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?
Here the apostle prosecutes his argument on the New Life of the justified believer through Union to Christ; presenting the subject in some beautiful lights, and going to the depths of action in our spiritual nature both before and after conversion.
The Believer's Severance from the Law through Union to Christ Illustrated from the Law of Marriage (Romans 7:1-6)
In the preceding chapter the apostle had given his believing readers the cheering assurance that 'SIN should not have dominion over them, because they were not under the law, but under grace.' But how they came to be no longer under the law, he had not particularly shown. Generally, it had been made clear enough throughout the whole preceding argument; but here the apostle goes into the profound principles involved in the change.
Know ye not, brethren, for I speak to them that know the law. The law of Moses is particularly in view-with which, though not themselves Jews (see the note at Romans 1:13), these Roman Christians were sufficiently acquainted; but the thing here stated is true of any good marriage law, being founded in nature.
How that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? - that is, so long, and no longer. Most of those who think that the apostle is here teaching the death of the law, suppose the law to be here meant, and not the married person; and they translate accordingly, 'so long as it (the law) liveth.' But this is plainly wrong; for as the apostle is stating a well-known fact regarding the marriage law, it would have been absurd to say that it has dominion so long as it lives or has dominion. Clearly the thing meant is, that the law's dominion over a man ceases with the man's life.