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OET (OET-LV) For/Because how you_have_known, wife, whether the husband you_will_be_saving?
Or how you_have_known, husband, if the wife you_will_be_saving?
OET (OET-RV) You see, how do you know, woman, whether you will cause your husband to be saved? Or how do you know, man, whether you will cause your wife to be saved?
In an earlier letter to Paul, the Corinthians had mentioned some problems and asked him some questions. There are no longer any copies of this letter, so we can only guess what they wrote by reading Paul’s answers. Apparently some of the questions the Corinthians had asked were about marriage and sex. In this section Paul discussed these topics. He wrote about sexual intercourse, divorce, marrying again after a person’s husband or wife dies, and never marrying.
From the way Paul talked, it appears that the Corinthians were thinking that if believers want to be holy, they should abstain from sexual relations. The Corinthians were wondering if married people should sleep together, if Christians who were married to non-Christians should divorce them, and if Christians should get married. Paul gave them some wise teaching on each of these topics. In 7:1–16 he addressed Christians who were married. In 7:17–24 he wrote about his general rule for Christians: Remain as you are. In 7:25–38 he taught Christians who were not married. In 7:39–40 he addressed women whose husbands had died.
Other possible section headings include:
Paul gave/wrote instructions about Christian marriage
Paul’s teaching on marriage
Paul now discussed the case of believers married to unbelievers. Paul had first preached the gospel in Corinth only three or four years before he wrote this letter. So most believers in Corinth had only been believers for a few years. Some men had become believers but their wives had not. And some women had become believers but their husbands had not. Apparently some people in Corinth were wondering whether Christians should remain married to unbelievers. Paul’s answer was that the believer is not to ask for a divorce. But if the unbelieving husband or wife chooses to leave, the believer need not think he or she has to stay married to that person.
This verse connects to the previous verse with a conjunction that the KJV translates as “For.” This conjunction indicates that this verse gives a reason for living in peace.
How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?: In the first of these questions, Paul addressed Christian women who are married to men who are not Christians. In the second question, he addressed Christian men who are married to women who are not Christians. These are both rhetorical questions. There are two ways to understand these questions:
Paul was speaking in a hopeful way: “Who knows? Perhaps you, believer, will cause your spouse to become a believer.” For example:
Wife, you don’t know; maybe you will save your husband. And husband, you don’t know; maybe you will save your wife. (NCV) (NLT, NRSV, GNT, NCV, REB)
Paul was speaking in a pessimistic or discouraging way: “Who knows? Perhaps you will never cause your husband/wife to become a believer.” For example:
how do you know if you will be able to save your husband or wife? (CEV)
The BSB, NET, NASB, KJV, NIV, NJB, RSV, ESV, and GW are ambiguous. It is recommended that you translate this in an ambiguous, open-ended way so that either answer is possible. If that is not possible, it is recommended that you follow interpretation (1).
How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband?
Wives, do you(sing) know if you will bring/lead your husband to salvation? No, you do not know.
You(plur) Christian wives may cause your non-Christian husbands to become Christians. You do not know what will happen.
I ask you believing wives: Will your(sing) husband follow Christ because of you? Perhaps/Possibly.
How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband?: The Greek word that the BSB translates as save in this context means “help/lead someone to receive salvation.” Paul meant that the woman might help her husband to believe in Jesus so that God would save him. (Paul uses the word save in this same way in 1 Corinthians 9:22 and Romans 11:14.)
This is a rhetorical question. It indicates that a believing wife does not know whether or not she will be able to help her husband to believe in Jesus and be saved. There are two ways to translate this question:
as a rhetorical question, possibly with an answer supplied. For example:
as a wife, how can you tell whether you are to be the salvation of your husband…? (NJB)
as a statement. For example:
You do not know—perhaps you will save your husband.
Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?
And husbands, do you know if you will bring/lead your wife to salvation? No, you do not know.
In the same way, perhaps you Christian husbands will help your wives to believe in the Lord as you do.
This is true for you also, you believing husbands: Perhaps your wife will follow Christ also because of you.
Or: The Greek conjunction that the BSB translates as Or here introduces a second rhetorical question, this time addressed to the believing husband. In some languages it may be natural to follow the RSV and not translate this conjunction explicitly.
how do you know, husband…?: Consider whether it is natural to translate this question using exactly the same phrasing as the question in the previous verse part, or whether some variation is natural and desirable. The meaning should be the same. Neither the believing husband nor the believing wife can know if they will be able to save their unbelieving spouse.
