Answer
Romans 5:14 states, “Death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come” (NKJV). Here, Paul speaks about the consequences of sin. In saying, “Death reigned from Adam to Moses,” Paul conveys the pervasive power of sin and death over humanity and the need for redemption through Christ.
Death reigned from Adam to Moses refers to the time between the first man, Adam, and the giving of the law to Israel through Moses. Adam’s disobedience in the Garden of Eden brought sin and death into the world (Genesis 3). Sin entered through one man, Adam, and its impact was felt universally. Death was the consequence of Adam’s sin. It did not matter that no one committed the same act of disobedience as Adam; people still died. Paul’s point here is that death, the consequence of sin, is a universal experience, even for those who lived before the law was given at Sinai.
When Paul says, “Death reigned from Adam to Moses,” he emphasizes that death held sway over all humanity because of Adam’s sin. Although the law had not yet been given, death still affected people. The reality of death demonstrated that sin was present even before it was codified in the Mosaic Law. Paul argues earlier that “sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way, death came to all people because all sinned” (Romans 5:12). The reign of death over humanity was not contingent on the law but on our sinful nature inherited from Adam. Therefore, “death reigned from Adam to Moses” because sin’s penalty applied universally, regardless of the presence of the law.
Death reigned from Adam to Moses also highlights the idea that the effects of sin were present even in those who did not consciously transgress a direct command from God. In the period before Moses, there was no specific law for people to break, yet death still reigned. So, sin’s consequence is not merely the result of breaking explicit rules but is rooted in the fallen condition of humanity that began with Adam. Paul’s argument clarifies that people died not because they sinned in the same way as Adam but because Adam’s sin brought death into the world. Death reigned from Adam to Moses because sin was in our nature.
Picturing death as a potentate communicates that all humanity is under the curse of sin, a theme Paul develops throughout Romans. The grip of sin and its consequences are pervasive. Even in the absence of explicit laws from God, the reality of death reveals that sin’s power extends beyond individual actions—it is systemic, affecting every person. The dominion of death is a grim reminder of our fallen state and the need for a solution to the problem of sin and death.
Understanding that “death reigned from Adam to Moses” prepares readers for the introduction of Christ as the new Adam, the one who brings life where death once ruled. Romans 5:14 refers to Adam as a “type of the one who was to come” (ESV). That is, Adam was a pattern for Jesus Christ. The difference is that “Adam brought destruction, Christ brought salvation” (Romans 5:14, AMP). Just as Adam’s sin brought death, Christ’s obedience and sacrifice would bring life. The reign of death from Adam to Moses set the stage for the more incredible reign of grace and life through Jesus Christ. Paul elaborates on this in Romans 5:17, stating, “For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!” Christ’s redemptive work solves the problem of sin and death.
