Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Corinthians 7:2
Nevertheless, [to avoid] fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
2. Nevertheless, to avoid fornication ] Literally, on account of the fornications, i.e. the habitual practice of this vice in the Church of Corinth. See note on ch. 1Co 6:13. We are not to suppose (see Meyer) that we have the whole of the Apostle’s view of marriage, but simply that which connects itself with the question that has been asked him. To understand the doctrine of marriage, as generally delivered in the Christian Scriptures, we must compare St John 2; Eph 5:23-30; 1Ti 5:14; Heb 13:4; 1Pe 3:1-7. “These are questions of casuistry, which depend upon the particular case, from which word the term casuistry is derived.” Robertson.
let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband ] Calvin remarks that we have here a prohibition of polygamy.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Nevertheless – 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 dia fornication. The word fornication is used here in the large sense of licentiousness in general. For the sake of the purity of society, and to avoid the evils of sensual indulgence, and the corruptions and crimes which attend an illicit contact, it is proper that the married state should be entered. To this vice they were particularly exposed in Corinth. See the introduction. Paul would keep the church from scandal. How much evil, how much deep pollution, how many abominable crimes would have been avoided, which have since grown out of the monastic system, and the celibacy of the clergy among the papists, if Pauls advice had been followed by all professed Christians! Paul says that marriage is honorable, and that the relations of domestic life should be formed to avoid the evils which would otherwise result. The world is the witness of the evils which flow from the neglect of his advice. Every community where the marriage tie has been lax and feeble, or where it has been disregarded or dishonored, has been full of pollution, and it will always be. Society is pure and virtuous, just as marriage is deemed honorable, and as its vows are adhered to and preserved.
Let every man … – Let the marriage vow be honored by all.
Have his own wife – And one wife to whom he shall be faithful. Polygamy is unlawful under the gospel; and divorce is unlawful. Let every man and woman, therefore, honor the institution of God, and avoid the evils of illicit indulgence.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 2. To avoid fornication] verto, propter exercendam libidinem, vel ut libidinem licite exercere liceat. Probo hanc notionem ex Hebraeo, ibi , zanah, est libidinem exercere, Ho 4:10: For they shall eat and not have enough; they shall commit whoredom, , 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 be said of those who are addicted to improper connections: the prophet speaks concerning married persons, whom he threatens with a privation of children, notwithstanding libidinem exercebant in order to have numerous families. See Schoettgen. The following verse shows that this is the apostle’s meaning.
Let every man have his own wife] Let every man have one woman, his own; and every woman one man, her own. Here, plurality of wives and husbands is most strictly forbidden; and they are commanded to marry for the purpose of procreating children.
In the Jewish constitutions there are some things not only curious, but useful, respecting marriage. “There are four causes which induce men to marry:
1. Impure desire;
2. To get riches;
3. To become honourable;
4. For the glory of God.
Those who marry through the first motive beget wicked and rebellious children. Those who marry for the sake of riches have the curse of leaving them to others. Those who marry for the sake of aggrandizing their family, their families shall be diminished. Those who marry to promote the glory of God, their children shall be holy, and by them shall the true Church be increased.”
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Nevertheless, to avoid fornication; in the Greek it is, Because of fornications; the sense of which can be no other than this which our translators give. The word is in the plural number, to signify that that which he meaneth by this term, is all sorts of impurities and uncleannesses, which are the products of the lusts of the flesh. These are sins of that nature and species, that if we cannot choose what in respect of some circumstances would be more convenient, we must balk it, rather than run into such a guilt. The apostle doth therefore determine, that in this case it was every mans duty to marry, and every womans likewise; the reason of which must be, because God had ordained marriage as a means to bridle men, and restrain them from extravagant lusts.
