Romans 7:9-12
(9) For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.
(10) And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.
(11) For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.
(12) Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.
Some generalize the words, Once I was alive apart from Law, to refer to the experience of mankind in the period between the Fall and the giving of the Mosaic Law. But there is no basis for this. Evidently the apostle was speaking of his personal experience as a child and perhaps even a youth prior to his awareness and understanding of the full impact of God’s commandments. The clause, but when the commandment came, does not speak of the giving of the Mosaic Law, but the dawning of the significance of the commandment (“Do not covet”) on Paul’s mind and heart before his conversion. The result was that the principle of sin within made its presence and power known (it sprang to life) in his violations of the commandment. As a result Paul died spiritually (cf. 6:23a) under the sentence of judgment by the Law he had broken. The commandment not to covet was given to help people see how to live, but it actually produced death because of the sin in human hearts.
Repeating from 7:8 his description of sin’s relationship to the commandment, Paul declared that sin . . . deceived me. Apart from the Law, the principle of sin was dormant and inactive; but using the commandments of the Law, it demonstrated its controlling force over one’s actions. So this sin deceived him (exepatesen, “led [him] astray”; cf. 2 Cor. 11:3; 1 Tim. 2:14) and put him to death (lit., “killed” him), not physically but spiritually. Sin is like a personal enemy within (cf. Gen. 4:7). The Law, instead of being sin (Rom. 7:7), is holy, and the commandment not to covet (which, as a part of the Law, represents the whole) is holy, righteous, and good.
Excerpt from:
Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1983-c1985). The Bible knowledge commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
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