1 Corinthians 7:2
New International Version
But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband.

New Living Translation
But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband.

English Standard Version
But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.

Berean Standard Bible
But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband.

Berean Literal Bible
But because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have the own husband.

King James Bible
Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.

New King James Version
Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.

New American Standard Bible
But because of sexual immoralities, each man is to have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband.

NASB 1995
But because of immoralities, each man is to have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband.

NASB 1977
But because of immoralities, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.

Legacy Standard Bible
But because of sexual immoralities, each man is to have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband.

Amplified Bible
But because of [the temptation to participate in] sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.

Christian Standard Bible
But because sexual immorality is so common, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman should have sexual relations with her own husband.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But because sexual immorality is so common, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband.

American Standard Version
But, because of fornications, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.

Contemporary English Version
Well, having your own husband or wife should keep you from doing something immoral.

English Revised Version
But, because of fornications, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
But in order to avoid sexual sins, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband.

Good News Translation
But because there is so much immorality, every man should have his own wife, and every woman should have her own husband.

International Standard Version
Because sexual immorality is so rampant, every man should have his own wife, and every woman should have her own husband.

Majority Standard Bible
But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband.

NET Bible
But because of immoralities, each man should have relations with his own wife and each woman with her own husband.

New Heart English Bible
But, because of sexual immoralities, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.

Webster's Bible Translation
Nevertheless, to avoid lewdness, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.

Weymouth New Testament
But because there is so much fornication every man should have a wife of his own, and every woman should have a husband.

World English Bible
But, because of sexual immoralities, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and because of the whoredom let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her proper husband;

Berean Literal Bible
But because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have the own husband.

Young's Literal Translation
and because of the whoredom let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her proper husband;

Smith's Literal Translation
And, on account of fornication, let each have his own wife, and let each have her own husband.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
But for fear of fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.

Catholic Public Domain Version
But, because of fornication, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.

New American Bible
but because of cases of immorality every man should have his own wife, and every woman her own husband.

New Revised Standard Version
But because of cases of sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Nevertheless, because of the danger of immorality, let every man cling to his own wife, and let every woman cling to her own husband.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But because of fornication, let a man take a wife and a woman take her husband.
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
But, to avoid lewd practices, let every man have his own wife, and every woman her own husband.

Godbey New Testament
but on account of fornication, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.

Haweis New Testament
But because of the whoredoms, let every man have his own wife, and every wife her own husband.

Mace New Testament
I answer, with regard to the licentious, it is best for a man, to have his wife; and for a woman to have her husband.

Weymouth New Testament
But because there is so much fornication every man should have a wife of his own, and every woman should have a husband.

Worrell New Testament
but, because of fornications, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.

Worsley New Testament
Nevertheless to prevent whoredoms, let every one have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Principles of Marriage
1Now for the matters you wrote about: It is good to abstain from sexual relations. 2But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband. 3The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband.…

Cross References
Genesis 2:24
For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.

Matthew 19:4-6
Jesus answered, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ / and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? / So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”

Ephesians 5:31-33
“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” / This mystery is profound, but I am speaking about Christ and the church. / Nevertheless, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

Hebrews 13:4
Marriage should be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.

Proverbs 5:18-19
May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth: / A loving doe, a graceful fawn—may her breasts satisfy you always; may you be captivated by her love forever.

1 Thessalonians 4:3-4
For it is God’s will that you should be holy: You must abstain from sexual immorality; / each of you must know how to control his own body in holiness and honor,

Malachi 2:14-16
Yet you ask, “Why?” It is because the LORD has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have broken faith, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. / Has not the LORD made them one, having a portion of the Spirit? And why one? Because He seeks godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit and do not break faith with the wife of your youth. / “For I hate divorce,” says the LORD, the God of Israel. “He who divorces his wife covers his garment with violence,” says the LORD of Hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit and do not break faith.

Colossians 3:18-19
Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. / Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.

1 Peter 3:1-7
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 / when they see your pure and reverent demeanor. / Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair or gold jewelry or fine clothes, ...

Song of Solomon 4:9-10
You have captured my heart, my sister, my bride; you have stolen my heart with one glance of your eyes, with one jewel of your neck. / How delightful is your love, my sister, my bride! Your love is much better than wine, and the fragrance of your perfume than all spices.

Mark 10:6-9
However, from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ / ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, / and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. ...

1 Timothy 5:14
So I advise the younger widows to marry, have children, and manage their households, denying the adversary occasion for slander.

Deuteronomy 24:5
If a man is newly married, he must not be sent to war or be pressed into any duty. For one year he is free to stay at home and bring joy to the wife he has married.

Romans 7:2-3
For instance, a married woman is bound by law to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage. / So then, if she is joined to another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law and is not an adulteress if she marries another man.

Ecclesiastes 9:9
Enjoy life with your beloved wife all the days of the fleeting life that God has given you under the sun—all your fleeting days. For this is your portion in life and in your labor under the sun.


Treasury of Scripture

Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.

to avoid.

1 Corinthians 7:9
But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.

1 Corinthians 6:18
Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.

Proverbs 5:18,19
Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth…

let.

Proverbs 18:22
Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD.

Proverbs 19:14
House and riches are the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife is from the LORD.