His own wife, her own husband; a clear place against polygamy.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
2. Here the general rule isgiven
to avoidfornicationMore literally, “on account offornications,” to which as being very prevalent at Corinth,and not even counted sins among the heathen, unmarried persons mightbe tempted. The plural, “fornications,” marksirregular lusts, as contrasted with the unity of the marriagerelation [BENGEL].
let every man haveapositive command to all who have not the gift of continency, in factto the great majority of the world (1Co7:5). The dignity of marriage is set forth by Paul (Eph5:25-32), in the fact that it signifies the mystical unionbetween Christ and the Church.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Nevertheless, to avoid fornication,…. Or “fornications”; meaning either the frequent commission of that sin; or all sorts of uncleanness and pollution, which may be avoided by wedlock, and the proper use of the marriage bed, where the gift of continency is not bestowed: wherefore to prevent unlawful copulations, as of single persons with one another, or of a married person with a single one, the apostle advises, as being what is right and proper,
let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband; that is, let every man that has a wife enjoy her, and make use of her, and let every woman that has an husband, receive him into her embraces; for these words are not to be understood of unmarried persons entering into a marriage state, for the words suppose them in such a state, but of the proper use of the marriage bed; and teach us that marriage, and the use of it, are proper remedies against fornication; and that carnal copulation of a man with a woman ought only to be of husband and wife, or of persons in a married state; and that all other copulations are sinful; and that polygamy is unlawful; and that one man is to have but one wife, and to keep to her; and that one woman is to have but one husband, and to keep to him.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Because of fornications ( ). This is not the only reason for marriage, but it is a true one. The main purpose of marriage is children. Mutual love is another. The family is the basis of all civilization. Paul does not give a low view of marriage, but is merely answering questions put to him about life in Corinth.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
1) Nevertheless to avoid fornication. (dia de tas porneias) but because of (acts of or desires of) fornication. Fornication is a sin of physical sex impurity, Christians are to flee, Mat 5:32; Eph 5:3.
2) Let every man have his own wife. (he kastos ten heautou grenaika echeto) Let each man have or hold his own wife. Gen 2:24. This relates to satisfaction of each husbands physical sexual needs, by his own wife. See Pro 5:18-20; Mal 2:14-15.
3) And let every woman have her own husband. (kai hekaste tondiion andra echeto) and let each wife have or hold her own husband – For her sex satisfaction, in wedlock, Gen 3:16; Eph 5:22-24.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
2. But to avoid fornication He now commands, that those who are liable to the vice of incontinency should have recourse to the remedy. For though it may seem that the statement is universal, it ought, nevertheless, to be restricted to those who feel themselves urged by necessity. As to this, every one must judge for himself. Whatever difficulty, therefore, is perceived to be in marriage, let all that cannot resist the promptings of their flesh, know that this commandment has been enjoined upon them by the Lord. But it is asked — “Is this the only reason for entering into matrimony, that we may cure incontinency?” I answer, that this is not Paul’s meaning; for as for those that have the gift of abstinence from marriage, he leaves them at liberty, (371) while he commands others to provide against their infirmity by marrying. The sum is this — that the question is not as to the reasons for which marriage has been instituted, but as to the persons for whom it is necessary. For if we look to the first institution, it could not be a remedy for a disease which had as yet no existence, but was appointed for begetting offspring; but after the fall, this second purpose was added.
This passage is also opposed to ( τολυγαμία) polygamy For the Apostle desires that every woman have her own husband, intimating that the obligation is mutual. The man, therefore, who has once pledged his fidelity to a woman as his wife, must not separate from her, as is manifestly done in case of a second connection.
(371) “ Il laisse la liberte de se marier ou ne se marier point;” — “He gives liberty to marry or not marry.”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(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. Pauls view of the higher aspects of matrimony are fully set forth when he treats of that subject generally (2Co. 11:2; Rom. 7:4; Eph. 5:25-32).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
2. To avoid fornication The translators have inserted to avoid, as the italics show; but incorrectly. The Greek means, Nevertheless, on account of the fornications; that is, the prevalent licentiousnesses, as in Corinth.
