1 Corinthians 7 · Verse 11

1 Corinthians 7:11

But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.

1 Corinthians 7:11, King James Version

1 Corinthians 7:11 in other translations

BSB	But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.
WEB	(but if she departs, let her remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband not leave his wife.
ASV	(but should she depart, let her remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband); and that the husband leave not his wife.
YLT	but and if she may separate, let her remain unmarried, or to the husband let her be reconciled, and let not a husband send away a wife.
DARBY	(but if also she shall have been separated, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband;) and let not husband leave wife.
BBE	(Or if she goes away from him, let her keep unmarried, or be united to her husband again); and that the husband may not go away from his wife.
Webster	But if she shall depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.

What does 1 Corinthians 7:11 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

11. But and if she depart--or "be separated." If the sin of separation has been committed, that of a new marriage is not to be added (Mt 5:32). be reconciled--by appeasing her husband's displeasure, and recovering his good will. let not ... husband put away ... wife--In Mt 5:32 the only exception allowed is, "saving for the cause of fornication."

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes

Verse 11. But and if she depart. If she have withdrawn by a rash and foolish act; if she has attempted to dissolve the marriage vow, she is to remain unmarried, or be reconciled. She is not at liberty to marry another. This may refer, I suppose, to instances where wives, ignorant of the rule of Christ, and supposing that they had a right to separate themselves from their husbands, had rashly left them, and had supposed that the marriage contract was dissolved. Paul tells them that this was impossible; and that if they had so separated from their husbands, the pure laws of Christianity did not recognise this right, and they must either be reconciled to their husbands or remain alone. The marriage tie was so sacred that it could not be dissolved by the will of either party.

Let her remain unmarried. That is, let her not marry another.

Or be reconciled to her husband. Let this be done, if possible. If it cannot be, let her remain unmarried. It was a duty to be reconciled, if it was possible. If not, she should not violate her vows to her husband so far as to marry another. It is evident that this rule is still binding, and that no one who has separated from her husband, whatever be the cause, unless there be a regular divorce, according to the law of Christ, (Mt 5:32,) can be at liberty to marry again.

And let not the husband. Mt 5:32. This right, granted under the Jewish law, and practised among all the heathen, was to be taken away wholly under the gospel. The marriage tie was to be regarded as sacred; and the tyranny of man over woman was to cease;

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 11 But, and if she depart - He puts the case as probable, because it was frequent, but lays it under restrictions. Let her remain unmarried - She departs at her own peril; but she must not marry another: she must either continue unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband. And let not the husband put away his wife - Divorces cannot be allowed but in the case of fornication: an act of this kind dissolves the marriage vow; but nothing else can. It is a fact that, among the Jews, the wife had just as much right to put away her husband as the husband had to put away his wife. As divorces were granted, it was right that each should have an equal power; for this served as a mutual check.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Corinthians 7:10-16

Man and wife must not separate for any other cause than what Christ allows. Divorce, at that time, was very common among both Jews and Gentiles, on very slight pretexts. Marriage is a Divine institution; and is an engagement for life, by God's appointment. We are bound, as much as in us lies, to live peaceably with all men, Ro 12:18, therefore to promote the peace and comfort of our nearest relatives, though…

Read the full comment on 1 Corinthians 7:10-16 →

1 Corinthians 7:11 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ἐὰνeanifG1437

δὲdehoweverG1161

καὶkaiindeedG2532

χωρισθῇ,chōristhēashe shall be separated,G5563

μενέτωmenetōshe should remainG3306

ἄγαμοςagamosunmarriedG22

ἢēorG2228

τῷtōto theG3588

ἀνδρὶandrihusbandG435

καταλλαγήτω·katallagētōshe should be reconciled;G2644

καὶkaiandG2532

ἄνδραandraa husbandG435

γυναῖκαgunaikaa wifeG1135

μὴmēnotG3361

ἀφιέναι.¶aphienaiis to send away.G863

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 1 Corinthians 7:11

Jeremiah 3:1
They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man’s, shall he return unto her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the Lord.
1 Corinthians 7:10
And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband:
Deuteronomy 22:19
And they shall amerce him in an hundred shekels of silver, and give them unto the father of the damsel, because he hath brought up an evil name upon a virgin of Israel: and she shall be his wife; he may not put her away all his days.
Isaiah 50:1
Thus saith the Lord, Where is the bill of your mother’s divorcement, whom I have put away? or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away.
Judges 19:2-3
And his concubine played the whore against him, and went away from him unto her father’s house to Beth–lehem–judah, and was there four whole months. And her husband arose, and went after her, to speak friendly unto her, and to bring her again, having his servant with him, and a couple of asses: and she brought him into her father’s house: and when the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him.
Mark 10:2
And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

or.
Jud 19:2,3; Jer 3:1
and let.
De 22:19; Isa 50:1; Mr 10:2

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

1 Corinthians 7:10
And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband:
1 Corinthians 7:11
But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.
1 Corinthians 7:12
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.

Read all of 1 Corinthians 7

1 Corinthians 7:11 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Y si se apartare, que se quede sin casar, ó reconcíliese con su marido; y que el marido no despida á su mujer.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	(et si elle est séparée, qu’elle demeure sans être mariée, ou qu’elle se réconcilie avec son mari;) et que le mari n’abandonne pas sa femme.
German Elberfelder 1871	und daß ein Mann sein Weib nicht entlasse.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	quod si discesserit, manere innuptam, aut viro suo reconciliari. Et vir uxorem non dimittat.