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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Romans 7:7–13. His two-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
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? Is 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 discovers how sin took occasion by the commandment. Observe in particular,
I.The great excellency of the law in itself. Far be it from Paul to reflect upon the law; no, he speaks honourably of it.
1.It is holy, just, and good, Rom 7:12. The law in general is so, and every particular commandment is so. Laws are as the law-makers are. God, the great lawgiver, is holy, just, and good, therefore his law must needs be so. The matter of it is holy: it commands holiness, encourages holiness; it is holy, for it is agreeable to the holy will of God, the original of holiness. It is just, for it is consonant to the rules of equity and right reason: the ways of the Lord are right. It is good in the design of it; it was given for the good of mankind, for the conservation of peace and order in the world. It makes the observers of it good; the intention of it was to better and reform mankind. Wherever there is true grace there is an assent to this - that the law is holy, just, and good.
2.The law is spiritual (Rom 7:14), not only in regard to the effect of it, as it is a means of making us spiritual, but in regard to the extent of it; it reaches our spirits, it lays a restraint upon, and gives a direction to, the motions of the inward man; it is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart, Heb 4:12. It forbids spiritual wickedness, heart-murder, and heart-adultery. It commands spiritual service, requires the heart, obliges us to worship God in the spirit. It is a spiritual law, for it is given by God, who is a Spirit and the Father of spirits; it is given to man, whose principal part is spiritual; the soul is the best part, and the leading part of the man, and therefore the law to the man must needs be a law to the soul. Herein the law of God is above all other laws, that it is a spiritual law. Other laws may forbid compassing and imagining, etc., which are treason in the heart, but cannot take cognizance thereof, unless there be some overt act; but the law of God takes notice of the iniquity regarded in the heart, though it go no further. Wash thy heart from wickedness, Jer 4:14. We know this: Wherever there is true grace there is an experimental knowledge of the spirituality of the law of God.
II.The great advantage that he had found by the law.
1.It was discovering: I had not known sin but by the law, Rom 7:7. As that which is straight discovers that which is crooked, as the looking-glass shows us our natural face with all its spots and deformities, so there is no way of coming to that knowledge of sin which is necessary to repentance, and consequently to peace and pardon, but by comparing our hearts and lives with the law. Particularly he came to the knowledge of the sinfulness of lust by the law of the tenth commandment. By lust he means sin dwelling in us, sin in its first motions and workings, the corrupt principle. This he came to know when the law said, Thou shalt not covet. The law spoke in other language than the scribes and Pharisees made it to speak in; it spoke in the spiritual sense and meaning of it. By this he knew that lust was sin and a very sinful sin, that those motions and desires of the heart towards sin which never came into act were sinful, exceedingly sinful. Paul had a very quick and piercing judgment, all the advantages and improvements of education, and yet never attained the right knowledge of indwelling sin till the Spirit by the law made it known to him. There is nothing about which the natural man is more blind than about original corruption, concerning which the understanding is altogether in the dark till the Spirit by the law reveal it, and make it known. Thus the law is a schoolmaster, to bring us to Christ, opens and searches the wound, and so prepares it for healing. Thus sin by the commandment does appear sin (Rom 7:13); it appears in its own colours, appears to be what it is, and you cannot call it by a worse name than its own. Thus by the commandment it becomes exceedingly sinful; that is, it appears to be so. We never see the desperate venom or malignity there is in sin, till we come to compare it with the law, and the spiritual nature of the law, and then we see it to be an evil and a bitter thing.
