Devine Scripture

1 Corinthians 7:1

What does 1 Corinthians 7:1 mean?

A plain-English look at 1 Corinthians 7:1 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.

What 1 Corinthians 7:1 means

Paul turns to questions the Corinthians had sent him and addresses a slogan some were using: “It is good for a man not to touch a woman.” He acknowledges the value of celibacy, especially in their context, but he is not condemning marriage or marital intimacy. “Not to touch a woman” refers to sexual relations, and Paul affirms the goodness of self-control for focused devotion. Yet he frames this as one legitimate path among others. He is beginning a balanced treatment: honoring singleness without despising marriage. This sets the stage for a nuanced answer, preventing extremes—neither indulgence nor unnecessary asceticism. The key idea is wisdom in applying godly restraint, not a universal rule against marital intimacy.

Parallel translations

WEB

World English Bible · 2000

Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.

KJV

King James Version · 1611

Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.

ASV

American Standard Version · 1901

Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.

BBE

Bible in Basic English · 1949

Now, as to the things in your letter to me: It is good for a man to have nothing to do with a woman.

YLT

Young's Literal Translation · 1862

And concerning the things of which ye wrote to me: good <FI>it is<Fi> for a man not to touch a woman,

DRA

Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752

Now concerning the things whereof you wrote to me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.

DBY

Darby Bible · 1890

But concerning the things of which ye have written [to me]: [It is] good for a man not to touch a woman;

Context

After confronting sexual immorality and addressing food offered to idols earlier in the letter, Paul now explicitly answers matters “whereof ye wrote.” Verse 1 starts a new section, signaling he is responding point by point to their questions. He opens with a maxim circulating in Corinth, acknowledging its partial truth while preparing to qualify it. Immediately after in verse 2, he offers the first balancing statement—marriage as a God-given guard against sexual sin. Understanding verse 1 as an introduction helps the reader grasp why Paul moves back and forth between commending celibacy and affirming marriage throughout the chapter.

v.1This passage

v.2But, because of fornications, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.

Cross references

Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

  • Ruth 2:9

    Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them: have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn.

  • Genesis 20:6

    And God said unto him in the dream, Yea, I know that in the integrity of thy heart thou hast done this, and I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.

  • 1 Corinthians 7:8

    But I say to the unmarried and to widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.

  • 1 Corinthians 7:37

    But he that standeth stedfast in his heart, having no necessity, but hath power as touching his own will, and hath determined this in his own heart, to keep his own virgin daughter, shall do well.

  • Proverbs 6:29

    So he that goeth in to his neighbor’s wife; Whosoever toucheth her shall not be unpunished.

  • 1 Corinthians 7:26

    I think therefore that this is good by reason of the distress that is upon us, namely, that it is good for a man to be as he is.

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