1 COR 7:12 Parallel Verse View

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Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, orange:accusative/object, pink:genitive/possessor, cyan:dative/indirect object, red:negative.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT But to the rest I say—I, not the Lord—if any brother has an unbelieving wife, and she agrees to live with him, let him not divorce her.

UST Now to the rest of you who have a spouse who is not a believer, the Lord did not speak about this, so I am speaking what I myself command. Some fellow believers have unbelieving wives, and the wives may wish to stay with their believing husbands. In this situation, the husbands should stay with their wives.

BSB To the rest I say this ([I,] not the Lord): If a brother has an unbelieving wife and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her.

MSB To the rest I say this ([I,] not the Lord): If a brother has an unbelieving wife and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her.

BLB Now to the rest I say (I, not the Lord): If any brother has an unbelieving wife and she consents to dwell with him, let him not divorce her.

AICNT To the rest I say (I, not the Lord): if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, if she is willing to live with him, let him not send her away.

OEB To all others I say – I, not the Master – If a follower of the Lord is married to a woman, who is an unbeliever but willing to live with him, he should not divorce her;

WEBBE But to the rest I—not the Lord—say, if any brother has an unbelieving wife, and she is content to live with him, let him not leave her.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET To the rest I say – I, not the Lord – if a brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is happy to live with him, he should not divorce her.

LSV And to the rest I speak—not the LORD—if any brother has an unbelieving wife, and she is pleased to dwell with him, do not let him send her away;

FBV Now, to the rest of you, (and this is me speaking, not the Lord), I would say, “If a Christian man has a non-Christian wife and she is willing to stay with him, he should not leave her.

TCNT Now to the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has an unbelieving wife, and she consents to dwell with him, he must not divorce her.

T4T Now I say this to the rest of you, to those who became believers after they were married. This is what I am saying, not what the Lord has commanded. If someone has a wife who is not a believer, if she is willing to keep living with him, he must not divorce her.

LEB Now to the rest I say—not the Lord—if any brother has an unbelieving wife and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her.

BBE But to the rest I say, and not the Lord; If a brother has a wife who is not a Christian, and it is her desire to go on living with him, let him not go away from her.

Moff To other people I would say (not the Lord):--
⇔ if any brother has a wife who is not a believer,
⇔ and if she consents to live with him,
⇔ he must not put her away;

Wymth To the rest it is I who speak—not the Lord. If a brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, let him not send her away.

ASV But to the rest say I, not the Lord: If any brother hath an unbelieving wife, and she is content to dwell with him, let him not leave her.

DRA For to the rest I speak, not the Lord. If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she consent to dwell with him, let him not put her away.

YLT And to the rest I speak — not the Lord — if any brother hath a wife unbelieving, and she is pleased to dwell with him, let him not send her away;

Drby But as to the rest, I say, not the Lord, If any brother have an unbelieving wife, and she consent to dwell with him, let him not leave her.

RV But to the rest say I, not the Lord: If any brother hath an unbelieving wife, and she is content to dwell with him, let him not leave her.
(But to the rest say I, not the Lord: If any brother hath/has an unbelieving wife, and she is content to dwell with him, let him not leave her. )

SLT And to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother have an unbelieving wife, and she assents to dwell with him, let him not send her away.

Wbstr But to the rest I speak, not the Lord, if any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she is pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away.

KJB-1769 But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away.
(But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath/has a wife that believeth/believes not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away. )

KJB-1611 But to the rest speake I, not the Lord, If any brother hath a wife that beleeueth not, and shee bee pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation)

Bshps But to the renmaunt speake I, not the Lorde: If any brother haue a wife that beleueth not, if she be content to dwell with him, let him not put her away.
(But to the renmaunt speak I, not the Lord: If any brother have a wife that believeth/believes not, if she be content to dwell with him, let him not put her away.)

Gnva But to ye remnant I speake, and not ye Lord, If any brother haue a wife, ye beleeueth not, if she be content to dwell with him, let him not forsake her.
(But to ye/you_all remnant I speak, and not ye/you_all Lord, If any brother have a wife, ye/you_all believeth/believes not, if she be content to dwell with him, let him not forsake her. )

Cvdl As for the other, vnto the saye I, not ye LORDE: Yf eny brother haue an vnbeleuynge wife, and she is content to dwell with him, let him not put hir awaye.
(As for the other, unto the say I, not ye/you_all LORD: If any brother have an unbelieving wife, and she is content to dwell with him, let him not put her away.)

TNT To the remnaunt speake I and not the lorde. Yf eny brother have a wyfe that beleveth not yf she be content to dwell with him let him not put her awaye.
(To the remnant speak I and not the lorde. If any brother have a wife that believeth not if she be content to dwell with him let him not put her away. )

Wycl But to othere Y seie, not the Lord. If ony brother hath an vnfeithful wijf, and sche consenteth to dwelle with hym, leeue he hir not.
(But to other I say, not the Lord. If any brother hath/has an unfaithful wife, and she consenteth to dwell with him, leave he her not.)