2.It was humbling (Rom 7:9): I was alive. He thought himself in a very good condition; he was alive in his own opinion and apprehension, very secure and confident of the goodness of his state. Thus he was once, pote - in times past, when he was a Pharisee; for it was the common temper of that generation of men that they had a very good conceit of themselves; and Paul was then like the rest of them, and the reason was he was then without the law. Though brought up at the feet of Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, though himself a great student in the law, a strict observer of it, and a zealous stickler for it, yet without the law. He had the letter of the law, but he had not the spiritual meaning of it - the shell, but not the kernel. He had the law in his hand and in his head, but he had it not in his heart; the notion of it, but not the power of it. There are a great many who are spiritually dead in sin, that yet are alive in their own opinion of themselves, and it is their strangeness to the law that is the cause of the mistake. But when the commandment came, came in the power of it (not to his eyes only, but to his heart), sin revived, as the dust in a room rises (that is, appears) when the sun-shine is let into it. Paul then saw that in sin which he had never seen before; he then saw sin in its causes, the bitter root, the corrupt bias, the bent to backslide, - sin in its colours, deforming, defiling, breaking a righteous law, affronting an awful Majesty, profaning a sovereign crown by casting it to the ground, - sin in its consequences, sin with death at the heels of it, sin and the curse entailed upon it. "Thus sin revived, and then I died; I lost that good opinion which I had had of myself, and came to be of another mind. Sin revived, and I died; that is, the Spirit, but the commandment, convinced me that I was in a state of sin, and in a state of death because of sin." Of this excellent use is the law; it is a lamp and a light; it converts the soul, opens the eyes, prepares the way of the Lord in the desert, rends the rocks, levels the mountains, makes ready a people prepared for the Lord.
III.The ill use that his corrupt nature made of the law notwithstanding.
1.Sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence, Rom 7:8. Observe, Paul had in him all manner of concupiscence, though one of the best unregenerate men that ever was; as touching the righteousness of the law, blameless, and yet sensible of all manner of concupiscence. And it was sin that wrought it, indwelling sin, his corrupt nature (he speaks of a sin that did work sin), and it took occasion by the commandment. The corrupt nature would not have swelled and raged so much if it had not been for the restraints of the law; as the peccant humours in the body are raised, and more inflamed, by a purge that is not strong enough to carry them off. It is incident to corrupt nature, in vetitum niti - to lean towards what is forbidden. Ever since Adam ate forbidden fruit, we have all been fond of forbidden paths; the diseased appetite is carried out most strongly towards that which is hurtful and prohibited. Without the law sin was dead, as a snake in winter, which the sunbeams of the law quicken and irritate.
2.It deceived men. Sin puts a cheat upon the sinner, and it is a fatal cheat, Rom 7:11. By it (by the commandment) slew me. There being in the law no such express threatening against sinful lustings, sin, that is, his won corrupt nature, took occasion thence to promise him impunity, and to say, as the serpent to our first parents, You shall not surely die. Thus it deceived and slew him.
3.It wrought death in me by that which is good, Rom 7:13. That which works concupiscence works death, for sin bringeth forth death. Nothing so good but a corrupt and vicious nature will pervert it, and make it an occasion of ins; no flower so sweet by sin will such poison out of it. Now in this sin appears sin. The worst thing that sin does, and most like itself, is the perverting of the law, and taking occasion from it to be so much the more malignant. Thus the commandment, which was ordained to life, was intended as a guide in the way to comfort and happiness, proved unto death, through the corruption of nature, Rom 7:10. Many a precious soul splits upon the rock of salvation; and the same word which to some is an occasion of life unto life is to others an occasion of death unto death. The same sun that makes the garden of flowers more fragrant makes the dunghill more noisome; the same heat that softens wax hardens clay; and the same child was set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel. The way to prevent this mischief is to bow our souls to the commanding authority of the word and law of God, not striving against, but submitting to it.
Historical interpretation
Two Centuries of Reception
8 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
Why then do you, (O Marcion, ) impute to the God of the law what His apostle dares not impute even to the law itself? Nay, he adds a climax: "The law is holy, and its commandment just and good." Now if he thus reverences the Creator's law, I am at a loss to know how he can destroy the Creator Himself.
Because it was given, not for injury, but for safety; for let us not suppose that God makes anything useless or hurtful. What thou? "Was then that which is good made death unto me? "
Although even before the law came, the devil obtained death for man because of the first sin of Adam, nevertheless, after the law came he found still greater punishments for him in hell, where death followed him. For to have sinned before the coming of the law was a lesser crime than to have sinned after it.The wording here suggests that a limit was imposed on transgressors when they were forbidden to sin.… What the apostle means is that sinning after the law came was much more serious than sinning before it. He means that after the law came the attacks and tricks of Satan grew worse.
