1 COR 7:8 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

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

7:8 This is intentionally left ambiguous because we can’t be certain what Paul meant here.

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, cyan:dative/indirect object.
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 Now to the unmarried and to the widows I say that it is good if they remain as I also am.

UST Here I am speaking to people who have not married and to women whose husbands have died. The best thing for these people is to stay unmarried like I do.

BLB Now I say to the unmarried and to the widows, it is good for them if they should remain as even I.

AICNT To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single as I am.

OEB ¶ My advice, then, to those who are not married, and to widows, is this: It would be good for them to remain as I am myself.

WEBBE But I say to the unmarried and to widows, it is good for them if they remain even as I am.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET To the unmarried and widows I say that it is best for them to remain as I am.

LSV And I say to the unmarried and to the widows: it is good for them if they may remain even as I [am];

FBV To those who are not yet married, or who are widowed, I would say it is better if they remain like me.

TCNT Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them if they remain even as I am.

T4T Now I want to say this to you unmarried people and to you whose spouses have died: It would be good for you to remain unmarried as I am.

LEB Now I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they remain as I am.

BBE But I say to the unmarried and to the widows, It is good for them to be even as I am.

Moff To the unmarried and to widows I would say this: it is an excellent thing if like me they remain as they are.

Wymth But I tell the unmarried, and women who are widows, that it is well for them to remain as I am.

ASV But I say to the unmarried and to widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.

DRA But I say to the unmarried, and to the widows: It is good for them if they so continue, even as I.

YLT And I say to the unmarried and to the widows: it is good for them if they may remain even as I [am];

Drby But I say to the unmarried and to the widows, It is good for them that they remain even as I.

RV But I say to the unmarried and to widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.

SLT And I say to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they remain also as I.

Wbstr I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they remain even as I.

KJB-1769 I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.

KJB-1611 I say therefore to the vnmaried and widowes, It is good for them if they abide euen as I.
(I say therefore to the unmaried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.)

Bshps I say therefore vnto them that be vnmaryed and wyddowes, it is good for them if they abyde euen as I.
(I say therefore unto them that be unmaryed and widows, it is good for them if they abide even as I.)

Gnva Therefore I say vnto the vnmaried, and vnto the widowes, It is good for them if they abide euen as I doe.
(Therefore I say unto the unmaried, and unto the widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I do. )

Cvdl To them verely yt are vnmaried and to wedowes I saye: It is good for the that they abyde also as I do.
(To them verily/truly it are unmaried and to widows I say: It is good for the that they abide also as I do.)

TNT I saye vnto the vnmaried men and widdowes: it is good for them yf they abyde even as I do.
(I say unto the unmaried men and widdowes: it is good for them if they abide even as I do. )

Wycl But Y seie to hem, that ben not weddid, and to widewis, it is good to hem, if thei dwellen so as Y.
(But I say to hem, that been not wedded, and to widows, it is good to hem, if they dwell so as Y.)

Luth Ich sage zwar den Ledigen und Witwen: Es ist ihnen gut, wenn sie auch bleiben wie ich.
(I said that_is the Ledigen and widows: It is to_them good, when they/she/them also remain/stay as/like I.)

ClVg Dico autem non nuptis, et viduis: bonum est illis si sic permaneant, sicut et ego.
(Sayo however not/no nuptis, and viduis: good it_is to_them when/but_if so permaneant, like and I. )

UGNT λέγω δὲ τοῖς ἀγάμοις καὶ ταῖς χήραις, καλὸν αὐτοῖς ἐὰν μείνωσιν ὡς κἀγώ.
(legō de tois agamois kai tais ⱪaʸrais, kalon autois ean meinōsin hōs kagō.)

SBL-GNT Λέγω δὲ τοῖς ἀγάμοις καὶ ταῖς χήραις, καλὸν ⸀αὐτοῖς ἐὰν μείνωσιν ὡς κἀγώ·
(Legō de tois agamois kai tais ⱪaʸrais, kalon ⸀autois ean meinōsin hōs kagō;)

RP-GNT Λέγω δὲ τοῖς ἀγάμοις καὶ ταῖς χήραις, καλὸν αὐτοῖς ἐστιν ἐὰν μείνωσιν ὡς κἀγώ.
(Legō de tois agamois kai tais ⱪaʸrais, kalon autois estin ean meinōsin hōs kagō.)

TC-GNT Λέγω δὲ τοῖς ἀγάμοις καὶ ταῖς χήραις, καλὸν αὐτοῖς [fn]ἐστιν ἐὰν μείνωσιν ὡς κἀγώ.
(Legō de tois agamois kai tais ⱪaʸrais, kalon autois estin ean meinōsin hōs kagō. )

7:8 εστιν ¦ — 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 7:8–9

In this paragraph Paul discussed people who were not married at that time. Some Corinthian believers thought it would be better for them to remain unmarried. Paul advised them to remain as they were. However, if they strongly desired to marry, then they should do so.

7:8a

Now to the unmarried and widows I say this:

¶ Now I will talk to those of you who are unmarried, including widows.
¶ Now, you also asked me about believers who are not married, and about widows. So I will tell you what I think they should do.

Now to the unmarried…I say this: In this verse part Paul began to address unmarried people directly. Introduce this new topic in a way that is natural for your language.

In some languages it may be natural to refer to the unmarried by using a second-person pronoun:

Now I am speaking to you who are unmarried

Now I will talk to you who are not married

the unmarried and widows: In this context the phrase the unmarried and widows means “the unmarried, including the widows.” Paul made special mention of widows, but they are also included with the group of the unmarried.

the unmarried: The Greek word that the BSB translates as unmarried in this context is probably a general term referring to both men and women who were not at present married. They might have never married, or they might have been widowed.

widows: A “widow” is a woman whose husband has died.

7:8b

It is good for them to remain unmarried, as I am.

It is good for them/you to stay alone/single/celibate, as I am.
I recommend that you do not get married again. Stay alone/single, just as I do.

It is good for them to remain unmarried, as I am: Paul told the non-married believers that it was perfectly acceptable for them to remain in the same state he was, that is, single. The BSB has supplied the word unmarried. It is not explicit in the Greek. In many languages it will be necessary to supply something like this. However, we do not know if Paul had never been married, or if he had been married and his wife had died.Before he became a Christian, Paul was a rabbi, a Jewish Pharisee and a teacher (Galatians 1:14), and a voting member of the Sanhedrin, the highest court of the Jewish people (Acts 26:10). Jewish rules generally did not allow men to be in those important positions before they were married. So perhaps Paul had been married. So try to supply a general word referring to any person not married at the present time. In some languages it may be good to use a second-person pronoun here. For example:

It would be better for you to continue to live alone as I do. (GNT)

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: translate-unknown

τοῖς ἀγάμοις

˱to˲_the unmarried

Here, unmarried could refer to: (1) people who are not currently married, whether they never have been married or are no longer married. Alternate translation: [to those without spouses] (2) men whose wives have died, which pairs well with widows. Alternate translation: [to the widowers]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / nominaladj

τοῖς ἀγάμοις

˱to˲_the unmarried

Paul is using the adjective unmarried as a noun in order to describe a group of people. Your language may use adjectives in the same way. If not, you could translate unmarried with a noun phrase or a relative clause. Alternate translation: [to those who are unmarried]

Note 3 topic: translate-unknown

ταῖς χήραις

˱to˲_the widows

Here, widows refers specifically to women whose husbands have died. It does not refer to men whose wives have died. Alternate translation: [to women who are widowed]

Note 4 topic: grammar-connect-condition-hypothetical

ἐὰν

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: λέγω Δέ τοῖς ἀγάμοις καί ταῖς χήραις καλόν αὐτοῖς ἐάν μείνωσιν ὡς κἀγώ)

Here Paul uses if to introduce a true possibility. He means that people might remain as Paul is or they might not. He specifies that it is good if they do remain. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this form by stating the if statement by using a relative clause. Alternate translation: [whenever]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

μείνωσιν ὡς κἀγώ

˱they˲_˓may˒_remain as also_I

Just as in [7:7](../07/07.md), Paul again assumes that his readers know that he is unmarried. When Paul says that it is good for the unmarried and the widows to remain as I also am, he is referring to how he is unmarried. If it would be helpful in your language, you could translate remain as I also am by including the fact that Paul is not married. Alternate translation: [remain without a spouse, as I also am]

Parallel 1 COR 7:8

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

Paragraph 7:8–9

7:8a

7:8b

Parallel 1 COR 7:8