1 Corinthians 7:12
New International Version
To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her.

New Living Translation
Now, I will speak to the rest of you, though I do not have a direct command from the Lord. If a fellow believer has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to continue living with him, he must not leave her.

English Standard Version
To the rest I say (I, not the Lord) that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her.

Berean Standard Bible
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.

Berean Literal Bible
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.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her.

New American Standard Bible
But to the rest I say, not the Lord, that if any brother has an unbelieving wife, and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her.

NASB 1995
But to the rest I say, not the Lord, that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her.

NASB 1977
But to the rest I say, not the Lord, that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, let him not send her away.

Legacy Standard Bible
But to the rest I say, not the Lord, that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her.

Amplified Bible
To the rest I declare—I, not the Lord [since Jesus did not discuss this]—that if any [believing] brother has a wife who does not believe [in Christ], and she consents to live with him, he must not leave her.

Christian Standard Bible
But I (not the Lord) say to the rest: If any brother has an unbelieving wife and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But I (not the Lord) say to the rest: If any brother has an unbelieving wife and she is willing to live with him, he must not leave her.

American Standard Version
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.

Contemporary English Version
I don't know of anything else the Lord said about marriage. All I can do is to give you my own advice. If your wife isn't a follower of the Lord, but is willing to stay with you, don't divorce her.

English Revised Version
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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I (not the Lord) say to the rest of you: If any Christian man is married to a woman who is an unbeliever, and she is willing to live with him, he should not divorce her.

Good News Translation
To the others I say (I, myself, not the Lord): if a Christian man has a wife who is an unbeliever and she agrees to go on living with him, he must not divorce her.

International Standard Version
I (not the Lord) say to the rest of you: If a brother has a wife who is an unbeliever and she is willing to live with him, he must not abandon her.

Majority Standard Bible
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.

NET Bible
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.

New Heart English Bible
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.

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

Weymouth New Testament
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.

World English Bible
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.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
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;

Berean Literal Bible
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.

Young's Literal Translation
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;

Smith's Literal Translation
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.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
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.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Concerning the rest, I am speaking, not the Lord. If any brother has an unbelieving wife, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her.

New American Bible
To the rest I say (not the Lord): if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she is willing to go on living with him, he should not divorce her;

New Revised Standard Version
To the rest I say—I and not the Lord—that if any believer has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
But to the rest, I say this, not my LORD: If any brother has a wife who is not a convert, and she wishes to live with him, let him not leave her.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But to others I am saying, not my Lord, if there is a brother who has a wife who is an unbeliever and she is willing to stay with him, let him not leave her.
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
But to the rest, I, and not the Lord, say: If any brother has a wife that believes not, and she is well pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away.

Godbey New Testament
But I say to the rest, not the Lord, if any brother has an unbelieving wife, and she is willing to live with him, let him not send her away.

Haweis New Testament
But to the others I speak, not the Lord, If any brother hath a wife unbelieving, yet she chuseth to dwell with him, let him not put her away.

Mace New Testament
But as to the other cases, which were not decided by the Lord; I say, if any brother has a pagan wife, who likes to live with him, let him not put her away.

Weymouth New Testament
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.

Worrell New Testament
But to the rest say I, not the Lord: If any brother has an unbelieving wife, and she is pleased to dwell with him, let him not leave her.

Worsley New Testament
But to the rest say I, not the Lord, If any brother has an unbelieving wife, and she like to dwell with him, let him not put her away.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Principles of Marriage
11But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife. 12 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. 13And if a woman has an unbelieving husband and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him.…

Cross References
1 Corinthians 7:10-11
To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. / But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.

1 Corinthians 7:13-14
And if a woman has an unbelieving husband and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. / For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his believing wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy.

1 Corinthians 7:15-16
But if the unbeliever leaves, let him go. The believing brother or sister is not bound in such cases. God has called you to live in peace. / How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?

Matthew 19:6
So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”

Mark 10:9
Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”

Romans 7:2-3
For instance, a married woman is bound by law to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage. / So then, if she is joined to another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law and is not an adulteress if she marries another man.

2 Corinthians 6:14
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership can righteousness have with wickedness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness?

Ephesians 5:31-32
“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” / This mystery is profound, but I am speaking about Christ and the church.

