(1) 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 P The senti- ment of this verse, viz. the obligation of the law is not perpetual, is ex- pressed very generally, and not precisely in the form suited to the illus- tration which follows. The illustration is, that the law of marriage ceases to bind a woman when her husband is dead ; but Paul here says, the law has dominion over a man so long as he lives. The general thought is all that is intended to be here expressed ; and this received its form probably before the precise illustration was determined in the apos- tle's own mind. It is not necessarily to be inferred from the expression, T speak to them that know the law, that the Jewish Christians are specially referred to. The principle stated being so familiar, the apostle might assume that any class of his readers knew enough of law to be aware of its truth.
The original leaves it doubtful whether the last clause should be ren- dered " so long as he lives," or " so long as it lives." The former ren- dering is to be preferred, 1. Because the expressions the law lives, and the law dies, are very unusual, and, in the writings of Paul, unexampled, if the doubtful case in v. 6 be excepted. 2. This interpretation is more consistent with the language of v. 2, " The woman is bound to her hus- band so long as Ae lives; but if her husband be dead," &c. 3. Through- out the passage it is said that we are dead to the law (v. 4), delivered from the law (v. 6), and not that the law is dead to us.
The word law, in this verse, seems to be used generally. It is not the law of Moses, nor the moral law, nor the law of marriage particu- larly ; but the apostle's remark has reference to laws in general. The particular example is given in vs. 2, 3, and the application of the remark to Christians is made in v. 4.
(2) For the woman which hath an hushand is bound by the law to her husband as long as he liveth, &c. This and the following verse are a simple illustration of the principle stated in v. 1. The word for, there- fore, has the force which it so often has in such connexions, being equivalent to for example. ' Death puts an end to the authority of laws ; for example, the woman,' &c. 7s bound by the law. The law here is the law of marriage, and not especially or exclusively the Mosaic law on that subject. But if her husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. " Law of her husband ;" i. e. the law which bound her to her husband ; or which respects her husband. The words ren- dered loosed from are so used in v. 6. Gal. 5 : 4.
(3) So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress, &c. This verse is but an amplifica- tion of the preceding one. « While her husband lives, the woman is bound by the law of marriage, for she is an adulteress if, while he is living, she be married to another man ; but that his death frees her from