Romans 7:1

Or don’t you know, brothers (for I speak to men who know the law), that the law has dominion over a man for as long as he lives?

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Other translations

WEBBE

Or don’t you know, brothers (for I speak to men who know the law), that the law has dominion over a man for as long as he lives?

BSB

Do you not know, brothers (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has authority over a man only as long as he lives?

KJV

Know 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?

ASV

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?

BBE

Is it not clear, my brothers (I am using an argument to those who have knowledge of the law), that the law has power over a man as long as he is living?

Original Greek

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Ἢ Ē Or G2228 ἀγνοεῖτε agnoeite are you ignorant G50 ἀδελφοί adelphoi brothers — G80 γινώσκουσιν ginōskousin to those knowing G1097 γὰρ gar for G1063 νόμον nomon law G3551 λαλῶ lalō I speak — G2980 ὅτι hoti that G3754 ὁ ho the G3588 νόμος nomos law G3551 κυριεύει kurieuei rules G2961 τοῦ tou over the G3588 ἀνθρώπου anthrōpou man G444 ἐφ eph᾽ for G1909 ὅσον hoson as long as G3745 χρόνον chronon [the] time G5550 ζῇ; zēa he is alive G2198

The early church

Since then he had said, we are "dead to sin," he here shows that not sin only, but also the Law, hath no dominion over them. But if the Law hath none, much less hath sin: and to render his language palatable, he uses a human example to make this plain by. And he seems to be stating one point, but he sets down at once two arguments for his proposition. One, that when a husband is dead, the woman is no longer subject to her husband, and there is nothing to prevent her becoming the wife of another man: and the other, that in the present case it is not the husband only that is dead but the wife also. So that one may enjoy liberty in two ways. Now if when the husband is dead, she is freed from his power, when the woman is shown to be dead also, she is much more at liberty. For if the one event frees her from his power, much more does the concurrence of both. As he is about to proceed then to a proof of these points, he starts with an encomium of the hearers, in these words, "Know ye not, brethren, for I speak to them that know the Law, that is, I am saying a thing that is quite agreed upon, and clear, and to men too that know all these things accurately, "How that the Law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?" He does not say, husband or wife, but "man," which name is common to either creature; "For he that is dead," he says, "is freed from sin." The Law then is given for the living, but to the dead it ceaseth to be ordained. Do you observe how he sets forth a twofold freedom?
John Chrysostom · d. 407Homilies on Romans

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 1–6

So long as a man continues under the law as a covenant, and seeks justification by his own obedience, he continues the slave of sin in some form. Nothing but the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, can make any sinner free from the law of sin and death. Believers are delivered from that power of the law, which condemns for the sins committed by them. And they are delivered from that power of the law which stirs up and provokes the sin that dwells in them. Understand this not of the law as a rule, but as a covenant of works. In profession and privilege, we are under a covenant of grace, and not under a covenant of works; under the gospel of Christ, not under the law of Moses. The difference is spoken of under the similitude or figure of being married to a new husband. The second marriage is to Christ. By death we are freed from obligation to the law as a covenant, as the wife is from her vows to her husband. In our believing powerfully and effectually, we are dead to the law, and have no more to do with it than the dead servant, who is freed from his master, has to do with his master's yoke. The day of our believing, is the day of being united to the Lord Jesus. We enter upon a life of dependence on him, and duty to him. Good works are from union with Christ; as the fruitfulness of the vine is the product of its being united to its roots; there is no fruit to God, till we are united to Christ. The law, and the greatest efforts of one under the law, still in the flesh, under the power of corrupt principles, cannot set the heart right with regard to the love of God, overcome worldly lusts, or give truth and sincerity in the inward parts, or any thing that comes by the special sanctifying influences of the Holy Spirit. Nothing more than a formal obedience to the outward letter of any precept, can be performed by us, without the renewing, new-creating grace of the new covenant.

Read Matthew Henry on Romans 7 →

Cross-references

11

Topics

DeathLawMarriageJustification

Cross-references: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. Library: sources.