Romans 7

Chap. VII. Ver. 1—25. The law of Moses compared to that of marriage, and the Christian’s deliverance therefrom:— the contest between the flesh and spirit.—The law of marriage was originally ordained for life, and no law can follow us beyond the grave. Even the law of Moses, to which the Jews **O for a heart submissive, meek, My dear Redeemer’s throne; Where only Christ is heard to speak, Where Jesus reigns alone.”

Notes on the verses

Chap. VII. Ver. 1. Over a man—[Or person, either man or woman; anthropos and homo having this extent of signification.]—Bagster.—As long as he liveth.—Doddridge, “as 17 liveth,” meaning the day: but by the gospel the relation is dissolved on both sides. The Christian is dead to the Mosaic law, and the law to him, as to all hopes of salvation from it. | Ver. 2. The woman—[Rather, woman. The apostle here illustrates the position laid down in the preceding verse by a familiar instance.]—Bagster. Ver. 5, When we were in the flesh.—We understand by this expression, an unconverted state.—Which were by the law.—“By the law was the knowledge of sin,” (Romans 3:20). So here, ver. 7.—Fruit unto death—i.e. deadly fruits, or wicked works, in opposition to good works, or fruit towards God. Ver. 6. In newness of spirit—i.e. in a new and spiritual manner.—Coz, Ver. 7. Is the law sin?—i.e. sinful, or inclining us to sin?—I had not known lust—Or what lust was, namely, that it was an inordinate or unlawful desire.—Thou shalt not covet—Paul here refers to his own experience, were it not for his knowledge of God’s law, he would not have known the criminality of lust. Ver. 8. Concupiscence,—Macknight, “strong desire,” which here means lust, and is so rendered in the preceding verse.—For without the law—(Rather, “For without law sin is dead.” Where there is no law, there is no transgression; for sin is the transgression of the law: the very essence of sin consists in the violation of some positive law.)—Bagster.

Ver. 9. I was alive, &c.—Notwithstanding what is said in the exposition, we do not think this proves the speaker to be either Jew or Gentile, but a converted man. Before he understood the law in its spirituality, as explained by our Lord in (Matthew 5:28), he was “alive” and well; or, as our Lord expresses it, he was, like other Pharisees, “whole, needing no physician,” (Matthew 9:12): but “when the law came,” i.e. appeared to him as it really is, he was “sick;” he felt the danger he was in, and “died,” as to all hope of life or salvation thereby. Ver. 10. Which was ordained to do (Romans 10:5). Ver. 13. Might become—i.e. might evidently appear—exceeding sinful—i.e. in its true colours—altogether criminal and inexcusable.

Ver. 14. The law is spiritual. See on verse 9. Ver. 15. I allow not.—Gataker, Doddridge, Macknight, and Coz, “approve not.” Diver. 20. Sin that dwelleth in me.—To illustrate this passage, Doddridge alludes to the story of Araspes, in Xenophon’s Cyropedia, who on being reproved by Cyrus for some improper conduct toward Panthea, replied—“Alas! now I know myself, and perceive plainly that I have two souls; one that inclines me to good, and the other to evil: in your presence the former prevails, but when I am alone, I am conquered by the latter.” Ver. 24. The body of this death.—Margin, “this body of death,” alluding to a cruel custom of fastening the living to the dead. Doddridge says—“It is well known that some ancient writers mention this as a cruel [torture] by some tyrants on miserable captives who fell into their hands; and a more forcible and expressive image of the case represented, cannot surely enter into the mind of man.”

That such a cruelty was once practised is certain from Virgil:—

“What words can paint those execrable times; The subjects’ sufferings, and the tyrant’s crimes! The living and the dead, at his command, Were coupled, face to face and hand to hand: Till chok’d with stench, in loath’d embraces tied, The ling’ring wretches pined away and died.”—Dryden, Ver. 25. But.—Doddridge, “though;” (Gr. de)—with the flesh, &c.—Macknight and others read these words in the interrogative, but, we perhaps in direct contradiction to the apostle’s train of argument. See the opening of (Romans 8)A more full, and, we think, a complete justification of the application of this chapter to Paul’s own case, may be found in Gill’s Cause of God and Truth.

Prof. Stuart, in his Commentary, interprets ver. 5-25 as having respect to a person under the law, and not under grace. 1247 This expression is evidently elliptical, and Boothroyd thus supplies the ellipsis—What the law could not do, God ‘hath done,) sending, &c. — And for sin.—The word sin is, in both Testaments, sometimes used in the sense of a sacrifice for sin. See 2 Corinthians v. 21—Condemned sin in One, punished it in our surety under a legal sentence, on our account. Ver. 4, In us.—This is the most usual sense, but it often means for us, and object of aversion to God. Ver. 8. They that are in the flesh—i.e. that “walk after the flesh;” as in verse 1. Ver. 10. The body is dead—i.e. mortal, or condemned to die. Ver. 15. Spirit of bondage—Or “of slaves.” See (Galatians 4:3).—We cry Abba, Father.—Abba is Syriac for Father. M. Claude says, “St. Paul alludes to a law among the Jews, which forbade slaves to call a freeman Abba.”