But if they cannot control themselves, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
Parallel translations
- WEB But if they don’t have self-control, let them marry. For it’s better to marry than to burn.
- KJV But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.
- NKJV but if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
- NASB But if they do not have self-control, let them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
- NLT But if they can’t control themselves, they should go ahead and marry. It’s better to marry than to burn with lust.
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
But those lacking self-control should marry, since it is better to marry than to burn with passion. It matters because marriage is God's good and honorable provision for sexual desire.
Overview
Paul gives a realistic, pastoral counterbalance: where the gift of celibacy is absent and passions are strong, marriage is the right and honorable course. Marrying is not a spiritual failure but God's wise provision. This protects against both unhealthy asceticism and the danger of immorality, affirming marriage as good.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- 1 Tim 5:14So I advise the younger widows to marry, have children, and manage their households, denying the adversary occasion for slander.
- 1 Cor 7:2But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband.
- 1 Tim 5:11But refuse to enroll younger widows. For when their passions draw them away from Christ, they will want to marry,
- 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 7:36However, 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 Cor 7:39A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, as long as he belongs to the Lord.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 7:9 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.