Matthew 5:32
But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, brings adultery upon her. And he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Malachi 2:15-16
Has not the LORD made them one, having a portion of the Spirit? And why one? Because He seeks godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit and do not break faith with the wife of your youth. / “For I hate divorce,” says the LORD, the God of Israel. “He who divorces his wife covers his garment with violence,” says the LORD of Hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit and do not break faith.

Deuteronomy 24:1-4
If a man marries a woman, but she becomes displeasing to him because he finds some indecency in her, he may write her a certificate of divorce, hand it to her, and send her away from his house. / If, after leaving his house, she goes and becomes another man’s wife, / and the second man hates her, writes her a certificate of divorce, hands it to her, and sends her away from his house, or if he dies, ...

Ezra 10:2-3
Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, an Elamite, said to Ezra: “We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the people of the land, yet in spite of this, there is hope for Israel. / So now let us make a covenant before our God to send away all the foreign wives and their children, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the command of our God. Let it be done according to the Law.

Nehemiah 13:23-27
In those days I also saw Jews who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. / Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod or of the other peoples, but could not speak the language of Judah. / I rebuked them and called down curses on them. I beat some of these men and pulled out their hair. Then I made them take an oath before God and said, “You must not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters as wives for your sons or for yourselves! ...

Genesis 2:24
For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.

Matthew 19:8-9
Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because of your hardness of heart. But it was not this way from the beginning. / Now I tell you that whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”


Treasury of Scripture

But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother has a wife that believes not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away.

speak.

1 Corinthians 7:6,25
But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment…

2 Corinthians 11:17
That which I speak, I speak it not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of boasting.

If.

Ezra 10:2,3,11-19
And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered and said unto Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, and have taken strange wives of the people of the land: yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing…

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1 Corinthians 7
1. He discusses marriage;
4. showing it to be a remedy against sinful desires,
10. and that the bond thereof ought not lightly to be dissolved.
20. Every man must be content with his vocation.
25. Virginity wherefore to be embraced;
35. and for what respects we may either marry, or abstain from marrying.














To the rest
This phrase indicates that Paul is addressing a different group than he was in the previous verses. The "rest" refers to believers who are married to unbelievers. Historically, the early Christian community was diverse, and many converts were married to spouses who did not share their newfound faith. This situation required specific guidance, as it was not directly addressed by Jesus during His earthly ministry.

I say this (I, not the Lord)
Here, Paul distinguishes his own apostolic advice from a direct command of Jesus. This does not mean that Paul's words lack authority; rather, it highlights the absence of a specific teaching from Jesus on this matter. Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, provides guidance for situations that arose in the early church, demonstrating the dynamic nature of apostolic teaching in addressing new challenges.

If a brother
The term "brother" is used to denote a male believer, a member of the Christian community. In the early church, familial language was common, emphasizing the spiritual kinship among believers. This reflects the close-knit nature of the early Christian communities, where members were considered part of a spiritual family.

has an unbelieving wife
This phrase acknowledges the reality of mixed-faith marriages in the early church. The Greek term for "unbelieving" (ἄπιστος, apistos) refers to someone who does not share the Christian faith. Such marriages were likely common, as Christianity spread rapidly and often divided families along lines of belief.

and she is willing to live with him
The willingness of the unbelieving spouse to remain in the marriage is crucial. This reflects the principle of mutual consent and respect within the marriage relationship. The early church valued peace and harmony in the household, and this guidance seeks to preserve the marriage if the unbelieving spouse is agreeable.

he must not divorce her
Paul advises against divorce in this situation, emphasizing the sanctity and permanence of marriage. This instruction aligns with the broader biblical teaching on marriage as a covenantal relationship. By maintaining the marriage, the believing spouse may have the opportunity to witness to the unbelieving partner, potentially leading to their conversion.

(12) But to the rest.--Up to this point the writer has alluded only to Christians; he has spoken of the duties of unmarried persons, of widows, and of those already married. There still remains one class of marriages concerning which differences of opinion existed--viz., mixed marriages. In a church like Corinth there would have been, no doubt, many cases where one of the partners was a heathen and the other a Christian, arising from the subsequent conversion of only one of the married couple. This subject is treated of in 1Corinthians 7:12-16. The words are emphatically, "If any man have already a wife," &c. The case of a Christian marrying a heathen is not alluded to. In 2Corinthians 6:14, the marriage of a Christian to a heathen is forbidden.

