1 Corinthians 7:12
in 1 Corinthians 7To 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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.
KJV
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.
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This verse in 1 Corinthians 7
Commentary
15 notes on this verseBut to the rest speak I, not the Lord - As if he had said: For what I have already spoken I have the testimony of the Lord by Moses, and of my own Lord and Master, Christ; but for the directions which I am now about to give there is no written testimony, and I deliver them now for the first time. These words do not intimate that the apostle was not now under the influences of the Divine Spirit; but, that there was nothing in the sacred writings which bore directly on this point.
This site's exposition
To the rest I say this
on 1 Corinthians 7:12-14
Paul rules on a case the Lord's teaching did not cover, the marriage of a believer to an unbeliever willing to stay. The unbelieving husband is sanctified through his believing wife, against a Corinthian fear that a mixed marriage defiled.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
Therefore, when in these days a certain woman removed her marriage from the pale of the Church, and united herself to a Gentile, and when I remembered that this had in days gone by been done by others: wondering at either their own waywardness or else the double-dealing of their advisers, in that there is no scripture which holds forth a licence of this deed,-"I wonder," said I, "whether they flatter themselves on the ground of that passage of the first (Epistle) to the Corinthians, where it is written: If any of the brethren has an unbelieving wife, and she consents to the matrimony, let him not dismiss her; similarly, let not a believing woman, married to an unbeliever, if she finds her husband agreeable (to their continued union), dismiss him: for the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the believing wife, and the unbelieving wife by the believing husband; else were your children unclean." It may be that, by understanding generally this monition regarding married believers, they think that licence is granted (thereby) to marry even unbelievers.
For as when discoursing about separating from fornicators, he made the matter easy by the correction which he applied to his words, saying, "Howbeit, not altogether with the fornicators of this world;" so also in this case he provideth for the abundant easiness of the duty, saying, "If any wife have a husband, or husband a wife, that believeth not, let him not leave her." What sayest thou? "If he be an unbeliever, let him remain with the wife, but not if he be a fornicator? And yet fornication is a less sin than unbelief." I grant, fornication is a less sin: but God spares thine infirmities extremely. And this is What He doth about the sacrifice, saying, "Leave the sacrifice, and be reconciled to thy brother." This also in the case of the man who owed ten thousand talents. For him too He did not punish for owing him ten thousand talents, but for demanding back a hundred pence from his fellow-servant He took vengeance on him.
The Lord also showed that certain precepts were enacted for them by Moses, on account of their hardness [of heart], and because of their unwillingness to be obedient, when, on their saying to Him, "Why then did Moses command to give a writing of divorcement, and to send away a wife?"
We are here given to understand that neither spouse may divorce the other if both are believers.
The Medieval Church1 voice
Then when he says, To the rest I say, he treats of the inseparability of marriage between persons of disparate cult, when one is a believer. First, he says that the believer should not dismiss an unbelieving spouse, who is willing to continue living together …
8 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
What are you saying? If the husband is an unbeliever, then let him remain with his wife; but if he is a fornicator, he should not remain with her? But unbelief is worse than fornication? Indeed it is worse; but God exacts punishment more for …
The Puritans and the Awakening5 voices
To the rest - Who are married to unbelievers. Speak I - By Revelation from God, though our Lord hath not left any commandment concerning it. Let him not put her away - The Jews, indeed, were obliged of old to put away their idolatrous wives, Ezra x, 3; but their case was quite different.
The Christian calling did not dissolve the marriage covenant, but bind it the faster, by bringing it back to the original institution, limiting it to two persons, and binding them together for life. The believer is not by faith in Christ loosed from matrimonial bonds to an unbeliever, but is at once bound and made apt to be a better relative.
): But to the rest speak I, not the Lord; that is, the Lord had not so expressly spoken to this case as to the former divorce. It does not mean that the apostle spoke without authority from the Lord, or decided this case by his own wisdom, without the inspiration of the Holy Ghost.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
But to the rest speak I, not the Lord,....
