Commentaries:
Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown
For scarcely for a righteous man—a man of simply unexceptionable character.
will one—"any one"
die: yet peradventure for a good man—a man who, besides being unexceptionable, is distinguished for goodness, a benefactor to society.
some—"some one."
would—rather, "doth."
even dare to die—"Scarce an instance occurs of self-sacrifice for one merely upright; though for one who makes himself a blessing to society there may be found an example of such noble surrender of life" (So BENGEL, OLSHAUSEN, THOLUCK, ALFORD, PHILIPPI). (To make the "righteous" and the "good" man here to mean the same person, and the whole sense to be that "though rare, the case may occur, of one making a sacrifice of life for a worthy character" [as CALVIN, BEZA, FRITZSCHE, JOWETT], is extremely flat.)
For when we were yet without strength—that is, powerless to deliver ourselves, and so ready to perish.
in due time—at the appointed season.
Christ died for the ungodly—Three signal properties of God's love are here given: First, "Christ died for the ungodly," whose character, so far from meriting any interposition in their behalf, was altogether repulsive to the eye of God; second, He did this "when they were without strength"—with nothing between them and perdition but that self-originating divine compassion; third, He did this "at the due time," when it was most fitting that it should take place (compare Galatians 4:4), The two former of these properties the apostle now proceeds to illustrate.
Other Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown entries containing Romans 5:7:
Romans 5:1
2 Corinthians 5:14
Titus 2:5
DISCLAIMER: Church of the Great God (CGG) provides these resources to aid the individual in studying the Bible. However, it is up to the individual to "prove all things, and hold fast to that which is good" (I Thessalonians 5:21). The content of these resources does not necessarily reflect the views of CGG. They are provided for information purposes only.
