1 Corinthians 7:38
New International Version
So then, he who marries the virgin does right, but he who does not marry her does better.

New Living Translation
So the person who marries his fiancée does well, and the person who doesn’t marry does even better.

English Standard Version
So then he who marries his betrothed does well, and he who refrains from marriage will do even better.

Berean Standard Bible
So then, he who marries the virgin does well, but he who does not marry her does even better.

Berean Literal Bible
So then also, the one marrying the own virgin does well, and the one not marrying will do better.

King James Bible
So then he that giveth her in marriage doeth well; but he that giveth her not in marriage doeth better.

New King James Version
So then he who gives her in marriage does well, but he who does not give her in marriage does better.

New American Standard Bible
So then, both the one who gives his own virgin in marriage does well, and the one who does not give her in marriage will do better.

NASB 1995
So then both he who gives his own virgin daughter in marriage does well, and he who does not give her in marriage will do better.

NASB 1977
So then both he who gives his own virgin daughter in marriage does well, and he who does not give her in marriage will do better.

Legacy Standard Bible
So then both he who gives his own virgin daughter in marriage does well, and he who does not give her in marriage will do better.

Amplified Bible
So then both the father who gives his virgin daughter in marriage does well, and he who does not give her in marriage will do better.

Christian Standard Bible
So, then, he who marries his fiancee does well, but he who does not marry will do better.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
So then he who marries his virgin does well, but he who does not marry will do better.

American Standard Version
So then both he that giveth his own virgin daughter in marriage doeth well; and he that giveth her not in marriage shall do better.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And he therefore who gives his virgin does well, and he whoever does not give his virgin girl does all the better.

Contemporary English Version
It is perfectly all right to marry, but it is better not to get married at all.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Therefore, both he that giveth his virgin in marriage, doth well; and he that giveth her not, doth better.

English Revised Version
So then both he that giveth his own virgin daughter in marriage doeth well; and he that giveth her not in marriage shall do better.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
So it's fine for a father to give his daughter in marriage, but the father who doesn't give his daughter in marriage does even better.

Good News Translation
So the man who marries does well, but the one who doesn't marry does even better.

International Standard Version
So then the man who marries the virgin acts appropriately, but the man who refrains from marriage does even better.

Literal Standard Version
so that both he who is giving in marriage does well, and he who is not giving in marriage does better.

Majority Standard Bible
So then, he who marries the virgin does well, but he who does not marry her does even better.

New American Bible
So then, the one who marries his virgin does well; the one who does not marry her will do better.

NET Bible
So then, the one who marries his own virgin does well, but the one who does not, does better.

New Revised Standard Version
So then, he who marries his fiancÉe does well; and he who refrains from marriage will do better.

New Heart English Bible
So then both he who gives his own virgin in marriage does well, and he who does not give her in marriage does better.

Webster's Bible Translation
So then he that giveth her in marriage doeth well; but he that giveth her not in marriage doeth better.

Weymouth New Testament
So that he who gives his daughter in marriage does well, and yet he who does not give her in marriage will do better.

World English Bible
So then both he who gives his own virgin in marriage does well, and he who doesn’t give her in marriage does better.

Young's Literal Translation
so that both he who is giving in marriage doth well, and he who is not giving in marriage doth better.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Unmarried and Widowed
37But the man who is firmly established in his heart and under no constraint, with control over his will and resolve in his heart not to marry the virgin, he will do well. 38So then, he who marries the virgin does well, but he who does not marry her does even better. 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.…

Cross References
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.

1 Corinthians 7:37
But the man who is firmly established in his heart and under no constraint, with control over his will and resolve in his heart not to marry the virgin, he will do well.

1 Corinthians 7:39
A 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.

Hebrews 13:4
Marriage should be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.


Treasury of Scripture

So then he that gives her in marriage does well; but he that gives her not in marriage does better.

then.

1 Corinthians 7:28
But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you.

doeth well.

1 Corinthians 7:2
Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.

Hebrews 13:4
Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.

doeth better.

1 Corinthians 7:1,8,26,32-34,37
Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman…

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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.














(38) So then . . .--Better, So then he that gives his daughter in marriage does well, and (not "but") he that giveth her not shall do better. It is worth noticing how, in the case of the one who gives his daughter in marriage, we have the present tense "does well"--as if the good he did began and ended there; and, in the other case, the future "shall do" (in 1Corinthians 7:37 also)--the good result of his action continuing while the girl remains with her parent. This passage clearly shows how St. Paul has not been contrasting right and wrong: but comparative degrees of what is expedient.

All throughout this passage the Apostle takes for granted the absolute control of the parent over the child, in accordance with the principles of both Greek and Jewish jurisprudence. Hence, no advice is given to the young maiden herself, but only to her father.

Verse 38. - Doeth well. Because" marriage is honourable in all." Doeth better. Obviously not morally, because, if one course be morally better than another, we are bound to take it; but "better" with reference to expediency in "the urgent necessity" which rested on the Christian world in that day. It is quite clear that, if these words are meant to disparage matrimony in comparison with celibacy, or to treat celibacy in the abstract as a holier state that marriage, they have been set aside by the universal practice and theory of the Christian world. But, as we have seen, they are expressed by St. Paul only as a relative and diffident opinion. It is remarkable that not one word is said as to the choice of the virgin herself in the matter, which is one of the most essential points on which the decision must turn. St. Paul, no doubt, assumes the acquiescence or preference of the maiden as one of the elements in the absence of any "need" for her marriage; but also he writes after lifelong familiarity with the all but absolute control exercised by Jewish parents over their youthful daughters.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
So then,
Ὥστε (Hōste)
Conjunction
Strong's 5620: So that, therefore, so then, so as to. From hos and te; so too, i.e. Thus therefore.

he who
(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.

[marries]
γαμίζων (gamizōn)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1061: To give in marriage. From gamos; to espouse.

the
τὴν (tēn)
Article - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

virgin
παρθένον (parthenon)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3933: Of unknown origin; a maiden; by implication, an unmarried daughter.

does
ποιεῖ (poiei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 4160: (a) I make, manufacture, construct, (b) I do, act, cause. Apparently a prolonged form of an obsolete primary; to make or do.

well,
καλῶς (kalōs)
Adverb
Strong's 2573: Well, nobly, honorably, rightly. Adverb from kalos; well.

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

he who
(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.

{does} not
μὴ (mē)
Adverb
Strong's 3361: Not, lest. A primary particle of qualified negation; not, lest; also (whereas ou expects an affirmative one) whether.

[marry her]
γαμίζων (gamizōn)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1061: To give in marriage. From gamos; to espouse.

does
ποιήσει (poiēsei)
Verb - Future Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 4160: (a) I make, manufacture, construct, (b) I do, act, cause. Apparently a prolonged form of an obsolete primary; to make or do.

even better.
κρεῖσσον (kreisson)
Adjective - Accusative Neuter Singular - Comparative
Strong's 2908: Stronger, more excellent. Neuter of an alternate form of kreitton; better, i.e. Greater advantage.


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NT Letters: 1 Corinthians 7:38 So then both he who gives his (1 Cor. 1C iC 1Cor i cor icor)
1 Corinthians 7:37
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