for not what I will, this I practice, but what I hate, this I do.

Majority Standard Bible
I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do. But what I hate, I do.

New American Bible
What I do, I do not understand. For I do not do what I want, but I do what I hate.

NET Bible
For I don't understand what I am doing. For I do not do what I want--instead, I do what I hate.

New Revised Standard Version
I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.

New Heart English Bible
For I do not know what I am doing. For I do not practice what I desire to do; but what I hate, that I do.

Webster's Bible Translation
For that which I do, I allow not: for what I would, that I do not; but what I hate, that I do.

Weymouth New Testament
For what I do, I do not recognize as my own action. What I desire to do is not what I do, but what I am averse to is what I do.

World English Bible
For I don’t understand what I am doing. For I don’t practice what I desire to do; but what I hate, that I do.

Young's Literal Translation
for that which I work, I do not acknowledge; for not what I will, this I practise, but what I hate, this I do.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Struggling with Sin
14We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do. But what I hate, I do. 16And if I do what I do not want to do, I admit that the law is good.…

Cross References
John 15:15
No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because everything I have learned from My Father I have made known to you.

Romans 7:19
For I do not do the good I want to do. Instead, I keep on doing the evil I do not want to do.

Galatians 5:17
For the flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are opposed to each other, so that you do not do what you want.


Treasury of Scripture

For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.

For that.

Romans 14:22
Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.

Luke 11:48
Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres.

allow.

Psalm 1:6
For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Nahum 1:7
The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.

2 Timothy 2:19
Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

what.

Romans 7:16,19,20
If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good…

1 Kings 8:46
If they sin against thee, (for there is no man that sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captives unto the land of the enemy, far or near;

Psalm 19:12
Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.

what I hate.

Romans 12:9
Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.

Psalm 36:4
He deviseth mischief upon his bed; he setteth himself in a way that is not good; he abhorreth not evil.

Psalm 97:10
Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.

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Acknowledge Action Actions Allow Averse Clear Desire Hate Mind Not Practice Practicing Practise Recognize Understand Want Work
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Acknowledge Action Actions Allow Averse Clear Desire Hate Mind Not Practice Practicing Practise Recognize Understand Want Work
Romans 7
1. No law has power over a man longer than he lives.
4. But we are dead to the law.
7. Yet is not the law sin;
12. but holy, just and good;
16. as I acknowledge, who am grieved because I cannot keep it.














(15) That which I do I allow not.--Rather, that which I perform I know not. I act blindly, and without any conscious direction of the will; that higher part of me which should preside over and direct my actions, is kept down by the lower physical nature.

Which I do.--St. Paul uses three words for "to do" in this passage, the distinction between which is hard to represent in English. That which is employed here and in Romans 7:17; Romans 7:20, is the strongest, "perform"--deliberate action, thoroughly carried out. The other two words differ, as "do" and "practise," the one referring to single, the other to habitual and repeated actions.

What I would.--If my will had free course I should act very differently.

Verses 15-25. - For that which I do (rather, work, or perform, or accomplish, κατεργάζομαι) I know not (rather than I allow not, as in the English Version, this being the proper meaning of the verb γινώσκω. The idea may be that, when under the delusion of sin I do wrong, I do not know what I am accomplishing): for not what I would, that I do (rather, practise; the verb here is πράσσω); but what I hate, that I do (ποιῶ). But if what I would not that I do, I consent unto the Law that it is good (καλός). Now then (νυνὶ δὲ, not in temporal sense, but meaning, as the case is) it is no more I that work (κατεργάζομαι, as before) it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth not good (ἀγαθόν): for to will is present with me; but to perform (κατεργάζεσθθαι) that which is good (τὸ καλὸν) is not (οὐ, rather than οὐχ αὐρίσκω ασ ιν the Textus Receptus, is the best-supported reading). For the good (ἀγαθόν) that I would I do not (οἰ ποιῶ): but the evil which I would not, that I practise (πράσσω). But if what I (ἐγὼ, emphatic) would not, that I do (ποιῶ), it is no longer I (ἐγὼ, again emphatic) that work (κατεργάζομαι) it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then the law, that to me who would do good, evil is present. For I delight in the Law of God after the inward man. But I see a different law in my members (on what is meant by "members" (μέλεσι) see note under Romans 6:13) warring against the law of my mind, and brining me into captivity to (or, according to some readings, by) the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? (probably in the same sense as "the body of sin" in Romans 6:6; see note thereon. Translate certainly as in the English Version; not this body of death, as if it meant this mortal body) Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the Law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. In the note introducing this whole section (vers. 7-25)its general drift has been intimated. The following additional comments may further explain the part of it which begins at ver. 15.

(1) The initial γὰρ introduces proof of the ἐγὼ being in the condition spoken of in the preceding clause, viz. "sold under sin." For (the meaning is) am I not a bond-slave, when, as I feel is the case with me, I am not my own master? But, observe, the state that goes on to be described is that of an unwilling bond-slave; not of one who likes his bondage, and has no desire to be free. The conscience is supposed already, through the operation of law, to protest against sin; to hate its thraldom; not willingly to acquiesce in it.

(2) The distinction between the verbs ποιῶ, πράσσω κατεργάζομαι, not observed in the English Version, but to which attention has been drawn in the above translation, has its meaning. Attention to the places where they occur will show their appropriateness in each case, denoting severally single acts, habitual practice, and general working, performance, or accomplishment.

(3) The English Version is wrong in rendering, in ver. 15, "What I would, that I do not," so as to make the idea the same as that in ver. 19. There are really two different statements in the two verses - the first, of our doing what we wish not to do; the second, of our not doing what we wish to do; and after each the same conclusion is drawn in the same words, viz. that sin is the real worker (κατεργάζομαι being here the word appropriately used). . . .

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
I do not understand
γινώσκω (ginōskō)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1097: A prolonged form of a primary verb; to 'know' in a great variety of applications and with many implications.

what
(ho)
Personal / Relative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3739: Who, which, what, that.

I do.
κατεργάζομαι (katergazomai)
Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 2716: From kata and ergazomai; to work fully, i.e. Accomplish; by implication, to finish, fashion.

For
γὰρ (gar)
Conjunction
Strong's 1063: For. A primary particle; properly, assigning a reason.

what
(ho)
Personal / Relative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3739: Who, which, what, that.

I want [to do],
θέλω (thelō)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 2309: To will, wish, desire, be willing, intend, design.

I do not do.
πράσσω (prassō)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 4238: To do, perform, accomplish; be in any condition, i.e. I fare; I exact, require.

But
ἀλλ’ (all’)
Conjunction
Strong's 235: But, except, however. Neuter plural of allos; properly, other things, i.e. contrariwise.

what
(ho)
Personal / Relative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3739: Who, which, what, that.

I hate,
μισῶ (misō)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 3404: To hate, detest, love less, esteem less. From a primary misos; to detest; by extension, to love less.

I do.
ποιῶ (poiō)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 4160: (a) I make, manufacture, construct, (b) I do, act, cause. Apparently a prolonged form of an obsolete primary; to make or do.


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