Amplified Bible
Romans 7:3
3Accordingly, she will be designated as an adulteress if she unites herself to another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from the law [regarding marriage], so that she is not an adulteress if she marries another man.
Romans 7:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)So then, if she has sexual relations with another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress if she marries another man.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress.
- New King James Version (NKJV)So then if, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another man.
Context of Romans 7:3
1Or do you not know, brothers and sisters (for I am speaking to those who know the Law), that the Law has jurisdiction [to rule] over a person as long as he lives? 2For the married woman [as an example] is bound and remains bound by law to her husband while he lives; but if her husband dies, she is released and exempt from the law concerning her husband. Accordingly, she will be designated as an adulteress if she unites herself to another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from the law [regarding marriage], so that she is not an adulteress if she marries another man. 4Therefore, my fellow believers, you too died to the Law through the [crucified] body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. 5When we were living in the flesh [trapped by sin], the sinful passions, which were awakened by [that which] the Law [identifies as sin], were at work in our body to bear fruit for death [since the willingness to sin led to death and separation from God].
Read all of Romans 7Romans 7:3 word by word
ἄρα οὖν ζῶντος τοῦ ἀνδρὸς μοιχαλὶς χρηματίσει, ἐὰν γένηται ἀνδρὶ ἑτέρῳ· ἐὰν δὲ ἀποθάνῃ ὁ ἀνήρ, ἐλευθέρα ἐστὶν ἀπὸ τοῦ νόμου τοῦ μὴ εἶναι αὐτὴν μοιχαλίδα γενομένην ἀνδρὶ ἑτέρῳ.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Soἄραara · thereforeG686
- thenοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
- ifἐάνean · ifG1437
- whileζάωzaō · to liveG2198
- husbandὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- husbandἀνήρanēr · man: husbandG435
- she be marriedγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
- toἀνήρanēr · man: husbandG435
- anotherἕτεροςheteros · otherG2087
- she shall be calledχρηματίζωchrēmatizō · to announceG5537
- an adulteressμοιχαλίςmoichalis · adulterousG3428
- butδέde · thenG1161
- be deadἀποθνήσκωapothnēskō · to dieG599
- she isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- freeἐλεύθεροςeleutheros · free/freedomG1658
- fromἀπόapo · away fromG575
- that lawνόμοςnomos · lawG3551
- sheαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- noμήmē · notG3361
Cross-references for Romans 7:3
- Exodus 20:14“You shall not commit adultery.
- Leviticus 20:10‘The man who commits adultery with another’s wife, even his neighbor’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall most certainly be put to death.
- Numbers 5:13and a man is intimate with her, and it is hidden from the eyes of her husband and it is kept secret, although she has defiled herself, and there is no witness against her and she has not been caught in the act,
- Deuteronomy 22:22“If a man is intimate with a woman who is another man’s wife, they shall both be put to death, the man who lay with the woman, and the woman. So you shall remove the evil from Israel.
- Matthew 5:32but I say to you that whoever divorces his wife, except on grounds of sexual immorality, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who has been divorced commits adultery.
- Mark 10:6But from the beginning of creation God made them male and female.
- John 8:3Now the scribes and Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery. They made her stand in the center of the court,
- Ruth 2:13Then she said, “Let me find favor in your sight, my lord, for you have comforted me and have spoken kindly to your maidservant, though I am not as one of your maidservants.”
- 1 Samuel 25:39When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Blessed be the Lord, who has pleaded the cause of my reproach [suffered] at the hand of Nabal and has kept His servant from [retaliating with] evil. For the Lord has returned the wickedness of Nabal on his own head.” Then David sent word to Abigail, proposing to take her as his wife.
- 1 Timothy 5:11But refuse [to enroll the] younger widows, for when they feel their natural desires in disregard of Christ, they wish to marry again,
Commentaries on Romans 7:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3So then, if, while her husband liveth - The object of the apostle's similitude is to show that each party is equally bound to the other; but that the death of either dissolves the engagement. So - she is no adulteress, though she be married to another - And do not imagine that this change would argue any disloyalty in you to your Maker; for, as he has determined that this law of ordinances shall cease, you are no more bound to it than a woman is to a…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3So then if - compare Matthew 5:32. She shall be called - She will be. The word used here ́ chrēmatiseiis often used to denote being called by an oracle or by divine revelation. But it is here employed in the simple sense of being commonly called, or of being so regarded.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2-3These verses are not an allegory, in which every part of the story has a separate theological meaning. Paul uses a simple illustration to make two main points: Death can free a person from the law. Ending one relationship can allow a person to start a new one. Paul applies this example in 7:4.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2-32-3. if her husband be dead--"die." So Ro 7:3.Read the comment
Topics related to Romans 7:3
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Romans 7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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