Romans 7:7-8

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Romans 7:7-13

To what he had said in the former paragraph, the apostle here raises an objection, which he answers very fully: What shall we say then? Isa. the law sin? When he had been speaking of the dominion of sin, he had said so much of the influence of the law as a covenant upon that dominion that it might easily be misinterpreted as a reflection upon the law, to prevent which he shows from his own experience the great excellency and usefulness of the law, not as a covenant, but as a guide; and further... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Romans 7:7-13

7:7-13 What then are we to infer? That the law is sin? God forbid! So far from that, I would never have known what sin meant except through the law. I would never have known desire if the law had not said, "You must not covet." For, when sin had, through the commandment, obtained a foothold, it produced every kind of desire in me; for, without law, sin is lifeless. Once I lived without the law; but, when the commandment came, sin sprang to life, and in that moment I knew that I had incurred... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Romans 7:7

What shall we say then? is the law sin ?.... The apostle having said, that "the motions of sins were by the law", Romans 7:5 , meets with an objection, or rather an ill natured cavil, "is the law sin?" if the motions sins are by it, then it instigates and prompts men to sin; it cherishes it in them; it leads them and impels them to the commission of it, and therefore must be the cause of sin; and if the cause of sin, then it must be sin, or sinful itself: "what shall we say then?" how... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Romans 7:8

But sin taking occasion by the commandment ,.... By "the commandment" is meant, either the whole moral law, or that particular commandment, "thou shalt not covet", Exodus 20:17 , which, the Jews say, comprehends all; "God, (say they F6 Abkath Rochel, l. 1. par. 1. p. 3. Ed. Huls. ,) caused them (the Israelites) to hear the ten words, which he concluded with this word, "thou shalt not covet"; שכולם תלוים בו , "for all of them depend on that": and to intimate, that whoever... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Romans 7:7

Is the law sin? - The apostle had said, Romans 7:6 ; : The motions of sins, which were by the law, did bring forth fruit unto death; and now he anticipates an objection, "Is therefore the law sin?" To which he answers, as usual, μη γενοιτο , by no means. Law is only the means of disclosing; this sinful propensity, not of producing it; as a bright beam of the sun introduced into a room shows; millions of motes which appear to be dancing in it in all directions; but these were not... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Romans 7:8

Sin, taking occasion by the commandment - I think the pointing, both in this and in the 11th verse, to be wrong: the comma should be after occasion, and not after commandment. But sin taking occasion, wrought in me by this commandment all manner of concupiscence. There are different opinions concerning the meaning of the word αφορμη , which we here translate occasion. Dr. Waterland translates the clause, Sin, taking Advantage. Dr. Taylor contends that all commentators have mistaken the... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Romans 7:7

Verse 7 7.What then shall we say? Since it has been said that we must be freed from the law, in order that we may serve God in newness of spirit, it seemed as though this evil belonged to the law, — that it leads us to sin. But as this would be above measure inconsistent, the Apostle rightly undertook to disprove it. Now when he adds, Is the law sin? what he means is, “Does it so produce sin that its guilt ought to be imputed to the law?” — But sin I knew not, except through the law; sin then... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Romans 7:8

Verse 8 8.For without the law, etc. He expresses most clearly the meaning of his former words; for it is the same as though he had said, that the knowledge of sin without the law is buried. It is a general truth, which he presently applies to his own case. I hence wonder what could have come into the minds of interpreters to render the passage in the preterimperfect tense, as though Paul was speaking of himself; for it is easy to see that his purpose was to begin with a general proposition, and... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Romans 7:1-17

The position of the Law under the New Testament. The apostle is here continuing his discussion of the immoral suggestion to which he alluded in the previous chapter ( Romans 7:15 ), "What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the Law, but under grace?" I. THE RELATION OF THE LAW TO THE CHRISTIAN . 1. he Christian's union with Christ involves his freedom from the Law. 2. But this union with Christ and freedom from the Law do not imply that he is free... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Romans 7:7

What shall we say then? (St. Paul's usual phrase, with μὴ γένοιτο following, for meeting and rejecting a possible misunderstanding of his meaning; cf. Romans 6:1 .) Is the Law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known Bin, but through law . αλλὰ , translated "nay," being thus taken, as in the Authorized Version, adversatively to the supposition of the Law being sin, and so a continuation of what is expressed by μὴ γένοιτο . So far from the Law being sin, it exposes sin. Or it... read more

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