Romans 7:3

So then if, while [her] husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.

So then {G686}{G3767} if {G1437}, while her husband {G435} liveth {G2198}, she be married {G1096} to another {G2087} man {G435}, she shall be called {G5537} an adulteress {G3428}: but {G1161} if {G1437} her husband {G435} be dead {G599}, she is {G2076} free {G1658} from {G575} that law {G3551}; so that she {G846} is {G1511} no {G3361} adulteress {G3428}, though she be married {G1096} to another {G2087} man {G435}.

Therefore, while the husband is alive, she will be called an adulteress if she marries another man; but if the husband dies, she is free from that part of the Torah; so that if she marries another man, she is not an adulteress.

So then, if she is joined to another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law and is not an adulteress, even if she marries another man.

So then if, while the husband liveth, she be joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if the husband die, she is free from the law, so that she is no adulteress, though she be joined to another man.

Commentary

Romans 7:3, from the King James Version (KJV), continues Paul's profound illustration concerning the believer's relationship to the Law. This verse, using the analogy of a marriage bond, explains the legal freedom granted by death, setting the stage for understanding our spiritual freedom in Christ.

Context of Romans 7:3

This verse is an integral part of Paul's broader argument in Romans chapter 7, where he addresses believers who are familiar with the Law. He uses the well-understood legal principle that death dissolves a marriage bond to explain how believers are freed from the Law's dominion. Just as a woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives, but is free to marry another if he dies, so too are believers freed from the Law through their identification with Christ's death. This analogy is not primarily about human marriage laws or divorce, but about the nature of the Law's authority and its termination through death, paving the way for a new relationship.

Key Themes and Messages

  • The Law's Dominion and Release: The verse clearly states that the Law holds authority over a person only while they are alive. Death breaks this legal bond, whether in a physical marriage or, analogously, in our relationship to the Mosaic Law. This highlights the Law's inability to condemn those who are "dead" to it through Christ.
  • Analogy of Marriage and Death: Paul employs a vivid and relatable illustration to convey a deep theological truth. The concept of a woman being an "adulteress" if she marries another while her husband lives, but being "no adulteress" if he dies, perfectly mirrors the spiritual reality of being freed from the Law to be united with Christ.
  • Freedom to Bear Fruit for God: The ultimate purpose of this freedom is not lawlessness, but a new union that enables believers to bear spiritual fruit. This is elaborated in Romans 7:4, where Paul concludes that believers are "dead to the law" so they can be "married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God."

Linguistic Insights

The KJV uses clear and direct language in this verse. The term "adulteress" (Greek: moichalis) is used in its literal sense within the analogy, emphasizing the legal and moral consequence of violating the marriage covenant. The core idea revolves around the legal "bond" or "law" (Greek: nomos) that governs the marriage, which is terminated by death. This simple yet powerful illustration underscores the legal liberation from the Law's demands once one is "dead" to it in Christ, allowing for a new covenant relationship.

Practical Application

Romans 7:3 offers profound implications for the Christian life. It assures believers of their complete emancipation from the Law's condemning power. We are no longer under the Old Covenant's strictures, which reveal sin but cannot provide righteousness, as stated in Romans 6:14. Instead, our union with Christ through His death and resurrection places us under grace, enabling us to live righteously not by legalistic effort, but by the power of the Holy Spirit. This verse encourages us to embrace our freedom in Christ, leading to a life that naturally produces good works and spiritual fruit, rather than being driven by fear of the Law's condemnation.

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Cross-References

  • Exodus 20:14 (33 votes)

    Thou shalt not commit adultery.

  • Matthew 5:32 (12 votes)

    But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.

  • Mark 10:6 (4 votes)

    But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.

  • Mark 10:12 (4 votes)

    And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.

  • John 8:3 (2 votes)

    And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,

  • John 8:5 (2 votes)

    Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?

  • Deuteronomy 22:22 (2 votes)

    If a man be found lying with a woman married to an husband, then they shall both of them die, [both] the man that lay with the woman, and the woman: so shalt thou put away evil from Israel.