Romanschapter 7

25 verses · ASV

This chapter sends 424 cross-references outward and receives 342 — heaviest partner: Romans.

Chapter summary

The law has dominion over a man as long as he liveth; believers are dead to the law through the body of Christ, that they should be married to another. Paul then paints the awakened conscience under law: what I would, I do not; what I would not, that I do. O wretched man! Who shall deliver me? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Henry shows the chapter preparing chapter 8's deliverance; Calvin sees in it the believer's continuing humbling under inward sin's pull.

Drafted from Matthew Henry, Calvin, Gill, Clarke, JFB, and Barnes.

Context

Epistle · Paul — see the Romans overview for the book's full setting.

1 Or are ye ignorant, brethren (for I speak to men who know the law), that the law hath dominion over a man for so long time as he liveth?

2 For the woman that hath a husband is bound by law to the husband while he liveth; but if the husband die, she is discharged from the law of the husband.

3 So then if, while the husband liveth, she be joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if the husband die, she is free from the law, so that she is no adulteress, though she be joined to another man.

4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also were made dead to the law through the body of Christ; that ye should be joined to another, even to him who was raised from the dead, that we might bring forth fruit unto God.

5 For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were through the law, wrought in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.

6 But now we have been discharged from the law, having died to that wherein we were held; so that we serve in newness of the spirit, and not in oldness of the letter.

7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Howbeit, I had not known sin, except through the law: for I had not known coveting, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet:

8 but sin, finding occasion, wrought in me through the commandment all manner of coveting: for apart from the law sin is dead.

9 And I was alive apart from the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died;