Here Paul is expounding the person of Adam. For although he had the image of God dwelling in him, he turned away from true life and chose death instead. Moreover, this death was not just the common death of our bodily members but the spiritual death of disobedience as well.
That is, that it might be shown what great evil sin is, namely, a listless will, an inclinableness to the worse side, the actual doing, and the perverted judgment. For this is the cause of all the evils; but he amplifies it by pointing out the exceeding grace of Christ, and teaching them what an evil He freed the human race from, which, by the medicines used to cure it, had become worse, and was increased by the preventives. Wherefore he goes on to say: "That sin, by the commandment, might become exceeding sinful." Do you see how these things are woven together everywhere? By the very means he uses to accuse sin, he again shows the excellency of the Law. Neither is it a small point which he has gained by showing what an evil sin is, and unfolding the whole of its poison, and bringing it to view. For this is what he shows, by saying, "that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful." That is, that it may be made clear what an evil sin is, what a ruinous thing. And this is what was shown by the commandment. Hereby he also shows the preeminence of grace above the Law, the preeminence above, not the conflict with, the Law. For do not look to this fact, that those who received it were the worse for it, but consider the other, that the Law had not only no design of drawing wickedness out to greater lengths, but even seriously aimed at hewing down what already existed. But if it had no strength, give to it indeed a crown for its intention, but adore more highly the power of Christ, which abolished, cut away: and plucked up the very roots an evil so manifold and so hard to be overthrown. But when you hear me speak of sin, do not think of it as a substantial power, but evil doing, as it comes upon men and goes from them continually, and which, before it takes place, has no being, and when it has taken place, vanishes again.
The law does not become for me the actual cause of death, but I do when I encounter death by sinning. Sin was revealed through the law, which is itself good, and was also punished by it. Before the law came sin was limited because of ignorance, but when it is committed knowingly these limitations are taken away.
Here Paul elaborates on what he said [in verse 8]. It is not that a good thing (i.e., the law) had become death for him but rather that sin worked death through the law’s goodness, i.e., that it became apparent whereas without the law it had lain hidden. For everyone recognizes that he is dead if he cannot fulfill a precept which he recognizes as just, and because of the criminal offense of the trespass he sins even more than he would have if it had not been forbidden. Before the coming of the law the offense was less, because without the law there is no transgression.
Even those who do not know God’s will deserve God’s punishment because they sin, even if it is in ignorance. Nevertheless, they have some excuse, for when the law is explained to them they will probably excuse themselves in front of those who are under the law, on account of their ignorance. But those who have chosen to sin and do so not out of ignorance have committed a crime of madness and have completely rejected God. Such people are said to be “sinful beyond measure.” Someone who sins in ignorance is still sinful, but he is not, nor is he said to be, “sinful beyond measure.”
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Summary
In Romans 7:13, the Apostle Paul addresses a critical theological question: Does God's holy Law, which reveals sin, become the cause of death? Paul vehemently rejects this notion, asserting that the Law itself is inherently good. Instead, he exposes the insidious nature of sin, demonstrating how it leverages the good Law to reveal its true, destructive character, thereby becoming "exceeding sinful." This verse clarifies that the problem lies not with the divine standard, but with humanity's fallen nature and sin's deceptive power.
Context
Literary Context
Romans 7:13 serves as a pivotal clarification within Paul's extended argument concerning the Law, sin, and grace, particularly following the intensely personal struggle described in Romans 7:7-12. Paul has just explained how the holy commandment, "You shall not covet," awakened his awareness of sin and even provoked it, leading to spiritual death. This raises a natural, albeit mistaken, inference: if the Law leads to death, is the Law itself evil? Verse 13 directly confronts and emphatically refutes this potential misunderstanding. It acts as a bridge, affirming the Law's goodness before delving deeper into the human predicament under sin, setting the stage for the glorious deliverance in Romans 8.
