1 Corinthians 7:3
Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.
Original Language Analysis
τῇ
G3588
τῇ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
1 of 15
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
ὁ
G3588
ὁ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
3 of 15
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
τὴν
G3588
τὴν
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
5 of 15
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
ὀφειλομένην
due
G3784
ὀφειλομένην
due
Strong's:
G3784
Word #:
6 of 15
to owe (pecuniarily); figuratively, to be under obligation (ought, must, should); morally, to fail in duty
ἀποδιδότω
Let
G591
ἀποδιδότω
Let
Strong's:
G591
Word #:
8 of 15
to give away, i.e., up, over, back, etc. (in various applications)
καὶ
also
G2532
καὶ
also
Strong's:
G2532
Word #:
11 of 15
and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words
ἡ
G3588
ἡ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
12 of 15
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
Cross References
1 Peter 3:7Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.Exodus 21:10If he take him another wife; her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish.
Historical Context
In Greco-Roman marriage, wives were expected to submit to husbands' sexual demands, while men frequently sought gratification elsewhere with concubines, prostitutes, or slaves. Jewish teaching emphasized the husband's obligation to provide intimacy, but Paul's insistence on complete reciprocity was groundbreaking.
Questions for Reflection
- How does Paul's emphasis on mutual obligation challenge selfish or one-sided views of marital intimacy?
- What does it mean to approach conjugal relations with "benevolence" and generosity rather than mere duty?
- How does this verse's reciprocity reflect the equality and mutual submission inherent in Christian marriage?
Analysis & Commentary
Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence—the term opheilēn (ὀφειλήν, "what is due") indicates conjugal rights as a marital obligation, not optional affection. Paul uses reciprocal language: and likewise also the wife unto the husband, establishing complete mutuality in sexual relations—revolutionary in a patriarchal culture.
The phrase tēn opheilēn refers specifically to sexual intimacy, which Paul frames as a duty of love rather than selfish demand. This "due benevolence" (eunoia in some manuscripts, meaning "goodwill") emphasizes that marital sexuality involves generous giving, not mere obligation. Both spouses are to actively pursue the other's satisfaction.
Paul's teaching radically elevates the wife's rights, countering cultural assumptions of male dominance in sexual matters. Neither spouse may unilaterally withhold sexual intimacy, which would defraud the other (v. 5). This mutuality reflects the one-flesh union of Genesis 2:24 and anticipates Ephesians 5's picture of marriage mirroring Christ and the church.