So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.
So if a woman gets married to someone else while her husband is still alive, that's adultery. But if her husband dies, she's totally free from that marriage law, she can marry whoever she wants and it's not adultery anymore.
Death ends the marriage contract, so you're free to start fresh.
📚 Historical Context
In the first century AD, the Apostle Paul wrote his letter to the Romans to address both Jewish and Gentile believers, explaining how the old covenant law no longer holds the same power over Christians due to Christ's death and resurrection. He uses the Jewish marital law from the Old Testament as an analogy, stating that a woman is bound to her husband until his death, after which she is free to remarry without being guilty of adultery. This illustration helps Paul convey that believers are released from the law's demands through union with Christ's death, enabling a new life in the Spirit.
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