3:9

under sin: That is, under the power of sin. The Greek preposition hy·poʹ, “under,” here conveys the idea of being under the control of someone or something. In the Bible, sin is personified as a domineering master who holds humans in slavery. (Joh 8:34; Ro 6:16-20; 7:14) In a similar way, Paul describes sin as ruling “as king.”​—Ro 5:21.

sin: The basic Greek term for “sin” in the Scriptures is ha·mar·tiʹa. This is the first occurrence of the word in the book of Romans. The related verb, ha·mar·taʹno, literally means “to miss,” in the sense of missing a target or not reaching a goal. For example, secular Greek writers used ha·mar·taʹno with regard to a spearman missing his target. The corresponding Hebrew terms chat·taʼthʹ, “sin,” and cha·taʼʹ, “to sin,” convey a similar meaning. At Jg 20:16, cha·taʼʹ is used with a negative to describe the Benjaminites who “could sling a stone to within a hairbreadth and would not miss.” Both the Hebrew and the Greek terms could refer to missing, or failing to reach, not only physical goals but also moral or intellectual ones. But in the Scriptures, these terms refer mainly to human sin, a failure to live or act in harmony with moral standards set by the Creator. (Ge 39:9; 1Sa 7:6; Ps 51:4; Da 9:8; Lu 15:18; Ro 2:12; 5:12) The Septuagint often uses the verb ha·mar·taʹno to render the Hebrew verb cha·taʼʹ.​—See study note on Ro 3:23.