Romans 7 · Verse 24

Romans 7:24

O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
Romans 7:24, King James Version

Romans 7:24 in other translations

BSBWhat a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?
WEBWhat a wretched man I am! Who will deliver me out of the body of this death?
ASVWretched man that I am! who shall deliver me out of the body of this death?
YLTA wretched man I am! who shall deliver me out of the body of this death?
DARBYO wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me out of this body of death?
BBEHow unhappy am I! who will make me free from the body of this death?
WebsterO wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

What does Romans 7:24 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
24. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?--The apostle speaks of the "body" here with reference to "the law of sin" which he had said was "in his members," but merely as the instrument by which the sin of the heart finds vent in action, and as itself the seat of the lower appetites (see on Ro 6:6, and Ro 7:5); and he calls it "the body of this death," as feeling, at the moment when he wrote, the horrors of that death (Ro 6:21, and Ro 7:5) into which it dragged him down. But the language is not that of a sinner newly awakened to the sight of his lost state; it is the cry of a living but agonized believer, weighed down under a burden which is not himself, but which he longs to shake off from his renewed self. Nor does the question imply ignorance of the way of relief at the time referred to. It was designed only to prepare the way for that outburst of thankfulness for the divinely provided remedy which immediately follows.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 24. O wretched man that I am! The feeling implied by this lamentation is the result of this painful conflict; and this frequent subjection to sinful propensities. The effect of this conflict is

(1.) to produce pain and distress, it is often an agonizing struggle between good and evil; a struggle which annoys the peace, and renders life wretched.

(2.) It tends to produce humility. It is humbling to man to be thus under the influence of evil passions. It is degrading to his nature; a stain on his glory; and it tends to bring him into the dust, that he is under the control of such propensities, and so often gives indulgence to them. In such circumstances, the mind is overwhelmed with wretchedness, and instinctively sighs for relief. Can the law aid? Can man aid? Can any native strength of conscience or of reason aid? In vain all these are tried, and the Christian then calmly and thankfully acquiesces in the consolations of the apostle, that aid can be obtained only through Jesus Christ.

Who shall deliver me. Who shall rescue me; the condition of a mind in deep distress, and conscious of its own weakness, and looking for aid.

The body of this death. Marg. This body of death. The word body here is probably used as equivalent to flesh, denoting the corrupt and evil propensities on the soul. Rom 7:18. It is thus used to denote the law of sin in the members, as being that with which the apostle was struggling, and from which he desired to be delivered. The expression "body of this death" is a Hebraism, denoting a body deadly in its tendency; and the whole expression may mean the corrupt principles of man; the carnal, evil affections that lead to death or to condemnation. The expression is one of vast strength, and strongly characteristic of the apostle Paul. It indicates,

(1.) that it was near him, attending him, and was distressing in its nature.

(2.) An earnest wish to be delivered from it. Some have supposed that he refers to a custom practised by ancient tyrants, of binding a dead body to a captive as a punishment, and compelling him to drag the cumbersome and offensive burden with him wherever he went. I do not see any evidence that the apostle had this in view. But such a fact may be used as a striking and perhaps not improper illustration of the meaning of the apostle here. No strength of words could express deeper feeling; none more feelingly indicate the necessity of the grace of God to accomplish that to which the unaided human powers are incompetent.

(a) "O wretched" Ps 38:2,10, 77:3-9 (1) "the body" or, "this body of death"

