--- title: "Romans 7 - Study King James Bible with clarkes commentary" description: "Read Romans 7 with clarkes commentary commentary. 1 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? 2 For the woman which ha" image: "/_app/immutable/assets/missing.C7wGMEZ6.jpg" url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/clarkes-commentary/romans/7" --- [ Read](/kjv/romans/7)[ Commentary](/study/romans/7)[ Interlinear](/interlinear/romans/7) Audio 1 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? 2 For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to *her* husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of *her* husband. 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. 4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, *even* to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. 5 For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. 6 But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not *in* the oldness of the letter. 7 What shall we say then? *Is* the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. 8 But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin *was* dead. 9 For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. 10 And the commandment, which *was ordained* to life, I found *to be* unto death. 11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew *me*. 12 Wherefore the law *is* holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. 13 Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. 14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. 15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. 16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that *it is* good. 17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but *how* to perform that which is good I find not. 19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. 20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. [Romans 6](/study/romans/6) [Romans 8](/study/romans/8) ## Commentary To verse 1 The apostle having, in the preceding chapter, shown the *converted Gentiles* the obligations they were under to live a holy life, addresses himself here to the *Jews* who might hesitate to embrace the Gospel; lest, by this means, they should renounce the *law*, which might appear to them as a renunciation of their allegiance to God. As they rested in the law, as sufficient for justification and sanctification, it was necessary to convince them of their mistake. That the law was insufficient for their *justification* the apostle had proved, in chapters iii., iv., and v.; that it is insufficient for their *sanctification* he shows in this chapter; and introduces his discourse by showing that a believing Jew is discharged from his obligations to the law, and is at liberty to come under another and much happier constitution, viz. that of the Gospel of Christ, [Romans 7:1-4](/kjv/romans/7/1-4). In [Romans 7:5](/kjv/romans/7/5) he gives a general description of the state of a *Jew*, in servitude to sin, considered as under *mere law*. In [Romans 7:6](/kjv/romans/7/6) he gives a summary account of the state of a *Christian*, or believing Jew, and the advantages he enjoys under the Gospel. Upon [Romans 7:5](/kjv/romans/7/5) he comments, from [Romans 7:7-25](/kjv/romans/7/7-25), and upon [Romans 7:6](/kjv/romans/7/6) he comments, [Romans 8:1-11](/kjv/romans/8/1-11). In explaining his position in [Romans 7:5](/kjv/romans/7/5) he shows: 1. That the law reaches to all the branches and latent principles of sin, [Romans 7:7](/kjv/romans/7/7). 2. That it subjected the sinner to death, [Romans 7:8-12](/kjv/romans/7/8-12), without the expectation of pardon. 3. He shows the reason why the Jew was put under it, [Romans 7:13](/kjv/romans/7/13). 4. He proves that the law, considered as a rule of action, though it was spiritual, just, holy, and good in itself, yet was insufficient for sanctification, or for freeing a man from the power of inbred sin. For, as the prevalency of sensual appetites cannot wholly extinguish the voice of *reason* and *conscience*, a man may acknowledge the law to be holy, just, and good, and yet his *passions* reign within him, keeping him in the most painful and degrading servitude, while the law supplied no power to deliver him from them, [Romans 7:14-24](/kjv/romans/7/14-24), as that power can only be supplied by the grace of Jesus Christ, [Romans 7:25](/kjv/romans/7/25). See Taylor. Verse [Romans 7:1](/kjv/romans/7/1). ***For 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. 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