1 Corinthians 7:3
A focused desk for reading, commentary, cross-references, original language notes, and your own observations.
1 Corinthians 7:3
3 Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.
Chapter Context
1 Corinthians 7 is a pastoral epistle chapter in the New Testament that explores themes of discipleship, redemption, prayer. Written during Paul's third missionary journey (c. 55 CE), this chapter should be understood within its historical context: The church existed in a prosperous, cosmopolitan, morally permissive Roman colony.
The chapter can be divided into several sections:
- Verses 1-5: Introduction and setting the context
- Verses 6-12: Development of key themes
- Verses 13-20: Central message and teachings
- Verses 21-40: Conclusion and application
This chapter is significant because it reveals key aspects of God's character through divine actions and declarations. When studying this passage, it's important to consider both its immediate context within 1 Corinthians and its broader place in the scriptural canon.
Verse Study
1 Corinthians 7:3
3 Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.
Analysis
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.
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.
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?
Cross-References
- Parallel theme: Exodus 21:10, 1 Peter 3:7