The Letters · New Testament
Romans 7
Romans 7: released from the law, and a divided speaker in the first person
General context
The chapter argues from a rule the readers know, that "the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth", and illustrates it with marriage: a wife is bound while her husband lives and "if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband". So the readers "are become dead to the law by the body of Christ", joined to another, him who is raised from the dead, to bring forth fruit unto God. In the flesh "the motions of sins, which were by the law" worked in their members toward death; now they serve "in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter". A question follows: "Is the law sin? God forbid." Sin was known by the law, and lust known because the law said "Thou shalt not covet"; sin took occasion by the commandment and worked all manner of concupiscence, while "without the law sin was dead". The commandment "ordained to life" is found to be unto death, because sin deceived and slew by it. So "the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good". From there the speaker describes himself divided: the law is spiritual, "but I am carnal, sold under sin"; what he would he does not, what he hates he does. In his flesh "dwelleth no good thing". He delights in God's law after the inward man but sees "another law in my members", and cries out for deliverance before thanking God through Jesus Christ.
Cited passages: Romans 7:1, Romans 7:2, Romans 7:3, Romans 7:4, Romans 7:5, Romans 7:6, Romans 7:7, Romans 7:8, Romans 7:9, Romans 7:10, Romans 7:11, Romans 7:12, Romans 7:13, Romans 7:14, Romans 7:15, Romans 7:16, Romans 7:17, Romans 7:18, Romans 7:19, Romans 7:21, Romans 7:22, Romans 7:23, Romans 7:24, Romans 7:25
Romans 7 (KJV)
1Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?
2For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.
3So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.
4Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
5For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.
6But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.
7What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
8But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.
9For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.
10And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.
11For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.
12Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.
13Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.
14For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
15For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
16If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
17Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
18For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
19For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
20Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
21I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
22For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
23But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
24O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
25I thank 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.
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Historical context
The chapter states its audience: the writer speaks "to them that know the law". The one commandment quoted is "Thou shalt not covet", given with no source formula and attributed only to what "the law had said". Exodus 20:17 and Deuteronomy 5:21 both continue with a list of a neighbour's property; the letter stops at the verb and supplies no object. The first person from verse 7 onward is given no setting: no place, no age, no incident, and no other person. The only time markers are "I was alive without the law once" and "when the commandment came". The marriage case in verses 2 and 3 is used as an illustration of the law's hold and is not presented as a ruling about anyone named. Whether the divided speaker describes the writer's present state is not stated in the chapter itself; the tenses shift from past in verses 9 to 11 to present from verse 14 on.
Cited passages: Romans 7:1, Romans 7:2, Romans 7:3, Romans 7:7, Romans 7:9, Romans 7:10, Romans 7:11, Romans 7:14, Exodus 20:17, Deuteronomy 5:21
Literary context
One word is made to carry several senses. "the law of her husband" is a rule of marriage, "the law of God" is what the inward man delights in, and alongside them stand "another law in my members", "the law of my mind" and "the law of sin". The second half repeats one shape until it becomes a rhythm: "what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I", then "the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do", then the same conclusion twice, "it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me". Two questions punctuate the chapter, "Is the law sin?" and "Was then that which is good made death unto me?", both answered "God forbid", so the law is defended while the experience stays unresolved. The cry at verse 24 is the only exclamation, and the answer comes as thanks rather than as an argument.
Cited passages: Romans 7:2, Romans 7:7, Romans 7:13, Romans 7:15, Romans 7:17, Romans 7:19, Romans 7:20, Romans 7:21, Romans 7:22, Romans 7:23, Romans 7:24, Romans 7:25
Key moments
- A rule from marriage (Romans 7:2). The wife's release at her husband's death illustrates the law's hold.
- Dead to the law (Romans 7:4). Readers are said to have died to the law by the body of Christ.
- Thou shalt not covet (Romans 7:7). A commandment is quoted as what made lust known.
- Sin revived, I died (Romans 7:9). The arrival of the commandment is described as reversing life and death.
- The law is holy (Romans 7:12). The commandment is defended as holy, just and good.
- What I would I do not (Romans 7:15). The speaker describes doing what he hates.
- A cry for deliverance (Romans 7:24). The speaker calls himself wretched and asks who will deliver him.
For reflection
The chapter defends the law as holy while describing it as the occasion of death. What does the speaker say accounts for that difference, and does the account satisfy you as you read it?