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / yousingular
οἶδας & τὸν ἄνδρα σώσεις & οἶδας & τὴν γυναῖκα σώσεις
˱you˲_˓have˒_known & (Some words not found in SR-GNT: τί Γάρ οἶδας γύναι εἰ τόν ἄνδρα σώσεις Ἤ τί οἶδας ἄνερ εἰ τήν γυναῖκα σώσεις)
Here Paul addresses each individual woman within the Corinthian church. Because of this, you in this verse is always singular.
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion
τί & οἶδας, γύναι, εἰ τὸν ἄνδρα σώσεις? ἢ τί οἶδας, ἄνερ, εἰ τὴν γυναῖκα σώσεις?
how & ˱you˲_˓have˒_known wife whether how & (Some words not found in SR-GNT: τί Γάρ οἶδας γύναι εἰ τόν ἄνδρα σώσεις Ἤ τί οἶδας ἄνερ εἰ τήν γυναῖκα σώσεις)
Paul does not ask these questions because he is looking for information. Rather, he asks them to involve the Corinthians in what he is arguing. The questions assume that the answer is “we do not know for sure.” If these questions would be confusing for your readers, you could express the ideas by using statements. Paul could be using these questions to show the Corinthians that: (1) they should have little confidence about unbelieving spouses becoming Christians. The questions thus support how Paul allows divorces initiated by an unbelieving spouse in [7:15](../07/15.md). Alternate translation: [you cannot know, woman, that you will save the husband. And you cannot know, man, that you will save the wife.] (2) show the Corinthians that they should have much confidence about unbelieving spouses becoming Christians. The questions thus support how Paul says that the unbelieving spouse is “holy” in [7:14](../07/14.md). Alternate translation: [you could not know, woman, but you may save the husband. And you could not know, man, but you may save the wife.]
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / infostructure
τί γὰρ οἶδας, γύναι, εἰ & τί οἶδας, ἄνερ, εἰ
how how (Some words not found in SR-GNT: τί Γάρ οἶδας γύναι εἰ τόν ἄνδρα σώσεις Ἤ τί οἶδας ἄνερ εἰ τήν γυναῖκα σώσεις)
Here, the words woman and man are direct addresses to people in the audience. If your language would put these words somewhere else in the sentence, you could move them to where they sound natural. Alternate translation: [For woman, how do you know whether … man, how do you know whether]
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun
τί & οἶδας, γύναι, εἰ τὸν ἄνδρα σώσεις? ἢ τί οἶδας, ἄνερ, εἰ τὴν γυναῖκα σώσεις?
how & ˱you˲_˓have˒_known wife whether how & (Some words not found in SR-GNT: τί Γάρ οἶδας γύναι εἰ τόν ἄνδρα σώσεις Ἤ τί οἶδας ἄνερ εἰ τήν γυναῖκα σώσεις)
Paul directly addresses a woman and a man in the audience. The Corinthians would have understood him to mean a woman or man in their group who was married to an unbelieving spouse. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express woman or man by stating the direct address in a different way. Alternate translation: [how does any woman know whether she will save the husband? Or how does any man know whether he will save the wife?]
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun
γύναι & τὸν ἄνδρα & ἄνερ & τὴν γυναῖκα
wife & (Some words not found in SR-GNT: τί Γάρ οἶδας γύναι εἰ τόν ἄνδρα σώσεις Ἤ τί οἶδας ἄνερ εἰ τήν γυναῖκα σώσεις)
Here Paul refers to woman, husband, man, and wife in the singular, but he is speaking generically of any person who fits into these categories. If your language does not use the singular form to refer to people in general, you can use a form that does refer generically to people in your language. Alternate translation: [each of you women … your husband … each of you men … your wife]
Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy
(Occurrence -1) σώσεις
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: τί Γάρ οἶδας γύναι εἰ τόν ἄνδρα σώσεις Ἤ τί οἶδας ἄνερ εἰ τήν γυναῖκα σώσεις)
Here Paul speaks of husbands or wives leading their spouses to faith in Jesus as “saving” them. By this, Paul means that the woman or man is the means by which God will save the husband or wife. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express you will save with a word or phrase that refers to leading someone towards “salvation,” that is, helping them to believe in Jesus. Alternate translation: [God will use you to save … God will use you to save]
OET (OET-LV) For/Because how you_have_known, wife, whether the husband you_will_be_saving?
Or how you_have_known, husband, if the wife you_will_be_saving?
OET (OET-RV) You see, how do you know, woman, whether you will cause your husband to be saved? Or how do you know, man, whether you will cause your wife to be saved?
Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.
Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.
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