“Wretch I Am!” Eve’s Tragic Speech-in-Character in Romans 7:7–25 Article Swipe

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Nicholas A. Elder ·

YOU? · · 2018 · Open Access · · DOI: https://doi.org/10.15699/jbl.1373.2018.404010 · OA: W4233329535

Of the myriad approaches to the identity of the "I" in Rom 7:7–25, missing is any study that considers seriously the tragic Greek laments. This article offers a new perspective on the identity of the "wretched man" — rather, the "wretched woman" — in Rom 7:7–25. I contend, based on generic and inter-traditional arguments, that Eve, not Adam, is the individual identified in Paul's speech-in-character in this chapter. Paul has recast Eve in the role of the female lamenter who bemoans her tragic condition. By doing so, he has uniquely fused Second Temple Jewish traditions about Eve with tragic traditions that were prevalent in his Greco-Roman context.