Own wife A clear implication against polygamy. Indeed, through the whole chapter the Christian law of one with one is assumed. The present words of the apostle at once abolishes the ascetic view, which holds all sexual union as based in unholy corporeal matter to be unholy. Romish monasticism, which was really based in that view, is hereby invalidated from its very foundations. Stanley notes the different phrases of the apostle’s Greek for his own, , and her own, . The former Greek phrase is not, in the New Testament, interchangeable with the latter; intimating, apparently, a deep difference between the proprietorship of the husband from that of the wife.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
1Co 7:2 . In order, however, that offences in the way of fornication (see on this plural of the abstract, Khner, II. p. 28; Maetzn. a [1065] Lycurg. p. 144 f.) may be avoided in practice, the rule holds good: Let every man have [1066] a wife of his own (properly belonging to himself in marriage), etc. On , comp Winer, p. 372 [E. T. 497]. Rckert, de Wette, and Maier are wrong in maintaining that is permissive merely,
Rckert, indeed, making it so only to the extent of a man’s retaining his wife. The latter is disproved by 1Co 7:9-10 , and the former by the fact that the immediately following in 1Co 7:3 is not to be taken as permissive, any more than the which answers to in 1Co 7:9 . It is opposed, further, by the consideration that is a determining element of a moral kind, which must therefore necessarily lead not to a mere permissibility, but to a positive obligation (already noted by Erasmus). This injunction, however, is a moral rule, to which exceptions may occur from higher considerations in cases where no danger of fornication is apprehended and there is the “donum continentiae,” as Paul himself had shown by his own example, in which, nevertheless, no support whatever is given to any sort of celibacy enforced by law , a thing which, on the contrary, our text decidedly discountenances. Rckert thinks further that Paul exhibits here a very poor opinion of marriage; and Baur (in the theol. Jahrb. 1852, p. 15 ff.) has more fully developed this idea so as to assert that the apostle’s view of marriage is at variance with the moral conception of it which now prevails. [1068] Comp also Rothe, Ethik , III. p. 614. But can it be true, then, that he , who looked upon the union with Christ itself as the analogue of wedded life, valued marriage only as a “temperamentum continentiae”? No! what he does is this: out of all the different grounds on which marriage rested in his mind, he selects just that one which, in the first place, specially concerned his readers (remember the ), and in the second place, had peculiar weight in connection with the nearness of the Parousia. That approaching catastrophe might furnish him with sufficient reasons for leaving unmentioned those higher ends of marriage which reached forth into a more remote future, and confining himself to the immediate practical relations of the brief, momentous present. See 1Co 7:26 ff. Keeping in view the present , the near approach of the Lord, and the necessity, therefore, of an undivided surrender to Him, Paul had, under these given circumstances , recognised in the state of single life what in and by itself was , if only no fornication and heat were conjoined therewith . It is from this point of view, which was presented to him by the then existing condition of things (and hence without at all contradicting Gen 2:18 ), that the apostle handles the subject, discussing it accordingly in a special aspect and from one particular side, while the wider and higher moral relations of marriage lie beyond the limits of what he has now in hand.
Observe, further, how sharply and decisively the expression in 1Co 7:2 (comp Eph 5:22 ; Eph 5:25 ) excludes not only concubinage and sexual intercourse apart from marriage generally, but also all polygamy.
[1065] d refers to the note of the commentator or editor named on the particular passage.
[1066] This is nothing else but the simple habere (to possess); it does not mean intercourse in marriage , which ought to be continued (Kling, Heydenreich, following Cameron and Estius). Paul comes to that only in ver. 3.
[1068] Comp. in opposition to this, Ernesti, Ethik des Ap. Paulus , p. 115 f.
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
2 Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
Ver. 2. To avoid fornication ] Gr. , fornications, comprehending all lustful burnings, self-pollutions, and all other impurities of a single life. How many are there that enter into God’s ordinance (marriage) through the devil’s portal (fornication), that take such liberty before, that after marriage they rue it all the days of their lives.
Let every man have his own wife ] Not many wives. Turks may have as many as they can keep. And some sensualists plead now for polygamy. SeeMal 2:15Mal 2:15 . Scotorum natio uxores proprias non habet, saith Jerome of the old Scots. And too many among us are sick of a pleurisy. a
a
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
2 .] The former course is expedient would avoid much trouble’ in the flesh:’ but as a general rule it may not be , seeing that for a more weighty reason the contrary course is to be recommended. But on account of [the] fornications (the many instances of fornication current. The plur. of an abstract noun implies repetition, or varieties of the occurrence: so Herod. vii. 158, . : iii. 40, , see reff., and Khner, Gramm. ii. 28 ( 408, )) let each man possess her own wife, and let each woman possess his own husband . The is (1) not concessive , but imperative ; not ‘ habere liceat ,’ but ‘ habeto .’ So the other expressions, 1Co 7:9 , 1Co 7:11 , &c. (2) not here in the sense of ‘ utatur, eigue commisceatur ,’ as Estius, al., which does not come into consideration till the next verse. (3) not emphatic, let each retain , according to the mistaken idea mentioned on 1Co 7:1 , that he is speaking to the married , who though they are not to cohabit are yet to remain together .