He shows them that becoming Christians does not change their external state; and therefore advises every one to continue, in the general, in that state in which he was called,
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
to the rest--the other classes (besides "the married," 1Co 7:10, where both husband and wife are believers) about whom the Corinthians had inquired, namely, those involved in mixed marriages with unbelievers. not the Lord--by any direct command spoken by Him. she be pleased--Greek, "consents": implying his wish in the first instance, with which hers concurs.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
But to the rest - “I have spoken in regard to the duties of the unmarried, and the question whether it is right and advisable that they should marry, 1Co 7:1-9. I have also uttered the command of the Lord in regard to those who are married, and the question whether separation and divorce were proper. Now in regard to “the rest of the person’s and cases” referred to, I will deliver my opinion.” “The rest,” or remainder, here referred to, relates particularly to the cases in which one party was a Christian and the other not. In the previous verses he had delivered the solemn, explicit law of Christ, that divorce was to take place on neither side, and in no instance, except agreeably. to the law of Christ; Mat 5:32. That was settled by divine authority. In the subsequent verses he discusses a different question; whether a “voluntary separation” was not advisable and proper when the one party was a Christian and the other not. The word “rest” refers to these instances, and the questions which would arise under this inquiry. Not the Lord - See the note at 1Co 7:6. “I do not claim, in this advice, to be under the influence of inspiration; I have no express command on the subject from the Lord; but I deliver my opinion as a servant of the Lord 1Co 7:40, and as having a right to offer advice, even when I have no express command from God, to a church which I have founded, and which has consulted me on the subject.” This was a case in which both he and they were to follow the principles of Christian prudence and propriety, when there was no express commandment. Many such cases may occur. […]
The words behind it
23 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Τοῖς | tois | To the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δὲ | de | now | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| λοιποῖς | loipois | rest | G3062 → | 39 times |
| λέγω | lego | say | G3004 → | 1325 times |
| ἐγὼ | ego | I myself | G1473 → | 839 times |
| οὐχ | ouch | — not | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| ὁ | ho | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| κύριος, | kurios | Lord: | G2962 → | 711 times |
| εἴ | ei | If | G1487 → | 508 times |
| τις | tis | any | G5100 → | 528 times |
| ἀδελφὸς | adelphos | brother | G80 → | 343 times |
| γυναῖκα | gunaika | a wife | G1135 → | 211 times |
| ἔχει | echei | has | G2192 → | 707 times |
| ἄπιστον | apiston | unbelieving | G571 → | 23 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| αὕτη | haute | she | G3778 → | 1381 times |
| συνευδοκεῖ | suneudokei | consents | G4909 → | |
| οἰκεῖν | oikein | to dwell | G3611 → | 9 times |
| μετ᾽ | met᾽ | with | G3326 → | 461 times |
| αὐτοῦ, | autou | him, | G846 → | 5565 times |
| μὴ | me | not | G3361 → | 1066 times |
| ἀφιέτω | aphieto | he should divorce | G863 → | 143 times |
| αὐτήν· | auten | her; | G846 → | 5565 times |
ΤοῖςTo the
toisG3588 →19766 times
δὲnow
deG1161 →2765 times
λοιποῖςrest
loipoisG3062 →39 times
λέγωsay
legoG3004 →1325 times
ἐγὼI myself
egoG1473 →839 times
οὐχ— not
ouchG3756 →1664 times
ὁthe
hoG3588 →19766 times
κύριος,Lord:
kuriosG2962 →711 times
εἴIf
eiG1487 →508 times
τιςany
tisG5100 →528 times
ἀδελφὸςbrother
adelphosG80 →343 times
γυναῖκαa wife
gunaikaG1135 →211 times
ἔχειhas
echeiG2192 →707 times
ἄπιστονunbelieving
apistonG571 →23 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
αὕτηshe
hauteG3778 →1381 times
συνευδοκεῖconsents
suneudokeiG4909 →
οἰκεῖνto dwell
oikeinG3611 →9 times
μετ᾽with
met᾽G3326 →461 times
αὐτοῦ,him,
autouG846 →5565 times
μὴnot
meG3361 →1066 times
ἀφιέτωhe should divorce
aphietoG863 →143 times
αὐτήν·her;
autenG846 →5565 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Corinthians 7:25Now about virgins, I have no command from the Lord, but I give a judgment as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy.
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 7:6
I say this as a concession, not as a command.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Corinthians 4:2
Now it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.
- 2 Corinthians 8:8–10
I am not making a demand, but I am testing the sincerity of your love in comparison to the earnestness of others.
- 1 Corinthians 7:40
In my judgment, however, she is happier if she remains as she is. And I think that I too have the Spirit of God.
- 1 Corinthians 7:6
Through
1 Corinthians 7:6I say this as a concession, not as a command.
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 7:25
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.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Corinthians 8:8
I am not making a demand, but I am testing the sincerity of your love in comparison to the earnestness of others.
- 1 Corinthians 7:25
Through
2 Corinthians 11:17In this confident boasting of mine, I am not speaking as the Lord would, but as a fool.
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 9:4
Otherwise, if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we—to say nothing of you—would be ashamed of having been so confident.
- Philippians 3:3–6
For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh—
- 2 Corinthians 9:4
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies10
About 1 Corinthians
This page draws on 13 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, QUESTIONS 83; Charles Hodge, An Exposition of the First Epistle to the Corinthians; Irenaeus, Against Heresies Book IV; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on 1 Corinthians 19; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Tertullian, To His Wife Book II; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 1 Corinthians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on 1 Corinthians.