1 Corinthians 7:4 Meaning and Explanation
“The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →In marriage each spouse entrusts their body to the other, so that authority over it is shared and mutual.
What Does 1 Corinthians 7:4 Mean?
Paul deepens the previous verse with a startling symmetry. In the ancient world a wife was often thought to belong to her husband; here Paul says the husband equally belongs to the wife. Each has yielded authority over self to the other.
This is the logic of covenant love: two become one, and what was "mine" is now "ours." The surrender is reciprocal and therefore safe, for it is matched on both sides. Such mutual belonging guards against both neglect and domination, and it pictures a love that holds nothing back. To give oneself fully to another, in trust, is no loss but the very shape of married union.
Frequently Asked Questions About 1 Corinthians 7:4
What does 1 Corinthians 7:4 mean?
In marriage each spouse entrusts their body to the other, so that authority over it is shared and mutual.