John Calvin Commentary Romans 7:2

"For the woman that hath a husband is bound by law to the husband while he liveth; but if the husband die, she is discharged from the law of the husband." — Romans 7:2 (ASV)

For a woman subject to a man, etc. He presents an analogy by which he proves that we are so released from the law that it no longer, properly and by its own right, retains any authority over us. And although he could have proved this by other reasons, yet because the example of marriage was very suitable to illustrate the subject, he introduced this comparison instead of evidence to prove his point.

So that no one may be puzzled because the different parts of the comparison do not entirely correspond, we should be reminded that the Apostle intentionally, by a small change, sought to avoid the offensiveness of a stronger expression. He might have said, to make the comparison complete, “A woman after the death of her husband is released from the bond of marriage; the law, which is like a husband to us, is dead to us; then we are freed from its power.” But so that he might not offend the Jews by the harshness of his expressions, if he had said that the law was dead, he shifted his phrasing and said that we are dead to the law. Indeed, to some he appears to reason from the lesser to the greater argument; however, because I fear that this interpretation is too forced, I prefer the first meaning, which is simpler.

The whole argument, then, is formed in this way: “The woman is bound to her living husband by the law, so that she cannot be the wife of another; but after the death of her husband she is released from the bond of his law, so that she is free to marry whom she pleases.”

Then follows the application, —
The law was, as it were, our husband,
under whose yoke we were kept until it became dead to us;
After the death of the law Christ received us, that is, he joined us,
when released from the law, to himself;
Then, being united to Christ risen from the dead,
we ought to cling to him alone;
And as the life of Christ after the resurrection is eternal,
so hereafter there shall be no divorce.

Furthermore, the word "law" is not used here in every instance in the same sense. In one place it means the bond of marriage; in another, the authority of a husband over his wife; and in another, the Law of Moses.

However, we must remember that Paul refers here only to that function of the law specific to the dispensation of Moses. For inasmuch as God has taught in the Ten Commandments what is just and right, and given directions for guiding our life, no abrogation of the law is to be contemplated, because the will of God must remain the same forever. We should carefully remember that this is not a release from the righteousness taught in the law, but from its rigid requirements and from the curse that consequently follows. The law, then, as a rule of life, is not abrogated; rather, what is abrogated is that aspect of it which is opposed to the liberty obtained through Christ—namely, its requirement of absolute perfection. For since we do not achieve this perfection, it holds us under the sentence of eternal death.

However, since it was not his purpose here to define the nature of the marriage bond, he was not concerned with mentioning the causes that release a woman from her husband. Therefore, it is unreasonable to seek anything decisive on this point here.