For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse highlights that a wife is released not just by her husband's death, but specifically from the "law of the husband." This isn't just about the marriage ending, but about the legal obligations tied to that specific relationship being cancelled, making her legally free to connect to something new.
For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul is explaining that just as death dissolves a marriage bond, it also frees believers from the authority of the law. He uses the analogy of a married woman being bound to her husband while he lives, but released from that bond if he dies. This sets up the next point: believers, through their union with Christ's death, are likewise freed from the law to be married to Christ.
Ever wonder why death is such a definitive end? In ancient Roman society, and in the Bible, marriage wasn't just a ceremony; it was a legal bond. This verse breaks down that bond.
The Unbreakable Bond (Until Death)
Paul uses a simple, everyday illustration: marriage. A woman was legally tied to her husband for as long as he lived. This wasn't just a social expectation; it was a matter of law.
The Law's Grip
Freedom Through Death
But here's the key point Paul wants us to grasp: death changes everything.
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Paul isn't just talking about earthly marriage. This illustration is a powerful metaphor for our relationship with God and His law. What does it mean to 'die' to the law?
The Law as a 'Husband'
Paul uses the marriage bond to explain our previous relationship with the Law. Think of the Law as a legalistic 'husband' that demanded strict adherence and offered condemnation when we failed.
A Transformative Death
But just as death releases a wife from her marital bond, Jesus' death and resurrection have released us from the Law's dominion.
This isn't about abandoning righteousness; it's about finding freedom from the condemning power of the Law to live a life pleasing to God through union with Christ.
Understand the original words
gynē · Greek Noun
A term used for a woman joined to a man in a covenant of marriage. Biblically, it symbolizes the sacred, exclusive, and lifelong union intended to reflect the relationship between God and His people.
deō · Greek Verb
A state of being legally or morally obligated to a person or requirement. It denotes being held fast or restricted by a covenantal or legal constraint.
katargeō · Greek Verb
To be set free from a legal obligation, bond, or debt. It signifies the termination of a previous requirement due to a change in circumstances or authority.
This passage directly echoes the sentiment of Romans 7:2, stating that a wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives, but is free to remarry if he dies. It reinforces the concept of marriage bonds being dissolved by death.
Matthew 5:32Jesus speaks about divorce and remarriage, highlighting that marrying a divorced woman is adultery, implying that only death truly dissolves the marriage bond. This connects to the idea that the 'law of the husband' is binding until death occurs.
Romans 7:4This verse immediately follows the passage, applying the illustration by saying believers have 'become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may belong to another.' It shows how the death mentioned in Romans 7:2 is applied to our spiritual relationship with the law.
Galatians 2:19Paul writes, 'For through the law I died to the law, that I might live to God.' This parallels the idea of being released from the dominion of the law through a form of 'death,' making one available for a new 'marriage' to Christ.
Colossians 2:14This verse speaks of Christ canceling the record of debt against us, 'nailing it to the cross.' This resonates with the idea that the 'law' (represented by the husband) is dealt with, thereby releasing the believer from its binding authority, similar to how death releases the wife.
barnesRomans 7:2: "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."
For the woman - This verse is a specific illustration of the general principle in Romans 7:1 , that death dissolves those connections and relations which make law binding in life. It is a simple illustration; and if this had been kept in mind, it would have saved much of the perplexity which has been felt by many commen…
vincentRomans 7:2: "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."
That hath a husband (ὕπανδρος)Lit., under or subject to a husband. The illustration is selected to bring forward the union with Christ after the release from the law, as analogous to a new marriage (Romans 7:4).Is loosed (κατήργηται)Rev., discharged. See on Romans 3:3, Lit., she has been brought to nought as respects…
The verse highlights that a wife is released not just by her husband's death, but specifically from the "law of the husband." This isn't just about the marriage ending, but about the legal obligations tied to that specific relationship being cancelled, making her legally free to connect to something new.
Paul is explaining that just as death dissolves a marriage bond, it also frees believers from the authority of the law. He uses the analogy of a married woman being bound to her husband while he lives, but released from that bond if he dies. This sets up the next point: believers, through their union with Christ's death, are likewise freed from the law to be married to Christ.
Paul is explaining that just as death dissolves a marriage bond, it also frees believers from the authority of the law. He uses the analogy of a married woman being bound to her husband while he lives, but released from that bond if he dies. This sets up the next point: believers, through their union with Christ's death, are likewise freed from the law to be married to Christ.
"For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage." — The verse highlights that a wife is released not just by her husband's death, but specifically from the "law of the husband." This isn't just about the marriage ending, but about the legal obligation…
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Last reviewed October 2026