Romans 7:1-25

Continuing to explain the greatness of what God has made available by means of His son, the Lord Jesus Christ, Paul now teaches God's viewpoint by using an illustration to help us understand.  

Romans 7:1-3:

^7:1Or do you not-know brothers, I utter-forth to (the brothers) knowing law, that the law is lord of the man on as-much time as he lives? ^.2For the wife (who is) under-a-husband was bound² by law to (her) living husband, but if-ever the husband may die she was rendered-ineffective² away-from the law of the husband; ^.3therefore consequently, (during the) living of the husband she will do-the-business-of an "adulteress" if-ever she may become to a different adult-male, but if-ever the husband may die she is a free-woman away-from the law (for) her not to be an adulteress having become to a different adult-male.

Don't you know (are you personally un-knowing, ignorant, unaware)…

• brothers (again addressing the holy-people as “brothers” as in Romans 1:13 – but here, Paul specifies which of the brothers he is addressing this illustration to since they ought to understand what he is writing)
  • I speak to you brothers who are knowing law (who are personally knowledgeable of the way that law is set-up, divided-out, and is administered to be customarily and rightly used among people),

…that the law is lord of the man (this Greek word anthropos translated "man" does not specify gender – the law that is in force exercises its dominion and authority over the human-being, it is master of the man) for the length of chronological time that he lives?

The unwritten answer to this question should be “Yes, we know” – and Paul continues to explain exactly what he means in case there is any misunderstanding. Also note regarding the following verses that in Greek, the word aner may be translated into English as: adult, adult-male, husband, grown-man. Similarly, the Greek word gune may be translated into English as: adult-female, wife, grown-woman.

For example: the wife who is under-a-husband (the adult-female who is legally subject to an adult-male, which could refer either to the woman’s betrothed husband or her husband in marriage)…

• was bound and continues bound (tied, fastened) by law to her living husband (while he is still alive),
• but if it should happen at any time that her husband would die
  • she was rendered-ineffective and continues ineffective (caused to be inoperative, inactive, useless)
    • relative to the law of the husband (she is separated from her husband’s law to which she had previously been subject because her husband is dead, and so his legal authority and dominion over her is also dead; she may remember what he told her, she may even have it written-down and can still read what he instructed her to do – but now he is dead, so there is no reason why she should continue to subject herself to his law pertaining to their relationship);

…following-on logically in correspondence to what is written above…

• if it should happen at any time that she would come to pass to be to/with a different adult-male (grown-man)
  • while her husband is alive
    • she will do-the-business-of an "adulteress" (at that time she will be known-as and called an "adulteress" because that kind of behavior would be associated to/with her as-being her business, trade, occupation – just like a smith may become known as "Smith" or “the smith”, and a carpenter may become known as "Carpenter" or “the carpenter”; adultery is the voluntary action of debasing oneself with/by someone or something else that is contaminating or defiling from God's viewpoint, here referring to the wife leaving her husband, and going-to and being-with some other adult-male),
• but if it should happen at any time that her husband would die
  • she is a free-woman away-from the law (she is at liberty from the law of that husband)
    • for her not to be an adulteress when she comes to pass to be to/with a different adult-male (who would then become her husband).

[Reference: Exodus 20:14; Matthew 5:32; I Corinthians 7:39. Note: verbs with a superscript 2 (²) immediately following them indicate the "perfect" tense - details are provided in the "Relevant Notes" link of this study.]

A printed paperback book of the complete study of Romans including the Appendix may be purchased at:

Amazon.com

or

True Bible Study - Romans

Serve God in spirit