1 Corinthians 7:2
Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
Original Language Analysis
διὰ
Nevertheless
G1223
διὰ
Nevertheless
Strong's:
G1223
Word #:
1 of 15
through (in very wide applications, local, causal, or occasional)
τὰς
G3588
τὰς
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
3 of 15
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
πορνείας
to avoid fornication
G4202
πορνείας
to avoid fornication
Strong's:
G4202
Word #:
4 of 15
harlotry (including adultery and incest); figuratively, idolatry
τὴν
G3588
τὴν
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
6 of 15
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
ἑαυτοῦ
his own
G1438
ἑαυτοῦ
his own
Strong's:
G1438
Word #:
7 of 15
(him- her-, it-, them-, my-, thy-, our-, your-)self (selves), etc
ἐχέτω
have
G2192
ἐχέτω
have
Strong's:
G2192
Word #:
9 of 15
to hold (used in very various applications, literally or figuratively, direct or remote; such as possession; ability, contiuity, relation, or conditio
καὶ
and
G2532
καὶ
and
Strong's:
G2532
Word #:
10 of 15
and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words
τὸν
G3588
τὸν
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
12 of 15
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
ἴδιον
her own
G2398
ἴδιον
her own
Strong's:
G2398
Word #:
13 of 15
pertaining to self, i.e., one's own; by implication, private or separate
Cross References
Ephesians 5:28So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.Ephesians 5:33Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.1 Corinthians 7:9But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.Proverbs 18:22Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD.1 Corinthians 6:18Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.Proverbs 19:14House and riches are the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife is from the LORD.1 Timothy 4:3Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.Malachi 2:14Yet 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.
Historical Context
Corinth was notorious for sexual immorality, with temple prostitution at the Aphrodite shrine and a culture that celebrated extramarital sexuality. Against this backdrop, Paul affirms that Christian marriage involves exclusive, mutual sexual faithfulness—a countercultural message in both pagan and ascetic contexts.
Questions for Reflection
- How does Paul's teaching challenge both permissiveness and prudishness about sexuality within marriage?
- What does it mean that marriage is God's design for sexual expression rather than a "necessary evil"?
- How should the church discuss sexuality in ways that honor both the goodness of marriage and the calling to singleness?
Analysis & Commentary
Nevertheless, to avoid fornication (porneia, πορνεία)—Paul's first qualification acknowledges sexual temptation as a reality. The phrase let every man have his own wife uses heautou (ἑαυτοῦ, "his own"), emphasizing exclusive monogamy against Corinth's sexually permissive culture. This is not a low view of marriage as merely preventing sin, but a realistic acknowledgment of human sexuality.
Marriage provides the God-ordained context for sexual fulfillment. Paul's pastoral wisdom recognizes that while singleness offers advantages for ministry (vv. 32-35), attempting celibacy without the corresponding gift (charisma, v. 7) leads to sexual sin. The imperative echétō (ἐχέτω, "let him have") indicates marriage is not merely permitted but positively commanded for those burning with desire (v. 9).
This verse counters both the Corinthian ascetics who disparaged marriage and any notion that sexual desire itself is sinful. God created human sexuality, and marriage is His provision for its expression—neither a concession to weakness nor a second-class calling.