Speak I, not the Lord.--The Apostle has no word of Christ's to quote on this point, it being one which did not arise during our Lord's life. (See Note on 1Corinthians 7:10.)

It is to be noticed that the Apostle, in giving his own apostolic instruction on this point, does not use the word "command," which he applied to our Lord's teaching, but the less authoritative "speak."

A wife that believeth not.--That is, a heathen. In some modern religious circles this whole passage has been used (as also 2Corinthians 6:14) as if by "unbeliever" St. Paul meant a careless Christian, or one who, in modern phraseology, was not "converted." The Apostle is referring under this designation to heathens, and the only case to which his teaching could now or ever apply would be when two heathens had been married, and subsequently only one had embraced the Christian faith. It is to be noticed that both here and in 1Corinthians 7:13 the being "pleased to dwell" is put only in reference to the partner who is a heathen, for the Apostle takes for granted that after the instructions he here gives to the Christian partner, no such desire for separation will arise on the part of a Christian. . . .

Verses 12-16. - Directions about mixed marriages. Verse 12. - To the rest. That is, to those who are married, but are heathen. They were the remaining class about whose duties the Corinthians had made inquiry. Not the Lord. The Lord had made no express reference to such cases, since it had been no part of his mission to lay down minute details which would be duly settled from age to age by the wisdom taught by the Holy Ghost. She be pleased to dwell with him. It is assumed that, if she did not please, the poor Christian convert would have no protection of his fights; pagan courts would regard conversion as a sufficient reason for breaking off marriages.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
To the
Τοῖς (Tois)
Article - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

rest
λοιποῖς (loipois)
Adjective - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3062: Left, left behind, the remainder, the rest, the others. Masculine plural of a derivative of leipo; remaining ones.

I
ἐγώ (egō)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

say this
λέγω (legō)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 3004: (a) I say, speak; I mean, mention, tell, (b) I call, name, especially in the pass., (c) I tell, command.

([I,] not
οὐχ (ouch)
Adverb
Strong's 3756: No, not. Also ouk, and ouch a primary word; the absolute negative adverb; no or not.

the
(ho)
Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

Lord):
Κύριος (Kyrios)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2962: Lord, master, sir; the Lord. From kuros; supreme in authority, i.e. controller; by implication, Master.

If
εἴ (ei)
Conjunction
Strong's 1487: If. A primary particle of conditionality; if, whether, that, etc.

a
τις (tis)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5100: Any one, some one, a certain one or thing. An enclitic indefinite pronoun; some or any person or object.

brother
ἀδελφὸς (adelphos)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 80: A brother, member of the same religious community, especially a fellow-Christian. A brother near or remote.

has
ἔχει (echei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2192: To have, hold, possess. Including an alternate form scheo skheh'-o; a primary verb; to hold.

an unbelieving
ἄπιστον (apiston)
Adjective - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 571: (passively) untrustworthy (person), or incredible (thing).

wife
γυναῖκα (gynaika)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 1135: A woman, wife, my lady. Probably from the base of ginomai; a woman; specially, a wife.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

she
αὕτη (hautē)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3778: This; he, she, it.

is willing
συνευδοκεῖ (syneudokei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 4909: From sun and eudokeo; to think well of in common, i.e. Assent to, feel gratified with.

to live
οἰκεῖν (oikein)
Verb - Present Infinitive Active
Strong's 3611: To inhabit, dwell, indwell. From oikos; to occupy a house, i.e. Reside; by implication, to cohabit.

with
μετ’ (met’)
Preposition
Strong's 3326: (a) gen: with, in company with, (b) acc: (1) behind, beyond, after, of place, (2) after, of time, with nouns, neut. of adjectives.

him,
αὐτοῦ (autou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

he must not divorce
ἀφιέτω (aphietō)
Verb - Present Imperative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 863: From apo and hiemi; to send forth, in various applications.

her.
αὐτήν (autēn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Feminine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.


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NT Letters: 1 Corinthians 7:12 But to the rest I--not the Lord--say (1 Cor. 1C iC 1Cor i cor icor)
1 Corinthians 7:11
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