What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
The striking insight here is that the Law doesn't create sin, but rather, it makes us aware of sin's existence and its true nature. Paul is saying he wouldn't have recognized the sinfulness of his own desires, like coveting, if the Law hadn't explicitly forbidden it, revealing the hidden sinfulness within.
What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul anticipates an objection: if the law stirs up sinful desires, is the law itself somehow sinful? He vehemently rejects this, explaining that the law's true purpose is to reveal sin, not to cause it. He uses his own experience as an example, stating he wouldn't have understood what "coveting" truly was—as a sin in his heart—if the commandment hadn't explicitly forbidden it.
Does God's good law actually cause us to sin? Paul tackles this head-on, explaining that the Law's purpose isn't to create sin, but to expose it. It's like a diagnostic tool for the soul.
The common assumption might be that if God's Law leads to a heightened awareness of sin, then the Law itself must be flawed or even sinful. Paul vehemently rejects this idea with a resounding "God forbid!"
Instead, he clarifies the Law's true function: it acts as a mirror. It doesn't create sin, but it reveals the sin that already exists within us. Before the Law was explicitly stated, Paul explains, he might not have even recognized certain desires as sinful. The Law's commands, especially the one against coveting, bring these hidden desires to light, making us conscious of our sinful condition. It's through the Law that we truly know sin.
The Tenth Commandment seems simple enough: 'You shall not covet.' But Paul highlights it as the key to understanding how the Law exposes even our innermost desires as sin.
Paul specifically uses the commandment 'You shall not covet' to illustrate his point. Why this commandment? Because it targets an internal state, a desire of the heart, which is often harder to recognize as sin than outward actions.
Before the Law explicitly forbade coveting, Paul suggests, the desire might have been present, but he wouldn't have understood it as sinful. The Law's prohibition shines a light on these inner stirrings, revealing that even a desire for what belongs to another is a form of sin. This reveals that sin isn't just about outward actions but also about the desires and intentions of our hearts.
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Understand the original words
hamartia · Greek Noun
A turning from, missing the mark, or transgression against the revealed will and holiness of God. It is both an act of rebellion and an indwelling corrupting power that resides in human nature.
epithymeō · Greek Verb
An intense, selfish, and illegitimate desire for that which belongs to another or is forbidden by God. It is considered a root of many other sins as it focuses on self-gratification rather than trust in God.
This passage is the direct source of the commandment Paul quotes, 'You shall not covet,' showing the specific origin of the law's power to reveal sin.
Psalm 19:7This Psalm extols the law as perfect and reviving the soul, highlighting the inherent goodness of God's commands, which contrasts with the sinful reactions they can provoke in us.
Romans 3:20This verse states that 'by the law is the knowledge of sin,' directly echoing Paul's point in Romans 7:7 that the law is the very means by which sin is revealed.
1 Corinthians 15:56This verse calls 'the sting of death' sin, and 'the strength of sin' the law, further illustrating the complex relationship where the law exposes sin, which in turn brings the awareness of death and judgment.
1 John 3:4This verse declares that 'sin is lawlessness,' reinforcing Paul's argument that sin is defined by its transgression of God's commands, as revealed by the law itself.
barnesRomans 7:7: "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."
What shall we say then? - The objection which is here urged is one that would very naturally rise, and which we may suppose would be urged with no slight indignation. The Jew would ask, "Are we then to suppose that the holy Law of God is not only insufficient to sanctify us, but that it is the mere occasion of increa…
expositorsRomans 7:7: "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."
Chapter 16 THE FUNCTION OF THE LAW IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE Romans 7:7-25 THE Apostle has led us a long way in his great argument; through sin, propitiation, faith, union, surrender, to that wonderful and "excellent mystery," the bridal oneness of Christ and the Church, of Christ and the believer. He has yet to unfold t…
The striking insight here is that the Law doesn't create sin, but rather, it makes us aware of sin's existence and its true nature. Paul is saying he wouldn't have recognized the sinfulness of his own desires, like coveting, if the Law hadn't explicitly forbidden it, revealing the hidden sinfulness within.
Paul anticipates an objection: if the law stirs up sinful desires, is the law itself somehow sinful? He vehemently rejects this, explaining that the law's true purpose is to reveal sin, not to cause it. He uses his own experience as an example, stating he wouldn't have understood what "coveting" truly was—as a sin in his heart—if the commandment hadn't explicitly forbidden it.
Paul anticipates an objection: if the law stirs up sinful desires, is the law itself somehow sinful? He vehemently rejects this, explaining that the law's true purpose is to reveal sin, not to cause it. He uses his own experience as an example, stating he wouldn't have understood what "coveting" truly was—as a sin in his heart—if the commandment hadn't explicitly forbidden it.
"What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”" — The striking insight here is that the Law doesn't create sin, but rather, it makes us aware of sin's existence and its true nature. Paul is saying he wouldn't have recognized the sinfulness of hi…
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Last reviewed October 2026