Had either of the two latter senses been meant, the sentence would rather have stood . . . , . . . .
With regard to the assertion of Rckert, that the Apostle here gives a very low estimate of marriage, as solely a remedy against fornication, the true answer is, that Paul does not either here, or in this chapter at all, give any estimate of marriage in the abstract. His estimate, when he does , is to be found Eph 5:25-32 .
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
1Co 7:2 a single life is good in itself, “but” is not generally expedient at Cor [1001] , “because of the (prevalent) fornications” (the unusual pl [1002] indicating the variety and extent of profligacy: cf. 2Co 12:21 ); for this reason marriage, as a rule, is advisable here. It must be Christian marriage, as opposed to heathen libertinism and Jewish polygamy: “let each (man) have his own wife, and each (woman) her proper husband”. The pr [1003] impv [1004] , ( sc. directive , not permissive), signifies “have and keep to” ( cf. 2Ti 1:13 ), The variation . distinguishes the husband as head and principal (1Co 11:3 ); “if this passage stood alone, it would be unsafe to build upon it, but this diff [1005] of expression pervades the whole of the Epp.” (Lt [1006] : cf. 1Co 14:35 ; Eph 5:22 , etc.; Tit 2:5 ; 1Pe 3:1 ; 1Pe 3:5 ). Throughout the passage there is a careful balancing of the terms relating to man and wife, bringing out the equality of the Christian law. P. does not lay down here the ground of marriage, as though it were “ordained for a remedy against sin,” but gives a special reason why those should marry at Cor [1007] who might otherwise have remained single: see note on , 1Co 7:1 .
[1001] Corinth, Corinthian or Corinthians.
[1002] plural.
[1003] present tense.
[1004] imperative mood.
[1005] difference, different, differently.
[1006] J. B. Lightfoot’s (posthumous) Notes on Epp. of St. Paul (1895).
[1007] Corinth, Corinthian or Corinthians.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Nevertheless = But.
to avoid = on account of. App-104. 1Co 7:2.
every = each.
husband. App-123.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
2.] The former course is expedient-would avoid much trouble in the flesh: but as a general rule it may not be, seeing that for a more weighty reason the contrary course is to be recommended. But on account of [the] fornications (the many instances of fornication current. The plur. of an abstract noun implies repetition, or varieties of the occurrence: so Herod. vii. 158, . : iii. 40, , see reff., and Khner, Gramm. ii. 28 ( 408, )) let each man possess her own wife, and let each woman possess his own husband. The is (1) not concessive, but imperative; not habere liceat, but habeto. So the other expressions, 1Co 7:9, 1Co 7:11, &c. (2) not here in the sense of utatur, eigue commisceatur, as Estius, al., which does not come into consideration till the next verse. (3) not emphatic, let each retain, according to the mistaken idea mentioned on 1Co 7:1, that he is speaking to the married, who though they are not to cohabit are yet to remain together.
Had either of the two latter senses been meant, the sentence would rather have stood . . . , . . . .
