1 Corinthians 7:16
New International Version
How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?

New Living Translation
Don’t you wives realize that your husbands might be saved because of you? And don’t you husbands realize that your wives might be saved because of you?

English Standard Version
For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?

Berean Standard Bible
How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?

Berean Literal Bible
For how do you know, wife, if you will save the husband? Or how do you know, husband, if you will save the wife?

King James Bible
For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?

New King James Version
For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?

New American Standard Bible
For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?

NASB 1995
For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?

NASB 1977
For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?

Legacy Standard Bible
For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?

Amplified Bible
For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband [by leading him to Christ]? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife [by leading her to Christ]?

Christian Standard Bible
Wife, for all you know, you might save your husband. Husband, for all you know, you might save your wife.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
For you, wife, how do you know whether you will save your husband? Or you, husband, how do you know whether you will save your wife?

American Standard Version
For how knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O husband, whether thou shalt save thy wife?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
For what do you know, woman, if you will save your husband, or you, man, if you will save your wife?

Contemporary English Version
And besides, how do you know if you will be able to save your husband or wife who isn't a follower?

Douay-Rheims Bible
For how knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband ? Or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife ?

English Revised Version
For how knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O husband, whether thou shalt save thy wife?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
How do you as a wife know whether you will save your husband? How do you as a husband know whether you will save your wife?

Good News Translation
How can you be sure, Christian wife, that you will not save your husband? Or how can you be sure, Christian husband, that you will not save your wife?

International Standard Version
Wife, you might be able to save your husband. Husband, you might be able to save your wife.

Literal Standard Version
for what, have you known, O wife, whether you will save the husband? Or what, have you known, O husband, whether you will save the wife?

Majority Standard Bible
How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?

New American Bible
For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband; or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?

NET Bible
For how do you know, wife, whether you will bring your husband to salvation? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will bring your wife to salvation?

New Revised Standard Version
Wife, for all you know, you might save your husband. Husband, for all you know, you might save your wife.

New Heart English Bible
For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?

Webster's Bible Translation
For how knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?

Weymouth New Testament
For what assurance have you, O woman, as to whether you will save your husband? Or what assurance have you, O man, as to whether you will save your wife?

World English Bible
For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?

Young's Literal Translation
for what, hast thou known, O wife, whether the husband thou shalt save? or what, hast thou known, O husband, whether the wife thou shalt save?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Principles of Marriage
15But if the unbeliever leaves, let him go. The believing brother or sister is not bound in such cases. God has called you to live in peace. 16 How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife? 17Regardless, each one should lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him and to which God has called him. This is what I prescribe in all the churches.…

Cross References
Romans 11:14
in the hope that I may provoke my own people to jealousy and save some of them.

1 Peter 3:1
Wives, in the same way, submit yourselves to your husbands, so that even if they refuse to believe the word, they will be won over without words by the behavior of their wives


Treasury of Scripture

For what know you, O wife, whether you shall save your husband? or how know you, O man, whether you shall save your wife?

O wife.

1 Corinthians 9:22
To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.

Proverbs 11:30
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.

Luke 15:10
Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

how.

Jump to Previous
Assurance Cause Husband Salvation Save Whether Wife
Jump to Next
Assurance Cause Husband Salvation Save Whether Wife
1 Corinthians 7
1. He discusses marriage;
4. showing it to be a remedy against sinful desires,
10. and that the bond thereof ought not lightly to be dissolved.
20. Every man must be content with his vocation.
25. Virginity wherefore to be embraced;
35. and for what respects we may either marry, or abstain from marrying.














(16) For what knowest thou, O wife . . .?--This verse has been very generally regarded as a kind of modification of the previous one, as if the Apostle suggested that it might be advisable not to let the unbelieving partner depart from the marriage union when he so desired, in any case where there was even a chance of the believing partner effecting his or her conversion. The true meaning of the passage is, however, precisely the opposite. The Apostle declares that the remote contingency of the unbeliever's conversion is too vague a matter for which to risk the peace which is so essential an element in the Christian life. If the unbelieving partner will depart, do not let any thought as to the possible influence you may exercise over his religious convictions--about which you cannot know anything, but only at most vaguely speculate--cause you to insist upon his remaining.