Luth Den andern aber sage ich, nicht der HErr: So ein Bruder ein ungläubig Weib hat, und dieselbige läßt es sich gefallen, bei ihm zu wohnen, der scheide sich nicht von ihr.
(The change but said I, not the/of_the LORD: So a brother a ungläubig woman has, and the_same lets it itself/yourself/themselves fallen, at/in him to/for live/reside, the/of_the scheide itself/yourself/themselves not from you(pl)/their/her.)

ClVg Nam ceteris ego dico, non Dominus. Si quis frater uxorem habet infidelem, et hæc consentit habitare cum illo, non dimittat illam.[fn]
(For/Surely to_others I I_mean/say, not/no Master. When/But_if who/any brother wife has infidelem, and these_things consentit to_live when/with that/there, not/no dimittat her. )

7.12 Nam cæteris. Ubi uterque fidelis hoc præceptum Domini dedit Apostolus. Nam cæteris ubi non est uterque fidelis (quod in initio Ecclesiæ contigit, cum Evangelium prædicari cœpit), ego dico, etc. Si quis frater, etc. Idololatria et quælibet noxia superstitio fornicatio est, et Dominus causa fornicationis quidem permisit uxorem dimitti, sed non jussit, et sic dedit locum Apostolo monendi, ut qui voluerit, non dimittat infidelem, quo forsan possit fieri fidelis.

7.12 For/Surely the_rests. Where both faithful this precept/rule Master he_gave Apostolus. For/Surely the_rests where not/no it_is both faithful (that in/into/on at_first/in_the_beginning Assemblies/Churches contigit, when/with the_Gospel to_preach he_began), I I_mean/say, etc. When/But_if who/any brother, etc. Idololatria and whichlibet night/darknessia superstitio fornication it_is, and Master cause fornicationis indeed allowed wife dimitti, but not/no ordered, and so he_gave place Apostolo monendi, as who/which wanted, not/no dimittat infidelem, where perhaps/possibly can to_be_done faithful.

UGNT τοῖς δὲ λοιποῖς λέγω (ἐγώ, οὐχ ὁ Κύριος), εἴ τις ἀδελφὸς γυναῖκα ἔχει ἄπιστον, καὶ αὕτη συνευδοκεῖ οἰκεῖν μετ’ αὐτοῦ, μὴ ἀφιέτω αὐτήν.
(tois de loipois legō (egō, ouⱪ ho Kurios), ei tis adelfos gunaika eⱪei apiston, kai hautaʸ suneudokei oikein met’ autou, maʸ afietō autaʸn.)

SBL-GNT Τοῖς δὲ λοιποῖς ⸂λέγω ἐγώ⸃, οὐχ ὁ κύριος· εἴ τις ἀδελφὸς γυναῖκα ἔχει ἄπιστον, καὶ αὕτη συνευδοκεῖ οἰκεῖν μετʼ αὐτοῦ, μὴ ἀφιέτω αὐτήν·
(Tois de loipois ⸂legō egō⸃, ouⱪ ho kurios; ei tis adelfos gunaika eⱪei apiston, kai hautaʸ suneudokei oikein metʼ autou, maʸ afietō autaʸn;)

RP-GNT Τοῖς δὲ λοιποῖς ἐγὼ λέγω, οὐχ ὁ κύριος· εἴ τις ἀδελφὸς γυναῖκα ἔχει ἄπιστον, καὶ αὐτὴ συνευδοκεῖ οἰκεῖν μετ' αὐτοῦ, μὴ ἀφιέτω αὐτήν.
(Tois de loipois egō legō, ouⱪ ho kurios; ei tis adelfos gunaika eⱪei apiston, kai autaʸ suneudokei oikein met' autou, maʸ afietō autaʸn.)

TC-GNT Τοῖς δὲ λοιποῖς [fn]ἐγὼ λέγω, οὐχ ὁ Κύριος· εἴ τις ἀδελφὸς γυναῖκα ἔχει ἄπιστον, καὶ [fn]αὐτὴ συνευδοκεῖ οἰκεῖν μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ, μὴ ἀφιέτω αὐτήν.
(Tois de loipois egō legō, ouⱪ ho Kurios; ei tis adelfos gunaika eⱪei apiston, kai autaʸ suneudokei oikein meta autou, maʸ afietō autaʸn. )

7:12 εγω λεγω ¦ λεγω εγω CT

7:12 αὐτὴ ¦ αὕτη CT

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs, red:words differ (from our SR-GNT base).

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 7:1–40: Paul answered questions about marriage

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

Paragraph 7:12–16

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.

