Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

Romans 7:8

ἀφορμὴν … λαβοῦσα, ‘having got a handle.’ ἀφορμὴ = a starting point, base of operations, opportunity.

ἡ ἁμαρτία throughout the passage is treated as a concrete force or power. It is remarkable that S. Paul comes as near as possible to personifying the conception of sin, but does not actually use the idea of a personal author of evil: he here limits his account strictly to the analysis of actual experience; cf. S. H. p. 145. See Additional Note, p. 218.

διὰ τῆς ἐντολῆς. Closely with ἀφ. λ.: the positive command (ἐ. = a particular law) was the opportunity; cf. Romans 3:20; Romans 5:20. The order of the phrases is due to the necessity of emphasising the manner of sin’s entry into experience; διὰ τ. ἐ. is here unemphatic.

ἐν ἐμοὶ. S. Paul analyses his own experience as typical.

κατειργάσατο … π. ἐ. The idea seems to be that the impulses of man’s nature are not recognised as being right or wrong, till the sense of right and wrong is awakened by a positive command: when this occurs, what were neutral impulses become ‘lusts,’ i.e. desires of what is forbidden; it is this perverse desire which is described as the work of ‘sin,’ impulses persisting when there is present the knowledge that they are wrong, and the will or true self is not yet strong enough to control them.

χωρὶς γὰρ κ.τ.λ. For apart from a knowledge of right and wrong sin has no power of action; there is no moral sense or moral judgment. Cf. 1 Corinthians 15:56, a passage which shows that the main idea had been represented already in S. Paul’s teaching. For νόμος as imparting the sense of right and wrong cf. Romans 2:14 f.

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Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

Romans 7:8

Old Testament

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