Thus a married woman is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives; but if her husband dies she is discharged from the law concerning the husband. Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man, she is not an adulteress. (Rom 7:2-3 NRSV)
Commenting on this passage, Joseph Fitzmyer wrote:
2. a married woman. What was said of anthrōpos in v 1b is now made specific according to Mosaic law in its regulations about a married woman. Paul uses the Hellenistic phrase hypandros gynē, lit., “a woman under-(her)-husband,” as a way of speaking of a “married woman” (cf. Polybius, History 10.26.3; Artemidorus 1.78 [74.6]). It is also found in the LXX (Num 5:20, 29 [= Hebr. taḥat ʾîš]; Prov 6:24, 29; Sir 9:9; 41:23).
is bound by law to her husband while he is alive. See 1 Cor 7:39. By OT law a wife was considered the chattel or property of her husband, and he had rights over her that could be violated by her or by another man (cf. Gen 20:3, wĕhî bĕʿûlat baʿal, lit., “she is ruled over [or owned] by [her] owner/master”). Hence every extramarital sexual act of hers was regarded as adultery (Exod 20:14, 17; 21:22; Lev 20:10; Num 30:10–16; Deut 22:22); cf. AI 26.
if the husband dies, she is released from the law regarding her husband. Lit., “she has been annulled from the law of the husband,” i.e., from the specific Mosaic legislation binding a wife to her owner (husband) as long as he lives. Once he dies, then the wife is freed from obligation to her husband and can marry whomever she wills. For further Pauline instances of katargein with the prep. apo, see 7:6; Gal 5:4.
3. she will be called an adulteress if she gives herself to another man, while her husband is still alive. Lit., “if she becomes (the property) of another man,” or “belongs to another man.” The Greek expression is a dat. of possession derived from the LXX of Lev 22:12; Deut 24:2; Hos 3:3 (see BDF §189.2). The woman who gives herself to another violates the rights of her husband (owner), and for that reason she is branded as moichalis. The freedom of the wife to have relations with another comes with her husband’s death; it has nothing to do here with divorce. The fut. chrēmatisei is gnomic (BDF §349.1). Moichalis, “adulteress,” is a term found in the LXX (Ezek 16:38; 23:45; Hos 3:1; Mal 3:5; Prov 18:22a), but not in extrabiblical Greek in pre-Christian times. It does occur in T. Levi 14:6 and is a term, then, that reflects Jewish and Christian views of marriage.
if her husband dies, she is free of that law and does not become an adulteress if she gives herself to another man. Lit., “so that she does not become an adulteress in belonging to another man.” Paul expresses this with the gen. of the articular infin. (BDF §400.8). Joseph A. Fitzmyer, Romans: A New Translation With Introduction and Commentary [AB 33; New Haven: Yale University Press, 2008], 457-58)
Rom 7:2-3 is sometimes used by critics of Latter-day Saint theology about marriage, if performed in the temple, lasting into eternity. For more on this passage and other pertinent texts (e.g., Matt 22:30), see:
