1 Corinthians 7:2

1 Corinthians 7:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
• English Standard Version (ESV)But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.
• New Living Translation (NLT)But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband.

Context of 1 Corinthians 7:2

1Now for the matters you wrote about: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband. 3The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife.

1 Corinthians 7:2 word by word

διὰ δὲ τὰς πορνείας ἕκαστος τὴν ἑαυτοῦ γυναῖκα ἐχέτω, καὶ ἑκάστη τὸν ἴδιον ἄνδρα ἐχέτω.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Neverthelessδέde · thenG1161
• ·διάdia · through/because ofG1223
• fornicationπορνείαporneia · sexual sinG4202
• let every manἕκαστοςhekastos · eachG1538
• haveἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
• his ownἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
• wifeγυνήgunē · woman: wifeG1135
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• her ownἴδιοςidios · one's own/privateG2398
• husbandἀνήρanēr · man: husbandG435

Cross-references for 1 Corinthians 7:2

• 1 Corinthians 7:9But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
• 1 Corinthians 6:18Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body.
• Proverbs 5:18May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.
• 1 Timothy 4:3They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth.
• Proverbs 18:22He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord.
• Proverbs 19:14Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the Lord.
• Malachi 2:14You ask, “Why?” It is because the Lord is the witness between you and the wife of your youth. You have been unfaithful to her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant.
• Ephesians 5:28In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.

Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 7:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2To avoid fornication - · verto, propter exercendam libidinem, vel ut libidinem licite exercere liceat. Probo hanc notionem ex Hebraeo, ibi זנה , zanah, est libidinem exercere, Hosea 4:10; : For they shall eat and not have enough; they shall commit whoredom, תזנו , libidinem exercebunt, and shall not increase. Here the prophet certainly does not speak of whoredom in our sense of the word; for the persons he mentions expected to have children, which cannot…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2Nevertheless - But ( ̀ de). Though this is to be admitted as proper where it can be done, when a man has entire control of himself and his passions, and though in present circumstances it would be expedient, yet it may be proper also to enter into the marriage connection. To avoid fornication - Greek On account of ̀ diafornication. The word fornication is used here in the large sense of licentiousness in general. For the sake of the purity of society, and…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2Due to widespread sexual immorality, Paul advises most Christians to marry (1 Corinthians 7:9). He balances the ideal of celibacy with an understanding of physical needs.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. Here the general rule is given to avoid fornication--More literally, "on account of fornications," to which as being very prevalent at Corinth, and not even counted sins among the heathen, unmarried persons might be tempted. The plural, "fornications," marks irregular lusts, as contrasted with the unity of the marriage relation [Bengel]. let every man have--a positive command to all who have not the gift of continency, in fact to the great majority of…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Corinthians 7:2

• Celibacy
• Chastity
• Continence
• Marriage
• Stoicism
• Wife

In the dictionaries

• Abuse
• Attend
• Concubine
• Consent
• Contain
• Distraction
• Loose
• Mercy
• Revelation of Christ
• Snare

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