Historical & Cultural Context
Paul's audience in Rome included both Jewish and Gentile believers, many of whom would have come from a background deeply revering the Mosaic Law. For Jewish Christians, the Law was central to their identity and covenant relationship with God. Accusations that the Law was somehow responsible for sin or death would have been deeply offensive and counter-intuitive. Paul's emphatic "God forbid" (Greek: mē genoito) is a strong rhetorical device designed to disabuse his readers of any such notion, aligning with the Jewish understanding of the Law as a divine gift, while simultaneously preparing them for the radical shift in salvation history brought about by Christ. The cultural context also includes the prevalent understanding of sin not merely as individual acts, but as a powerful, indwelling force, a concept Paul elaborates on throughout Romans 6 and Romans 7.
Key Themes
This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes in Romans. Firstly, it underscores The Goodness and Holiness of God's Law, affirming that the Law is not the source of evil but a reflection of God's righteous character, as stated in Romans 7:12. Secondly, it illuminates The Deceitfulness and Destructive Power of Sin, portraying sin as an active, malevolent agent that exploits the good Law to manifest its true, deadly nature. This prepares the reader for the ultimate solution to sin's dominion found in Christ. Thirdly, it highlights The Law's Role in Exposing Sin, functioning as a divine diagnostic tool that reveals the depth and pervasiveness of human depravity, making sin "appear sin" and magnifying its "exceeding sinfulness." This revelation is crucial for understanding humanity's desperate need for a Savior, a theme that culminates in the gospel message of Romans 3:21-26.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This word denotes something inherently beneficial, virtuous, and morally upright. In this context, Paul uses it to describe the Law of God, emphasizing its intrinsic positive quality and divine origin, directly countering any implication that it could be the source of death or evil. The Law is not just functionally good, but fundamentally good.
This term refers to death in a broad sense, encompassing not only physical cessation of life but also spiritual separation from God, and the ultimate consequence of sin. Here, it signifies the spiritual condemnation and alienation that results from sin's work, which is exposed and intensified by the Law.
This word denotes a transgression, an offense, or a missing of the mark against God's standard. Paul personifies "sin" in this verse, presenting it as an active, malevolent force that operates within humanity, using the Law not to create sin, but to reveal its own destructive power and inherent wickedness.
Verse Breakdown
"Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid."
Paul begins with a rhetorical question, anticipating a potential misinterpretation of his previous statements. The "that which is good" unequivocally refers to the Law of God. The question implies: did the good Law become the instrument of my spiritual death? His immediate and emphatic response, "God forbid" (Greek: mē genoito), is a strong Pauline idiom expressing absolute rejection and abhorrence of the idea. It vehemently denies that the Law, being good, could be the cause of death.
"But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good;"
This clause presents the true culprit: "sin." Paul clarifies that sin, not the Law, is the active agent in bringing about death. The purpose ("that it might appear sin") is crucial: the Law's goodness serves as a backdrop against which sin's true, ugly nature is exposed. Sin "works death" (Greek: katergázomai thánaton) in the individual, not by the Law being evil, but by sin's exploitation of the Law's holy demands. The Law, being good, illuminates the rebellion of sin, making its destructive power evident.
"that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful."
This final clause reiterates and intensifies the previous point, explaining the ultimate outcome of sin's interaction with the Law. The Law, specifically "the commandment" (Greek: entolḗ), acts as a magnifying glass. When sin is measured against the perfect standard of God's Law, its true character is revealed as "exceeding sinful" (Greek: kath' hyperbolēn hamartōlós). This phrase emphasizes the extreme, overwhelming wickedness of sin, demonstrating its utter depravity and the profound offense it is against a holy God. The Law does not make sin worse, but it reveals how utterly vile sin truly is.
