EasyEnglish Bible 2018
1 Corinthians 7:12
12To all you other people, I say this. (This is what I think. The Lord has not spoken about it.) A Christian man may have a wife who does not believe in Christ. If she agrees to continue living with him, then he should not send her away.
1 Corinthians 7:12 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away.
- New International Version (NIV)To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her.
- English Standard Version (ESV)To the rest I say (I, not the Lord) that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her.
- New King James Version (NKJV)But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her.
Context of 1 Corinthians 7:12
10I will say this to people who have married. (This is not my rule. It is a rule that comes from the Lord himself.) A wife must not leave her husband. 11But if she does leave him, she must not marry another man. Or she should go back to live with her husband. In the same way, a husband must not send his wife away. To all you other people, I say this. (This is what I think. The Lord has not spoken about it.) A Christian man may have a wife who does not believe in Christ. If she agrees to continue living with him, then he should not send her away. 13Also, a Christian woman may have a husband who does not believe in Christ. If he agrees to continue living with her, then she should not leave him. 14God accepts a husband who does not believe in Christ because of his Christian wife. And God accepts a wife who does not believe in Christ because of her Christian husband. If that was not true, the children would not belong to God. But God does accept them, because to him they are now clean.
Read all of 1 Corinthians 71 Corinthians 7:12 word by word
Τοῖς δὲ λοιποῖς λέγω ἐγὼ οὐχ ὁ κύριος, εἴ τις ἀδελφὸς γυναῖκα ἔχει ἄπιστον καὶ αὕτη συνευδοκεῖ οἰκεῖν μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ, μὴ ἀφιέτω αὐτήν·Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Butδέde · thenG1161
- to the restὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- to the restλοιπόςloipoi · remainingG3062
- speakλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- Iἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- notοὐou · noG3756
- the Lordκύριοςkurios · lord: GodG2962
- Ifεἰei · ifG1487
- anyτιςtis · oneG5100
- brotherἀδελφόςadelphos · brotherG80
- hathἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
- a wifeγυνήgunē · woman: wifeG1135
- that believeth notἄπιστοςapistos · unbelievingG571
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- sheαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- be pleasedσυνευδοκέωsuneudokeō · to agree toG4909
- to dwellοἰκέωoikeō · to dwellG3611
- withμετάmeta · with/afterG3326
- let himἀφίημιaphiēmi · to release: leaveG863
- notμήmē · notG3361
Cross-references for 1 Corinthians 7:12
- 1 Corinthians 7:6I am saying these things to help you. I am not telling you what you must do.
- 2 Corinthians 11:17When I say good things about myself like this, it is not how the Lord would talk. No, these are the words of a fool.
- Ezra 10:2Then Shecaniah spoke to Ezra. Shecaniah was Jehiel's son, a descendant of Elam. Shecaniah said, ‘We have not been faithful to our God. We have married foreign women from the nations who live near us. But Israel may still hope that God will forgive us.
Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 7:12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12But to the rest speak I, not the Lord - As if he had said: For what I have already spoken I have the testimony of the Lord by Moses, and of my own Lord and Master, Christ; but for the directions which I am now about to give there is no written testimony, and I deliver them now for the first time. These words do not intimate that the apostle was not now under the influences of the Divine Spirit; but, that there was nothing in the sacred writings which bore…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12But to the rest - “I have spoken in regard to the duties of the unmarried, and the question whether it is right and advisable that they should marry, 1 Corinthians 7:1-9. I have also uttered the command of the Lord in regard to those who are married, and the question whether separation and divorce were proper. Now in regard to “the rest of the person‘s and cases” referred to, I will deliver my opinion.” “The rest,” or remainder, here referred to, relates…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. 12-13Paul now addresses Christians married to non-believers. I, not the Lord: Paul knew of no specific teaching from Jesus for this situation, but his advice is clear. Believers should remain faithful and honor their marriage commitment.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. to the rest--the other classes (besides "the married," 1Co 7:10, where both husband and wife are believers) about whom the Corinthians had inquired, namely, those involved in mixed marriages with unbelievers. not the Lord--by any direct command spoken by Him. she be pleased--Greek, "consents": implying his wish in the first instance, with which hers concurs.Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Corinthians 7:12
In the dictionaries
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
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