Some historical results, arising from the view that this is a suggestion of the good which may result from such union being continued, are interestingly alluded to by Stanley in his note on this passage:--"This passage, thus interpreted, probably had a direct influence on the marriage of Clotilda with Clovis, and Bertha with Ethelbert, and consequently on the subsequent conversion of the two great kingdoms of France and England to the Christian faith."

Verse 16. - For what knowest thou, O wife, etc.? The meaning is as follows: - You may, perhaps, plead that, by refusing to sever the union, the believing partner may convert the unbelieving; but that possibility is too distant and uncertain on which to act. St. Peter does indeed show that so blessed a result is possible ("That, if any obey not the Word, they also maybe won... by the conversation of the wives," 1 Peter 3:1); but he is only speaking of cases in which the unbelieving husband did not wish the union to be dissolved. The ancient misinterpretation of the passage (due to neglect of the context and of the argument as a whole) viewed it as an argument for mixed marriages, founded on the chance of thereby winning souls. Most misinterpretations of Scripture have done deadly harm; this one, however, has been overruled for good, and led, as Dean Stanley points out, to such happy marriages as that of Clotilde with Clovis, and Bertha with Ethelbert of Kent.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
How
τί (ti)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 5101: Who, which, what, why. Probably emphatic of tis; an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what.

do you know,
οἶδας (oidas)
Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 1492: To know, remember, appreciate.

wife,
γύναι (gynai)
Noun - Vocative Feminine Singular
Strong's 1135: A woman, wife, my lady. Probably from the base of ginomai; a woman; specially, a wife.

whether
εἰ (ei)
Conjunction
Strong's 1487: If. A primary particle of conditionality; if, whether, that, etc.

you will save
σώσεις (sōseis)
Verb - Future Indicative Active - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 4982: To save, heal, preserve, rescue. From a primary sos; to save, i.e. Deliver or protect.

[your]
τὸν (ton)
Article - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

husband?
ἄνδρα (andra)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 435: A male human being; a man, husband. A primary word; a man.

Or
(ē)
Conjunction
Strong's 2228: Or, than. A primary particle of distinction between two connected terms; disjunctive, or; comparative, than.

how
τί (ti)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 5101: Who, which, what, why. Probably emphatic of tis; an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what.

do you know,
οἶδας (oidas)
Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 1492: To know, remember, appreciate.

husband,
ἄνερ (aner)
Noun - Vocative Masculine Singular
Strong's 435: A male human being; a man, husband. A primary word; a man.

whether
εἰ (ei)
Conjunction
Strong's 1487: If. A primary particle of conditionality; if, whether, that, etc.

you will save
σώσεις (sōseis)
Verb - Future Indicative Active - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 4982: To save, heal, preserve, rescue. From a primary sos; to save, i.e. Deliver or protect.

[your]
τὴν (tēn)
Article - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

wife?
γυναῖκα (gynaika)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 1135: A woman, wife, my lady. Probably from the base of ginomai; a woman; specially, a wife.


Links
1 Corinthians 7:16 NIV
1 Corinthians 7:16 NLT
1 Corinthians 7:16 ESV
1 Corinthians 7:16 NASB
1 Corinthians 7:16 KJV

1 Corinthians 7:16 BibleApps.com
1 Corinthians 7:16 Biblia Paralela
1 Corinthians 7:16 Chinese Bible
1 Corinthians 7:16 French Bible
1 Corinthians 7:16 Catholic Bible

NT Letters: 1 Corinthians 7:16 For how do you know wife whether (1 Cor. 1C iC 1Cor i cor icor)
1 Corinthians 7:15
Top of Page
Top of Page