New International Version
Romans 7:1
1Do you not know, brothers and sisters—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law has authority over someone only as long as that person lives?
Romans 7:1 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?
- English Standard Version (ESV)Or do you not know, brothers—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law is binding on a person only as long as he lives?
- New King James Version (NKJV)Or do you not know, brethren (for I speak to those who know the law), that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives?
- New Living Translation (NLT)Now, dear brothers and sisters—you who are familiar with the law—don’t you know that the law applies only while a person is living?
Context of Romans 7:1
Do you not know, brothers and sisters—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law has authority over someone only as long as that person lives? 2For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law that binds her to him. 3So 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.
Read all of Romans 7Romans 7:1 word by word
Ἢ ἀγνοεῖτε, ἀδελφοί, γινώσκουσιν γὰρ νόμον λαλῶ, ὅτι ὁ νόμος κυριεύει τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐφ᾽ ὅσον χρόνον ζῇ;Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ἤē · orG2228
- Know ye notἀγνοέωagnoeō · be ignorantG50
- brethrenἀδελφόςadelphos · brotherG80
- forγάρgar · forG1063
- speakλαλέωlaleō · to speakG2980
- to them that knowγινώσκωginōskō · to knowG1097
- the lawνόμοςnomos · lawG3551
- how thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
- the lawὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- hath dominion overκυριεύωkurieuō · to lord overG2961
- a manἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
- ·ἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
- asὅσοςhosos · just as/how muchG3745
- longχρόνοςchronos · timeG5550
- he livethζάωzaō · to liveG2198
Cross-references for Romans 7:1
- Romans 6:3Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
- Romans 9:3For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race,
- Romans 10:1Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.
- Romans 2:17Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God;
- Ezra 7:25And you, Ezra, in accordance with the wisdom of your God, which you possess, appoint magistrates and judges to administer justice to all the people of Trans-Euphrates—all who know the laws of your God. And you are to teach any who do not know them.
- Proverbs 6:23For this command is a lamp, this teaching is a light, and correction and instruction are the way to life,
- 1 Corinthians 9:8Do I say this merely on human authority? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing?
- Galatians 4:21Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says?
- Romans 7:6But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.
- Romans 6:14For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.
Commentaries on Romans 7:1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1For I speak to them that know the law - This is a proof that the apostle directs this part of his discourse to the Jews. As long as he liveth? - Or, as long as It liveth; law does not extend its influence to the dead, nor do abrogated laws bind. It is all the same whether we understand these words as speaking of a law abrogated, so that it cannot command; or of its objects being dead, so that it has none to bind. In either case the law has no force.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1Know ye not - This is an appeal to their own observation respecting the relation between husband and wife. The illustration Romans 7:2-3 is designed simply to show that as when a man dies, and the connection between him and his wife is dissolved, his Law ceases to be binding on her, so also a separation has taken place between Christians and the Law, in which they have become dead to it, and they are not now to attempt to draw their life and peace from…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1Believers are united to Christ, that they may bring forth fruit unto God. (1-6) The use and excellence of the law. (7-13) The spiritual conflicts between corruption and grace in a believer. (14-25) Verses 1-6 So long as a man continues under the law as a covenant, and seeks justification by his own obedience, he continues the slave of sin in some form. Nothing but the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, can make any sinner free from the law of sin and death…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1Both Jewish Christians and many Gentile Christians were familiar with the law. Jewish people were taught the law of Moses from birth. Many Gentiles in the church at Rome had previously been God-fearers. These were Gentiles who were interested in Judaism and regularly attended the synagogue. the law has authority over a man only as long as he lives: Paul might be referencing a well-known Jewish saying. One rabbinic tradition says, “If a person is dead, he…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-25Relation of Believers to the Law and to Christ (Ro 7:1-6). Recurring to the statement of Ro 6:14, that believers are "not under the law but under grace," the apostle here shows how this change is brought about, and what holy consequences follow from it. 1. I speak to them that know the law--of Moses to whom, though not themselves Jews (see on Ro 1:13), the Old Testament was familiar.Read the comment
Topics related to Romans 7:1
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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