And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband:
Parallel translations
- WEB But to the married I command — not I, but the Lord — that the wife not leave her husband
- BSB To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband.
- NKJV Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband.
- NASB But to the married I give instructions, not I, but the Lord, that the wife is not to leave her husband
- NLT But for those who are married, I have a command that comes not from me, but from the Lord. A wife must not leave her husband.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
To the married Paul gives the Lord's own command that a wife not separate from her husband. It matters because the permanence of marriage rests on Christ's clear teaching.
Overview
Here Paul appeals directly to a command of the Lord Jesus (cf. Mark 10:9): marriage is not to be dissolved, and a wife should not leave her husband. The stability of the marriage covenant reflects God's design from creation. Paul grounds this not in mere opinion but in the authoritative word of Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Matt 5:32But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
- Luke 16:18Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.
- Matt 19:3–9The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?
- Mal 2:14–16Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant.
- Mark 10:11–12And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.
- 1 Cor 7:15But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace.
- Jer 3:20Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD.
- 1 Cor 7:12But 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.
- 1 Cor 7:6But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment.
- 1 Cor 7:25Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord: yet I give my judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful.
- 1 Cor 7:40But she is happier if she so abide, after my judgment: and I think also that I have the Spirit of God.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Christ crucified is the wisdom and power of God; he is our Passover sacrificed for us, the firstfruits of resurrection, the foundation on which everything is built.
How 1 Corinthians 7:10 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.