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 24 O wretched man that I am, etc. - This affecting account is finished more impressively by the groans of the wounded captive. Having long maintained a useless conflict against innumerable hosts and irresistible might, he is at last wounded and taken prisoner; and to render his state more miserable, is not only encompassed by the slaughtered, but chained to a dead body; for there seems to be here an allusion to an ancient custom of certain tyrants, who bound a dead body to a living man, and obliged him to carry it about, till the contagion from the putrid mass took away his life! Virgil paints this in all its horrors, in the account he gives of the tyrant Mezentius. Aeneid, lib. viii. ver. 485. Quid memorem infandas caedes? quid facta tyranni? Mortua quin etiam jungebat corpora Vivis, Componens manibusque manus, atque oribus ora; Tormenti genus! et sanie taboque fluentes Complexu in misero, longa sic morte necabat. What tongue can such barbarities record, Or count the slaughters of his ruthless sword? 'Twas not enough the good, the guiltless bled, Still worse, he bound the living to the dead: These, limb to limb, and face to face, he joined; O! monstrous crime, of unexampled kind! Till choked with stench, the lingering wretches lay, And, in the loathed embraces, died away! Pitt. Servius remarks, in his comment on this passage, that sanies, mortui est; tabo, viventis scilicet sanguis: "the sanies, or putrid ichor, from the dead body, produced the tabes in the blood of the living." Roasting, burning, racking, crucifying, etc., were nothing when compared to this diabolically invented punishment. We may naturally suppose that the cry of such a person would be, Wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this dead body? And how well does this apply to the case of the person to whom the apostle refers! A body - a whole mass of sin and corruption, was bound to his soul with chains which he could not break; and the mortal contagion, transfused through his whole nature, was pressing him down to the bitter pains of an eternal death. He now finds that the law can afford him no deliverance; and he despairs of help from any human being; but while he is emitting his last, or almost expiring groan, the redemption by Christ Jesus is proclaimed to him; and, if the apostle refers to his own case, Ananias unexpectedly accosts him with - Brother Saul! the Lord Jesus, who appeared unto thee in the way, hath sent me unto thee, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. He sees then an open door of hope, and he immediately, though but in the prospect of this deliverance, returns God thanks for the well-grounded hope which he has of salvation, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Romans 7:23-25

This passage does not represent the apostle as one that walked after the flesh, but as one that had it greatly at heart, not to walk so. And if there are those who abuse this passage, as they also do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction, yet serious Christians find cause to bless God for having thus provided for their support and comfort. We are not, because of the abuse of such as are blinded by their own…

Read the full comment on Romans 7:23-25 →

Romans 7:24 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ταλαίπωροςtalaipōrosO wretchedG5005
ἐγὼegōI myself [am]G1473
ἄνθρωπος·anthrōposman!G444
τίςtisWhoG5101
μεmemeG3165
ῥύσεταιrhusetaiwill deliverG4506
ἐκekout ofG1537
τοῦtoutheG3588
σώματοςsōmatosbodyG4983
τοῦtou<the>G3588
θανάτουthanatouof deathG2288
τούτου;¶toutouthis?G3778

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Romans 7:24

  • Romans 6:6

    Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

  • 2 Timothy 4:18

    And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

  • Titus 2:14

    Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

  • Romans 8:2

    For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

  • 2 Corinthians 12:7-9

    And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

  • Romans 8:26

    Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

  • Psalms 102:20

    To hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death;

  • Revelation 21:4

    And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

  • Romans 8:13

    For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

  • Hebrews 2:15

    And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

  • Psalms 91:14-15

    Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.

  • Psalms 38:8-10

    I am feeble and sore broken: I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart. Lord, all my desire is before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee. My heart panteth, my strength faileth me: as for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
wretched.
8:26; 1Ki 8:38; Ps 6:6; 32:3,4; 38:2,8-10; 77:3-9; 119:20,81-83,131
Ps 119:143,176; 130:1-3; Eze 9:4; Mt 5:4,6; 2Co 12:7-9; Re 21:4
who.
De 22:26,27; Ps 71:11; 72:12; 91:14,15; 102:20; Mic 7:19
Zec 9:11,12; Lu 4:18; 2Co 1:8-10; 2Ti 4:18; Tit 2:14; Heb 2:15
the body of this. or, this body of.
6:6; 8:13; Ps 88:5; Col 2:11

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Romans 7:23

    But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

  • Romans 7:24

    O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

  • Romans 7:25

    I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

Read all of Romans 7

Romans 7:24 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		¡Miserable hombre de mí! ¿quién me librará del cuerpo de esta muerte?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Misérable homme que je suis, qui me délivrera de ce corps de mort?
German
Elberfelder 1871		Ich elender Mensch! wer wird mich retten von diesem Leibe des Todes? -
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Infelix ego homo, quis me liberabit de corpore mortis hujus?