1 Corinthians 7:14

1 Corinthians 7:14 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.
• New International Version (NIV)For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.
• English Standard Version (ESV)For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.
• New King James Version (NKJV)For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy.

Context of 1 Corinthians 7:14

12But I (not the Lord) say to the rest: If any brother has an unbelieving wife and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. 13Also, if any woman has an unbelieving husband and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce her husband. For the unbelieving husband is made holy by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy by the husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is they are holy. 15But if the unbeliever leaves, let him leave. A brother or a sister is not bound in such cases. God has called you to live in peace. 16Wife, for all you know, you might save your husband. Husband, for all you know, you might save your wife.

1 Corinthians 7:14 word by word

ἡγίασται γὰρ ὁ ἀνὴρ ὁ ἄπιστος ἐν τῇ γυναικί, καὶ ἡγίασται ἡ γυνὴ ἡ ἄπιστος ἐν τῷ ἀδελφῷ· ἐπεὶ ἄρα τὰ τέκνα ὑμῶν ἀκάθαρτά ἐστιν, νῦν δὲ ἅγιά ἐστιν.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Forγάρgar · forG1063
• the unbelievingἄπιστοςapistos · unbelievingG571
• husbandἀνήρanēr · man: husbandG435
• is sanctifiedἁγιάζωhagiazō · to sanctifyG37
• byἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• the wifeγυνήgunē · woman: wifeG1135
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• the husbandἀνήρanēr · man: husbandG435
• elseἐπείepei · sinceG1893
• ·ἄραara · thereforeG686
• wereεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• yourσύsu · youG4771
• childrenτέκνονteknon · childG5043
• uncleanἀκάθαρτοςakathartos · uncleanG169
• butδέde · thenG1161
• nowνῦνnun · nowG3568
• holyἅγιοςhagios · holyG40

Cross-references for 1 Corinthians 7:14

• 1 Corinthians 6:15Don’t you know that your bodies are a part of Christ’s body? So should I take a part of Christ’s body and make it part of a prostitute? Absolutely not!
• Ezra 9:1After these things had been done, the leaders approached me and said, “The people of Israel, the priests, and the Levites have not separated themselves from the surrounding peoples whose detestable practices are like those of the Canaanites, Hethites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, and Amorites.
• 1 Timothy 4:5since it is sanctified by the word of God and by prayer.
• Ezra 9:2Indeed, the Israelite men have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, so that the holy seed has become mixed with the surrounding peoples. The leaders and officials have taken the lead in this unfaithfulness!”
• Isaiah 52:1“Wake up, wake up; put on your strength, Zion! Put on your beautiful garments, Jerusalem, the holy city! For the uncircumcised and the unclean will no longer enter you.
• Malachi 2:15Didn’t God make them one and give them a portion of spirit? What is the one seeking? Godly offspring. So watch yourselves carefully, so that no one acts treacherously against the wife of his youth.
• Acts 10:23Peter then invited them in and gave them lodging. The next day he got up and set out with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa went with him.
• Romans 11:16Now if the firstfruits are holy, so is the whole batch. And if the root is holy, so are the branches.

Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 7:14

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 14The unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife - Or rather, is to be reputed as sanctified on account of his wife; she being a Christian woman, and he, though a heathen, being by marriage one flesh with her: her sanctity, as far as it refers to outward things, may be considered as imputed to him so as to render their connection not unlawful. The case is the same when the wife is a heathen and the husband a Christian. The word sanctification here is to…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 14For the unbelieving husband - The husband that is not a Christian; who still remains a pagan, or an impenitent man. The apostle here states reasons why a separation should not take place when there was a difference of religion between the husband and the wife. The first is, that the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the believing wife. And the object of this statement seems to be, to meet an objection which might exist in the mind, and which might…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 10-16Verses 10-16 Man and wife must not separate for any other cause than what Christ allows. Divorce, at that time, was very common among both Jews and Gentiles, on very slight pretexts. Marriage is a Divine institution; and is an engagement for life, by God's appointment. We are bound, as much as in us lies, to live peaceably with all men, Ro 12:18, therefore to promote the peace and comfort of our nearest relatives, though unbelievers. It should be the…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14By staying committed to the marriage, the Christian makes the unbelieving spouse holy. This holiness also benefits the children, who gain from having a Christian parent (see Malachi 2:15).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1414. sanctified--Those inseparably connected with the people of God are hallowed thereby, so that the latter may retain the connection without impairing their own sanctity (compare 1Ti 4:5); nay, rather imparting to the former externally some degree of their own hallowed character, and so preparing the way for the unbeliever becoming at last sanctified inwardly by faith. by ... by--rather, "in ... in"; that is, in virtue of the marriage tie between them…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Corinthians 7:14

• Children
• Divorce
• Husband
• Marriage
• Wife

In the dictionaries

• Abuse
• Attend
• Baptism, Christian
• Church
• Consent
• Contain
• Distraction
• Loose
• Mercy
• Revelation of Christ

Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 7

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings