Romans 7:11

11 For sin, seizing the opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed [me].

Romans 7:11 Meaning and Commentary

Romans 7:11

For sin taking occasion by the commandment
As in ( Romans 7:8 ) ,

deceived me;
either by promising pleasure or impunity: the same effect is ascribed by the Jews to the evil imagination or corruption of nature, which they say is called an enticer, (Mda htpmv) , "that deceives man" ^F7:

and by it slew me;
mortally wounded me: not the law, but sin by the law, deceived and slew him; so that as before, the law is cleared from being the cause of sin, so here, from being the cause of death; for though the law is a killing letter, the ministration of condemnation and death, yet it is not the cause of it; but sin, which is a transgression of the law, is that which deceives or leads out of the way, as the word signifies, and then kills. The metaphor is taken from a thief or a robber, who leads a man out of the way into some bypath, and then murders him.

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FOOTNOTES:

F7 Tzeror Hammor, fol. 141. 3. & 150. 1.

Romans 7:11 In-Context

9 And I was alive once, apart from the law, but [when] the commandment came, sin sprang to life

10 and I died, and this commandment which [was] to [lead to] life was found with respect to me to [lead to] death.

11 For sin, seizing the opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed [me].

12 So then, the law [is] holy, and the commandment [is] holy and righteous and good.

13 Therefore, [did that which is] good become death to me? May it never be! Rather [it was] sin, in order that it might be recognized [as] sin, producing death through [what is] good for me, in order that sin might become sinful to an extraordinary degree through the commandment.