7:12a

To the rest I say this

¶ Now I am talking to you other believers who are married to people who are not believers.

To the rest I say this: Paul was now beginning to talk to married believers who had unbelieving partners. Other ways to translate this include:

For all the others I say this (NCV)

I…say to the rest of you (GW)

7:12b

(I, not the Lord):

This command is from me, not from the Lord Jesus.
Since the Lord Jesus did not tell us if we should stay married to unbelievers or not, I will tell you what I think is the right thing for you to do.
The Lord Jesus did not give us any command/teaching about this, but I will give you my teaching/command.
These are my own teachings/instructions to you. The Lord Jesus did not say anything on this topic.

(I, not the Lord): This verse part indicates that the Lord Jesus had given no specific commands about what believers should do when married to unbelievers. Paul himself was giving this command. The BSB has placed these words in parentheses, but it is not necessary to do this. Other ways to translate this include:

as my own word, not as the Lord’s (REB)

I am saying this, not the Lord (NCV)

General Comment on 7:12a-b

In some languages it may be natural to combine these verse parts. For example:

I (not the Lord) say to the rest of you (GW)

I will speak to the rest of you, though I do not have a direct command from the Lord. (NLT)

7:12c

If a brother has an unbelieving wife

If a Christian man is married to a woman who does not believe in Jesus Christ,
Suppose/Perhaps a follower of Christ has a wife who is not a follower,
Some of you Christian men have wives who are not believers.

If a brother has an unbelieving wife: The word brother here means a Christian man. Paul used the singular, a brother, but he did not mean that there was only one Christian man who had an unbelieving wife. So in some languages it will be more natural to use the plural:

If there are Christian men…

Paul knew that there were some husbands among the believers in Corinth who had wives who were not believers. The word If does not mean that Paul was unsure or doubtful.This is a present real conditional clause which presents a fact which is true. See Appendix 1, part 1 (a). In some languages it may be better to translate this as a fact. For example:

Some of you believing men have wives who are not believers.

As for you believers whose wives are not believers….

7:12d

and she is willing to live with him,

and she does not want to leave him,
and she wants to continue being his wife.
If your wife is willing to live with you,

she is willing to live with him: This refers to a situation in which an unbelieving wife was content to remain with her husband after he became a Christian.

7:12e

he must not divorce her.

then he should not send her away.
Then tell him that he should not divorce her.
then do not divorce/leave her.

he must not divorce her: Paul now told a believing husband what to do when his unbelieving wife said she was willing to go on living with him. Paul told the believing husband not to divorce his wife.

divorce: This is the same Greek word as in 7:11c. See the note there.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-contrast

ἐγώ, οὐχ ὁ Κύριος

I not the Lord

Here, I, not the Lord is the opposite of what Paul said in [7:10](../07/10.md). Paul wishes to clarify that he is the authority behind this command. Of course, the Lord made him an apostle and gave him authority, but he wants the Corinthians to know that he is speaking out of that authority here, and he is not referring to what the Lord said while he was on earth. If it would be helpful in your language, you could translate I, not the Lord either by identifying that it is Paul alone who gives the command, or by clarifying that the Lord did not say anything about this topic. Alternate translation: [I alone] or [on my own authority, since the Lord did not speak about this topic]

Note 2 topic: grammar-connect-condition-hypothetical

εἴ τις ἀδελφὸς γυναῖκα ἔχει ἄπιστον, καὶ αὕτη συνευδοκεῖ οἰκεῖν μετ’ αὐτοῦ, μὴ ἀφιέτω

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: τοῖς Δέ λοιποῖς λέγω ἐγώ οὐχ ὁ Κύριος εἰ τὶς ἀδελφός γυναῖκα ἔχει ἄπιστον καί αὕτη συνευδοκεῖ οἰκεῖν μετʼ αὐτοῦ μή ἀφιέτω αὐτήν)

Here Paul uses if to introduce a true possibility. He means that a brother might have an unbelieving wife, and she might agree to live with him, or this situation might not happen. He then specifies the result if this situation does happen. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this form by stating the if statement by introducing it with a word such as “whenever” or by using a relative clause. Alternate translation: [but let any brother who has an unbelieving wife who agrees to live with him not divorce]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

οἰκεῖν μετ’ αὐτοῦ

˓to_be˒_dwelling with him

Here, to live with him refers to staying married. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express to live with him with a comparable idiom that refers to staying married. Alternate translation: [to stay with him] or [to remain married to him]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / imperative3p

μὴ ἀφιέτω αὐτήν

Here Paul uses a third-person imperative. If you have third-person imperatives in your language, you could use one here. If you do not have third-person imperatives, you could express the idea using a word such as “must” or “should.” Alternate translation: [he must not divorce her]

Parallel 1 COR 7:12