SEV Biblia, Chapter 7:12
De manera que la ley a la verdad es santa, y el mandamiento santo, y justo, y bueno.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Romans 7:12
Verse 12. Wherefore the law is holy] As if he had said, to soothe his countrymen, to whom he had been showing the absolute insufficiency of the law either to justify or save from sin: I do not intimate that there is any thing improper or imperfect in the law as a rule of life: it prescribes what is holy, just, and good; for it comes from a holy, just, and good God. The LAW, which is to regulate the whole of the outward conduct, is holy; and the COMMANDMENT, Thou shalt not covet, which is to regulate the heart, is not less so. All is excellent and pure; but it neither pardons sin nor purifies the heart; and it is because it is holy, just, and good, that it condemns transgressors to death.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 12. Therefore the law is holy , etc..] This is a conclusion or inference drawn from the preceding discourse, in commendation of the law; that standing clear of any charge or imputation of sin, as being the cause of it.
This epithet the apostle gives to the law is what the Jews frequently give it; worthy are the Israelites, say they f127 , “to whom is given açydq atyyrwa “the holy law”; in which they study day and night.”
By “the law” is meant the whole body of the precepts of it in general; and by the commandment , either the same, or everyone of the commandments in particular, and especially that which is cited, “thou shall not covet”. Some have thought that the three properties of it design the threefold division of the law; and suppose that by that which is “holy” is meant the ceremonial law, which sanctified to the purifying of the flesh; by that which is “just”, the judicial law, which pointed out to the Jewish commonwealth what was right and wrong; and by that which is “good”, the moral law in all its precepts: but nothing is more certain, than that the moral law is only spoken of in this context, which may be said to be holy , because of its author, the holy God, from whom nothing can come but what is holy; and because of the matter of it, it is a transcript of the holy nature of God, a declaration of his holy will; it requires holiness both of heart and life; it forbids whatever is unholy, and commands nothing but what is holy; it teaches men to live holy, sober, righteous, and godly lives.
It may be truly called just , or righteous, as it demands perfect obedience to all its precepts, or it will not admit of it as a righteousness; as it pronounces guilty, curses and condemns for every disobedience of it; as it deals impartially with persons the transgressors of it; and as it acquits believers upon the foot of the righteousness of Christ, the fulfilling end of it. It is rightly called good , from the author of it, God, from whom every good thing comes, and nothing else; from the matter of it, and from the use of it both to saints and sinners.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 7-13 - There is no way of coming to that knowledge of sin, which is necessar to repentance, and therefore to peace and pardon, but by trying ou hearts and lives by the law. In his own case the apostle would not have known the sinfulness of his thoughts, motives, and actions, but by the law. That perfect standard showed how wrong his heart and life were proving his sins to be more numerous than he had before thought, but it did not contain any provision of mercy or grace for his relief. He is ignorant of human nature and the perverseness of his own heart, wh does not perceive in himself a readiness to fancy there is somethin desirable in what is out of reach. We may perceive this in ou children, though self-love makes us blind to it in ourselves. The mor humble and spiritual any Christian is, the more clearly will he perceive that the apostle describes the true believer, from his firs convictions of sin to his greatest progress in grace, during thi present imperfect state. St. Paul was once a Pharisee, ignorant of the spirituality of the law, having some correctness of character, withou knowing his inward depravity. When the commandment came to his conscience by the convictions of the Holy Spirit, and he saw what is demanded, he found his sinful mind rise against it. He felt at the sam time the evil of sin, his own sinful state, that he was unable to fulfil the law, and was like a criminal when condemned. But though the evil principle in the human heart produces sinful motions, and the mor by taking occasion of the commandment; yet the law is holy, and the commandment holy, just, and good. It is not favourable to sin, which i pursues into the heart, and discovers and reproves in the inwar motions thereof. Nothing is so good but a corrupt and vicious natur will pervert it. The same heat that softens wax, hardens clay. Food of medicine when taken wrong, may cause death, though its nature is to nourish or to heal. The law may cause death through man's depravity but sin is the poison that brings death. Not the law, but sin discovered by the law, was made death to the apostle. The ruinou nature of sin, and the sinfulness of the human heart, are here clearl shown.
Greek Textus Receptus
ωστε 5620 CONJ ο 3588 T-NSM μεν 3303 PRT νομος 3551 N-NSM αγιος 40 A-NSM και 2532 CONJ η 3588 T-NSF εντολη 1785 N-NSF αγια 40 A-NSF και 2532 CONJ δικαια 1342 A-NSF και 2532 CONJ αγαθη 18 A-NSF
Vincent's NT Word Studies
12. Holy, just, good. Holy as God's revelation of Himself; just (Rev., righteous) in its requirements, which correspond to God's holiness; good, salutary, because of its end.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
7:12 {Holy, and righteous, and good} (hagia kai dikaia kai agaqe). this is the conclusion (wherefore, hwste) to the query in verse #7. The commandment is God's and so holy like Him, just in its requirements and designed for our good. The modern revolt against law needs these words.
