Devine Scripture

1 Corinthians 7:3

What does 1 Corinthians 7:3 mean?

A plain-English look at 1 Corinthians 7:3 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.

What 1 Corinthians 7:3 means

Paul instructs husbands and wives to give one another their “due,” meaning the regular, loving fulfillment of marital intimacy and care. Marriage involves a covenantal obligation to serve the other, not to demand for oneself. In a culture prone either to indulgence or denial, Paul calls both spouses to mutual generosity. This is not about cold duty but about honoring the other’s needs with tenderness and constancy. By speaking equally to husband and wife, Paul dignifies both and frames intimacy as a shared stewardship. Such mutuality protects the marriage from resentment, neglect, and temptation. The verse pushes against selfishness and neglect, encouraging a humble, other-centered posture that reflects God’s design for marital companionship.

Parallel translations

WEB

World English Bible · 2000

Let the husband render unto the wife her due: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.

KJV

King James Version · 1611

Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.

ASV

American Standard Version · 1901

Let the husband render unto the wife her due: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.

BBE

Bible in Basic English · 1949

Let the husband give to the wife what is right; and let the wife do the same to the husband.

YLT

Young's Literal Translation · 1862

to the wife let the husband the due benevolence render, and in like manner also the wife to the husband;

DRA

Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752

Let the husband render the debt to his wife: and the wife also in like manner to the husband.

DBY

Darby Bible · 1890

Let the husband render her due to the wife, and in like manner the wife to the husband.

Context

Flowing from verse 2’s affirmation of marriage against immorality, verse 3 details one practical protection: spouses are to meet one another’s needs. Paul emphasizes mutual obligation, not one-sided privilege. In verse 4, he will reinforce this mutuality by speaking of shared authority over each other’s bodies. Then in verse 5, he will allow for temporary abstinence only by mutual consent and for spiritual purposes. Understanding this sequence shows Paul’s consistency: marriage is a holy place for faithful intimacy, and the practical outworking is a loving, reciprocal giving that safeguards both partners.

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

v.3This passage

v.4The wife hath not power over her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power over his own body, but the wife.

Cross references

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

  • Exodus 21:10

    If he take him another wife; her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish.

  • 1 Peter 3:7

    Ye husbands, in like manner, dwell withyour wivesaccording to knowledge, giving honor unto the woman, as unto the weaker vessel, as being also joint-heirs of the grace of life; to the end that your prayers be not hindered.

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