Malachi 2:14
Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant.

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Account Avoid Desires Flesh Fornication Fornications Husband Immorality Lewdness Nevertheless Proper Sexual Temptation Whoredom Wife
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Account Avoid Desires Flesh Fornication Fornications Husband Immorality Lewdness Nevertheless Proper Sexual Temptation Whoredom 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.














But because there is so much sexual immorality
The phrase "sexual immorality" is translated from the Greek word "porneia," which encompasses a wide range of illicit sexual activities outside the bounds of marriage. In the Greco-Roman world, sexual immorality was rampant, with practices such as temple prostitution and extramarital affairs being common. Paul addresses this issue head-on, recognizing the pervasive nature of such sins and the temptation they present to believers. From a conservative Christian perspective, this highlights the importance of adhering to biblical standards of purity and the sanctity of marriage as a safeguard against moral decay.

each man should have his own wife
The instruction for "each man" to have "his own wife" underscores the biblical model of monogamous marriage. The Greek word for "own" (idios) emphasizes personal possession and exclusivity, suggesting that marriage is a unique and sacred bond between one man and one woman. This reflects the creation ordinance found in Genesis, where God created Eve specifically for Adam, establishing the pattern for marital relationships. In a conservative Christian view, this affirms the belief that marriage is a divine institution designed for companionship, procreation, and the prevention of sexual sin.

and each woman her own husband
Similarly, the phrase "each woman her own husband" reinforces the mutual and reciprocal nature of the marital relationship. The use of "own" (idios) here again highlights exclusivity and personal commitment. In the historical context of Corinth, where women often had limited rights and autonomy, Paul's directive is radical, affirming the equal value and responsibility of women within marriage. From a conservative Christian perspective, this equality in marriage is seen as a reflection of the partnership and unity intended by God, where both husband and wife are called to love, honor, and support one another.

(2) To avoid fornication.--Better, because of the (prevalent) fornication. This was so general in Corinth, and so little regarded as sin. that the unmarried were liable to be led into it.

It may at first sight appear as if the Apostle thus put marriage upon very low and merely utilitarian ground: but we must remember that he is here writing with a definite and limited aim, and does not enter into a general discussion of the subject. St. Paul gives a reason why those who wrote to him should marry, and the force of the argument does not extend beyond the immediate object in view. St. Paul's view of the higher aspects of matrimony are fully set forth when he treats of that subject generally (2Corinthians 11:2; Romans 7:4; Ephesians 5:25-32).

Verse 2. - Nevertheless. In this single word St. Paul practically refutes all the dangerous and unwarrantable inferences drawn by St. Jerome and others from the previous clause. St. Jerome argues: "If it is good for a man not to touch a woman, it must be bad to do so, and therefore celibacy is a holier state than marriage." He also says, "I suspect the goodness of a thing which the greatness of another evil enforces as a lesser evil." Such reasoning shows:

1. The danger of pressing words to the full extent of the logical inferences which may be deduced from them.

2. The errors which always arise from arguing upon isolated texts dissevered from their context, and from all consideration of the circumstances under which they were written.

3. The necessity of following the guidance of the Holy Spirit when he shows, by history and experience, the need for altering precepts with reference to altered conditions. There is in celibacy a moral beauty - it is kalon; there are cases in which it becomes a duty. But in most cases marriage, being no less a duty, as St. Paul proceeds to show, is even fairer and more excellent. Neither state, the wedded or the unwedded, is in itself more holy than the other. Each has its own honour and loveliness, and can only be judged of in connection with surrounding circumstances. Those who make St. Paul judge slightingly of marriage contradict his own express rules and statements (Ephesians 5:24, 31, 32; 1 Timothy 2:15), and make him speak the current heathen language of heathen epicures, who, to the great injury of morals, treated marriage as a disagreeable necessity, which was, if possible, to be avoided. If the "it is a good thing" of St. Paul in ver. 1 were to be taken absolutely, it would have to be corrected . . .

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
But
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

because
διὰ (dia)
Preposition
Strong's 1223: A primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; through.

[there is so much]
τὰς (tas)
Article - Accusative Feminine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

sexual immorality,
πορνείας (porneias)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Plural
Strong's 4202: Fornication, whoredom; met: idolatry. From porneuo; harlotry; figuratively, idolatry.

each man
ἕκαστος (hekastos)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1538: Each (of more than two), every one. As if a superlative of hekas; each or every.

should have
ἐχέτω (echetō)
Verb - Present Imperative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2192: To have, hold, possess. Including an alternate form scheo skheh'-o; a primary verb; to hold.

his
ἑαυτοῦ (heautou)
Reflexive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1438: Himself, herself, itself.

[own]
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.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

each woman
ἑκάστη (hekastē)
Adjective - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 1538: Each (of more than two), every one. As if a superlative of hekas; each or every.

[her]
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.

own
ἴδιον (idion)
Adjective - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2398: Pertaining to self, i.e. One's own; by implication, private or separate.

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


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NT Letters: 1 Corinthians 7:2 But because of sexual immoralities let each (1 Cor. 1C iC 1Cor i cor icor)
1 Corinthians 7:1
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