Romans 5:13

"For until the law sin was in the world; but sin is not imputed when there is no law". "The law". that is the Law of Moses (Romans 5:14). Paul is speaking of the time period between Adam and Moses; those who lived under this period of time were not under the Ten Commandment covenant (Nehemiah 9:14; Deuteronomy 5:1). "Sin was in the world: Which means that laws existed prior to Mount Sinai. We can see some of these laws in Genesis 15:16; Genesis 20:9; Genesis 39:9; Leviticus 18:3; Leviticus 18:24. " But sin is not imputed when there is no law" -"but sin cannot be charged against. man where no Law exists" (TCNT) (1 John 3:4). "Imputed". this term means to put to account so as to bring penalty (Vincent p. 62). Equal to the statement that would say, "where there is no law there is no transgression" (Romans 4:15). Before Moses came along there was sin in the world. People were breaking laws that were different from the law Adam violated (Romans 5:14), that is laws, which condemned things besides eating of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. You only have to read the book of Genesis to know that there were laws in the world before Moses, see Genesis chapter 9. Sodom and Gomorrah were buried for breaking some (Genesis 13:13; Genesis 18:20). Noah's flood was sent because people were breaking laws. Man has never been without law! All men have been under law to God since the beginning, or seeing that sin is universal (Romans 3:23), so are the laws of God.