Romans 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.

Romans 7:2 (KJV)

Context

In Romans 7, Paul addresses the relationship between believers and the law. He introduces a principle in Romans 7:1: the law has authority over a person only while that person lives. Romans 7:2 then offers a concrete illustration of this principle through marriage.

Paul describes a married woman as bound by law to her husband as long as he lives. The marriage bond is legal and lifelong. Yet when the husband dies, she is released from that law. Death severs the legal obligation, leaving her free from the claims of that relationship.

Meaning

The illustration is not primarily about marriage itself. It serves to show how death ends the binding power of law. Just as death dissolves the marriage bond, death also dissolves the law’s claim over a person.

Paul uses this to explain the believer’s union with Christ. Through Christ’s death, believers are united to him in his death, so the law’s claim over them is terminated. The purpose is not to encourage remarriage but to establish that believers are freed from the law’s condemnation and now belong to Christ, who was raised from the dead.

This points to the transition from living under the law to living under grace. The law revealed sin but could not save. Through Christ’s sacrifice, believers are released from bondage and given new life in him.