Now about virgins, I have no command from the Lord, but I give a judgment as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy.
Parallel translations
- WEB Now concerning virgins, I have no commandment from the Lord, but I give my judgment as one who has obtained mercy from the Lord to be trustworthy.
- KJV Now 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.
- NKJV Now concerning virgins: I have no commandment from the Lord; yet I give judgment as one whom the Lord in His mercy has made trustworthy.
- NASB Now concerning virgins, I have no command of the Lord, but I am offering direction as one who by the mercy of the Lord is trustworthy.
- NLT Now regarding your question about the young women who are not yet married. I do not have a command from the Lord for them. But the Lord in his mercy has given me wisdom that can be trusted, and I will share it with you.
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
Turning to the unmarried, Paul says he has no direct command from the Lord on this matter but offers his trustworthy judgment as one shown mercy. He distinguishes apostolic counsel from explicit dominical command.
Overview
"Virgins" likely refers to those never married, perhaps especially the betrothed. Paul carefully notes that Jesus left no recorded teaching on this specific question, so he gives Spirit-guided wisdom rather than a binding word. His humility ("one who has obtained mercy") models how faithful pastors apply biblical principle where Scripture gives no explicit rule, while his apostolic standing (cf. v. 40) lends real weight to his counsel.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- 1 Cor 7:6I say this as a concession, not as a command.
- 1 Cor 4:2Now it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.
- 1 Cor 7:40In my judgment, however, she is happier if she remains as she is. And I think that I too have the Spirit of God.
- 2 Cor 8:8–10I am not making a demand, but I am testing the sincerity of your love in comparison to the earnestness of others.
- 1 Cor 7:12To 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.
- 1 Cor 7:10To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband.
- 2 Cor 2:17For we are not like so many others, who peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as men sent from God.
- 2 Cor 11:17In this confident boasting of mine, I am not speaking as the Lord would, but as a fool.
- 2 Cor 4:1–2Therefore, since God in His mercy has given us this ministry, we do not lose heart.
- 1 Cor 7:34and his interests are divided. The unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the work of the Lord, how she can be holy in both body and spirit. But the married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world, how she can please her husband.
- Ps 78:63Fire consumed His young men, and their maidens were left without wedding songs.
- 1 Cor 7:28But if you do marry, you have not sinned. And if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this.
- 1 Cor 15:10But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not in vain. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.
- 1 Cor 7:36–38However, if someone thinks he is acting inappropriately toward his betrothed, and if she is beyond her youth and they ought to marry, let him do as he wishes; he is not sinning; they should get married.
- 1 Tim 1:12–16I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, that He considered me faithful and appointed me to service.
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 7:25 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.