Romans 7:3 Meaning and Explanation
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →While the first husband lives, a second union is adultery; once he has died, the woman is free to belong to another without blame.
What Does Romans 7:3 Mean?
Paul completes the marriage picture by naming both outcomes. To turn to another while the first husband lives is adultery; but after his death the same union is honorable and free. The difference is entirely a matter of whether the binding law still holds.
The word free rings out here. Freedom does not come by ignoring the bond but by passing through the death that ends it. Paul is laying the groundwork for a gospel truth: a believer is not invited to escape obligation lightly, but is genuinely released through a death, and so made free to belong to another rightly and without shame.
Romans 7:3 in the Original Language
eleuthera (ἐλευθέρα), 'free' -- liberated, no longer under obligation or claim.
Frequently Asked Questions About Romans 7:3
What does Romans 7:3 mean?
While the first husband lives, a second union is adultery; once he has died, the woman is free to belong to another without blame.