Literary Devices
Paul employs several powerful literary devices in Romans 7:13. The verse opens with a Rhetorical Question ("Was then that which is good made death unto me?"), which Paul immediately answers with an emphatic "God forbid," a strong Apostrophe or direct address to a hypothetical objector, designed to preempt misunderstanding and underscore the absurdity of the premise. This sets up a clear Antithesis between the inherent goodness of the Law and the destructive nature of sin. Furthermore, Paul uses Personification by attributing agency to "sin," describing it as "working death" and "becoming exceeding sinful," as if it were an independent entity with malicious intent. Finally, the phrase "exceeding sinful" utilizes Hyperbole (from the Greek hyperbolḗ), emphasizing the extreme and overwhelming wickedness of sin when exposed by the holy standard of God's Law.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Romans 7:13 is a cornerstone for understanding the paradoxical role of the Law in God's redemptive plan. It firmly establishes the Law's divine goodness and holiness, dispelling any notion that it is inherently flawed or a source of evil. Instead, the verse powerfully unveils the true character of sin: a deceptive, destructive force that exploits the good Law to reveal its own profound depravity and deadly power. The Law, therefore, acts as a divinely appointed mirror, reflecting humanity's utter inability to achieve righteousness through self-effort and highlighting the pervasive nature of sin. This deep revelation of sin's "exceeding sinfulness" is not meant to condemn without hope, but rather to drive humanity to a profound realization of its desperate need for a Savior, setting the stage for the glorious liberation found in Christ.
Reflection and Application
Romans 7:13 offers profound insights for contemporary believers, challenging us to re-evaluate our understanding of God's standards and the nature of sin. It compels us to appreciate the inherent goodness and wisdom of God's Law, recognizing that its purpose is not to condemn us but to reveal our true spiritual condition and guide us toward righteousness. This verse also serves as a stark reminder of sin's insidious and destructive power, demonstrating how it can twist even good things for its own malevolent ends. Understanding sin's "exceeding sinfulness" should lead us to a deeper humility, a greater appreciation for God's grace, and a fervent desire for deliverance from sin's dominion. It underscores that true freedom and righteousness come not through perfect adherence to the Law, which is impossible in our fallen state, but through the transformative power of the Holy Spirit working in us, made possible by Christ's redemptive work.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does Romans 7:13 imply that the Law is bad or causes sin?
Absolutely not. Paul emphatically states, "God forbid." The verse explicitly defends the Law's inherent goodness ("that which is good"). The Law itself does not cause sin or death; rather, it exposes sin's true nature and reveals its destructive power. Sin, as a malevolent force, uses the good Law as a standard against which its own "exceeding sinfulness" is made manifest. The Law functions like a mirror, reflecting the sin that is already present within the human heart, making it apparent and undeniable. This is consistent with Paul's earlier statement in Romans 7:7, where he clarifies that he "had not known sin, but by the law."
What does it mean for sin to become "exceeding sinful"?
The phrase "exceeding sinful" (Greek: kath' hyperbolēn hamartōlós) signifies that sin, when confronted by the holy and righteous standard of God's commandment, is revealed in its most extreme and overwhelming wickedness. It's not that the Law makes sin more sinful in its essence, but that the Law magnifies and exposes sin's true, utterly depraved character. Without the Law, sin might appear less severe or even go unnoticed. But when measured against God's perfect standard, sin's rebellion, its offense against a holy God, and its deadly consequences are laid bare in their full, horrifying magnitude. This revelation underscores humanity's desperate need for divine intervention and salvation.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Romans 7:13, in its stark portrayal of sin's "exceeding sinfulness" and the Law's inability to deliver from it, powerfully underscores humanity's desperate need for a Savior, thus pointing directly to Christ. While the Law is good and holy, it serves primarily to reveal the depth of our sin and our utter incapacity to achieve righteousness on our own, leading us to a profound sense of spiritual death. This predicament, vividly described by Paul, finds its glorious resolution in Jesus Christ. He is the one who perfectly fulfilled the Law's demands on our behalf, becoming "the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes" (Romans 10:4). Furthermore, Christ, "who knew no sin, became sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21). Through His atoning death and resurrection, Jesus conquered the power of sin and death that the Law exposed (Hebrews 2:14). He delivers us from the "body of this death" (Romans 7:24) by setting us free from the law of sin and death through the Spirit of life (Romans 8:2), offering not just a revelation of sin, but complete liberation from its dominion and condemnation.