With regard to the assertion of Rckert, that the Apostle here gives a very low estimate of marriage, as solely a remedy against fornication, the true answer is, that Paul does not either here, or in this chapter at all, give any estimate of marriage in the abstract. His estimate, when he does, is to be found Eph 5:25-32.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
1Co 7:2. , on account of) comp. the for, 1Co 7:5.- , fornications) constantly practised at Corinth [and not even considered to be sins by the heathens, and especially by the Greeks.-V.g.], to which unmarried persons might be easily allured. The plural denotes irregular lusts, and is on that account more opposed to the unity of the marriage relation [wherein there is but one consort].- , his own) the same as , her own, which immediately after occurs. The same variation occurs in Eph 5:22-23. , his own, indicates the rights of the husband. Both words exclude all community, in which polygamy consists, comp. 1Co 7:4. Now the reason, why a man should have a wife, is the same as that, for which he should retain her, namely, to avoid fornication. Hence also concubinage is refuted, for a concubine is either a wife or she is not; if she is not, there is sin, if she is, then she ought to continue, 1Co 7:10-11.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
1Co 7:2
1Co 7:2
But, because of fornications, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.-Recognizing that but few men can be continent and that the lusts with men and women are strong and liable to lead to sin, he tells them the best way to avoid sin is for every man to have his own wife and every woman to have her own husband. He recognizes that both men and women are liable to be led into sin by the strength of lusts. They are both restricted to one companion.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
to avoid: 1Co 7:9, 1Co 6:18, Pro 5:18, Pro 5:19, 1Ti 4:3
let: Pro 18:22, Pro 19:14, Mal 2:14, Eph 5:28, Eph 5:33
Reciprocal: Gen 2:24 – and they shall be one flesh Gen 26:34 – the daughter Jdg 21:14 – sufficed them not Jdg 21:22 – each man Pro 5:15 – General Mal 2:15 – did Mat 19:5 – and they Mat 19:10 – General Mat 19:11 – General Luk 20:34 – marry Act 15:20 – fornication 1Co 7:35 – not 1Co 7:38 – doeth well 1Th 4:3 – that Heb 13:4 – Marriage Rev 2:14 – to commit
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1Co 7:2. Nevertheless. See the paragraph at the beginning of the chapter, about when the advice against marriage was to be discarded.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
1Co 7:2. But, because of fornicationsof the prevalence of this sin, and the temptations to it in a vicious community.
let each man have his own wife, and each woman her own husbandthe designed and normal condition of the sexes.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
As if the apostle had said, “Such are the inclinations of human nature, that every man cannot always do that which is most for his own quiet and ease, but men find the strength of lust and the power of concupiscence so strong in themselves, that marriage, which is God’s ordinance for avoiding fornication, and for the propagation of mankind, is of absolute necessity to some persons; therefore for avoiding fornication, and all sorts of uncleanness, (which was so common at Corinth) let every man retain his own wife, and every woman her own husband.”
Here observe, 1. The apostle’s expression: he says, Quisque et quaeque, not quidam et quaedam; let every man and every woman marry, not some men and some women only; he excepts none, neither priest nor nun, but every one is here permitted, yea, for avoiding fornication, commanded, to marry.
Observe farther, How the apostle directs every man to have his own wife, and every woman her own husband: more than one is forbidden; and polygamy, or the sin of having either more wives or more husbands at a time than one, is here condemned. To bridle and restrain men’s extravagant lusts, the wisdom of God has directed every man to enjoy his own wife, and every woman her own husband.
Let the church of Rome consider how she will answer at the bar of God, for spitting in the face of this ordinance of God, for denying the lawfulness of marriage to her priests and nuns, when God has told her, that marriage is honourable in all, and that all unclean persons God will judge; Heb 13:4 and such too often have their priests and nuns been one with another.
Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament
But, because of fornications, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. [Paul does not discourage marriage, much less forbid it (1Ti 4:3; Heb 13:4). Moreover, while he begins by counseling the Corinthians to abstain from it under their present conditions (1Co 7:26), he tempers and practically countermands his counsel because of the prevalent licentiousness in Corinth, against which matrimony, being man’s normal state, was a great safeguard.]
Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)
2. But on account of fornication let each man have his own wife and each woman her own husband.
Fuente: William Godbey’s Commentary on the New Testament
This verse probably begins Paul’s extended correction of the Corinthians’ view of marriage. He proceeded to urge them strongly that the type of abstinence that they were arguing for within marriage was totally wrong. Notice the three sets of balanced pairs in this verse and in the two that follow. In this verse Paul urged married couples to have sexual relations with one another because of the prevalence of temptations to satisfy sexual desire inappropriately. "Having" one’s spouse was a common euphemism in non-biblical Greek for having that person sexually. [Note: Keener, p. 62.]
The view of 1Co 7:1 that understands Paul to be saying that it is better to avoid marrying sees Paul making a concession to that statement here. Those who hold this view believe that Paul was saying that it is better to marry since many single people cannot live in the single state without eventually committing "immoralities" (fornication, Gr. porneias). This is obviously not the only reason to marry (cf. Gen 2:18-24), but it appears to have been an important consideration in Corinth where temptations to fornicate abounded. As noted above, I do not favor this interpretation. Another unappealing interpretation is as follows.
"This [i.e., "each . . . each"] forbids polygamy, which was advocated by some Jewish teachers." [Note: Robertson and Plummer, p. 133.]