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duties. Man, who is dead in sin, could not, with propriety, be said to yield himself [Sistere seipsum, to present himself ’] to sin : but the man, who is alive, may yield [present] himself to God. — o-rAa, arms) [ instruments ] a figurative expression, derived from war, as wages , ver. 23. — a<5/x/ag, of unrighteousness) which is opposed to the righteous will of God. — rjj d/xa/?r/a, to sin) Sin is here considered as a tyrant. — nap a<ir faun [yield] present) as to a king. — ?x vexpuv, from the dead) The Christian is alive from the dead. He had been dead, he is now alive. Comp. Eph. v. 14, note , Rev. iii. 1—3. Sleep, too, in these passages, is the image of death. — d/xcuo<Tvvrig, of righteousness) The anti- thetic word is abnttag, of unrighteousness.
14. Oj xvpievcsi , Shall not have dominion) Sin has neither the right nor the power ; it will not force men to become slaves to it against their wall. — brio vo/xov, under the law) Sin has dominion over him, who is under the law.
15. * Trio , under) ch. vii. 2, 14.
16. A obXovgy servants) Servitude is here denoted, from which obedience follows as a consequence. — doSXo/, servants) The state of servitude , which follows as the consequence of obedience , is signified, 2 Pet. ii. 19. — g/g, unto) s/g, unto , occurs twice in this verse, and in both cases it depends on servants. — u-raxo^g, of obedience) Obedience , used absolutely, is taken in a good sense. Righteousness, too, promptly claims as her own, those who act obediently to her. — eig dr/.cuoffbvrjv , unto righteousness) Supply, and of righteousness unto life : as appears from the antithesis [death], with which comp, the similar antithesis, ver. 20 and 22, iii. 20, note.
17. Xdpig ds rOj 0ew, but God be thanked) This is an idiom peculiar to Paul, who usually expresses categorical propositions, not categorically and nakedly, but, as it were, with some modi- fying qualification, i.e ., wdth an intimation of affection, thanks- giving, prayerful wish for them, etc. — 1 Cor. xiv. 18 ; 2 Tim. ii. 7, note. The enthymeme1 of this passage stands thus : you were the servants of sin ; but now you have become obedient to righteousness : but there is added the moral mode2 or moral
1 The simple enunciation. See Appendix.
2 See Appendix, under the title, Modalis Sermo. A proposition not