SEV Biblia, Chapter 5:1
¶ De cierto se oye que hay entre vosotros fornicacin, y tal fornicacin cual ni aun (se nombra) entre los gentiles; tanto que alguno tiene la mujer de su padre.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 Corinthians 5:1
Verse 1. There is fornication among you] The word porneia, which we translate fornication in this place, must be understood in its utmost latitude of meaning, as implying all kinds of impurity; for, that the Corinthians were notoriously guilty of every species of irregularity and debauch, we have already seen; and it is not likely that in speaking on this subject, in reference to a people so very notorious, he would refer to only one species of impurity, and that not the most flagitious. That one should have his father's wife.] Commentators and critics have found great difficulties in this statement. One part of the case is sufficiently clear, that a man who professed Christianity had illegal connections with his father's wife; but the principal question is, was his father alive or dead? Most think that the father was alive, and imagine that to this the apostle refers, 2 Corinthians vii. 12, where, speaking of the person who did the wrong, he introduces also him who had suffered the wrong; which must mean the father and the father then alive. After all that has been said on this subject, I think it most natural to conclude that the person in question had married the wife of his deceased father, not his own mother, but stepmother, then a widow.
This was a crime which the text says was not so much as named among the Gentiles; the apostle must only mean that it was not accredited by them, for it certainly did often occur: but by their best writers who notice it, it was branded as superlatively infamous. Cicero styles it, scelus incredibile et inauditum, an incredible and unheard of wickedness; but it was heard of and practised; and there are several stories of this kind in heathen authors, but they reprobate not commend it. The word onomazetai, named, is wanting in almost every MS. and version of importance, and certainly makes no part of the text. The words should be read, and such fornication as is not amongst the Gentiles, i.e., not allowed.
Some think that this woman might have been a proselyte to the Jewish religion from heathenism; and the rabbins taught that proselytism annulled all former relationship, and that a woman was at liberty in such a case to depart from an unbelieving husband, and to marry even with a believing son, i.e., of her husband by some former wife.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 1. It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you , etc.] The apostle having reproved the Corinthians for their schisms and divisions about their ministers, proceeds to charge them with immoralities committed among them, and which were connived at, and took no notice of by them; and particularly a very notorious one, which he here mentions with its aggravated circumstances. It was done among them; not only by one of their citizens, nor merely by one of their hearers, but by one of their members, and so was cognizable by them as a church; for though they had nothing to do with them that were without, yet they were concerned with them that were within: this was a public offence; it was known by everyone, and it was in everybodys mouth; it was heard in all companies; it was commonly, olwv , universally talked of, and reported; it was generally known at Corinth, and in all Achaia, so that the church could not plead ignorance, nor could they be excused from blame in not as publicly declaring their abhorrence of the fact, as it was committed, which was fornication: fornication, olwv , generally taken, might be committed among them in all the branches of it, as that may include simple fornication, adultery, incest, and all acts of uncleanness; wherefore the apostle proceeds to describe that particular instance of fornication, that one of their members was guilty of: and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his fathers wife ; not but that such unnatural copulations were practised, as among the Indians, Moors, Bactrians, Ethiopians, Medes, and Persians, as reported by sundry writers f47 ; and among the Arabians, before prohibited by Mahomet f48 ; but then such marriages and mixtures were not allowed of among the more civil and cultivated nations, as the Grecians and Romans, and never mentioned but with detestation and abhorrence: and if this man was a Jew, it was an aggravation of his sin, that he should be guilty of a crime decried by the Gentiles, as well as it was a violation of a known law of God given to the Jews, ( Leviticus 18:7) and, according to the Jewish writers f49 , such a man was doubly guilty: their canon is, ba ta l[ abh he that lies with his fathers wife is guilty, on account of her being his fathers wife, and on account of her being another mans wife, whether in his fathers life time, or after his death, and whether espoused or married; and such an one was to be stoned. Of this kind was this mans crime; he had his fathers wife, not his own mother, but his stepmother; for there is a distinction between a mother and a fathers wife, as in the above canon. These are to be stoned, he that lies with his mother, or with his fathers wife.
Whether this man had married his fathers wife, or kept her as his concubine, continuing in an incestuous cohabitation with her, is not certain, and whether his father was dead or living; which latter seems to be the case from ( 2 Corinthians 7:12) his iniquity was abominable and intolerable, and by no means to be winked at in church of Christ. Ver. 2. And ye are puffed up , etc.] Either with the gifts, learning, and eloquence of their preachers, and particularly of this man, who, by some, is thought to be one of their teachers; and though he was guilty of so foul a crime, yet they still applauded him, and cried him up for a wonderful preacher: or one party was puffed up against another; that which was opposite to the party this man belonged to, boasting over the other as free from the scandal that was exposed unto; or the other were puffed up with their lenity and forbearance, boasting of it as an act of humanity and good nature, and an instance of charity, showing that they were not severe upon one another, for mistakes in life: or else were puffed up and gloried in the thing itself, as an instance of Christian liberty, and their freedom from the law, through a sad mistake of it; and in which they might be strengthened by a notion of the Jews, that it was lawful for proselyted Gentiles to do such things, for so says Maimonides f50 . The sentence of the law is, that it is free for a Gentile wma ay , to marry his mother, or his sister that are made proselytes; but the wise men forbid this thing, that they may not say we are come from a holiness that is heavy, to one that is light.
But this writer concludes that a proselyte might marry his fathers brothers wife, and his fathers wife; and so says his commentator f51 , and observes, that it was the opinion of R. Akiba, which Rabbi was contemporary with the Apostle Paul: so that this notion prevailed in his days, and does in some measure account for the commission of such a sin by a church member, and the churchs negligence about it: and have not rather mourned ; not only personally, and separately, but as a body; they ought to have met together as a church, and humbled themselves before God for this scandalous iniquity done in the midst of them, and pray unto him, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you ; not by excommunication, for that they could and ought to have done themselves; but by the immediate hand of God, inflicting some visible punishment, and taking him away by an untimely death, which the Jews call tyrk , cutting off, by the hand of God; and such a punishment, they say, this crime deserved; according to them, there were six and thirty cuttings off in the law, or so many things which deserved death by the hand of God; and the two first that are mentioned are these, he that lies with his mother or with his fathers wife f52 .
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-8 - The apostle notices a flagrant abuse, winked at by the Corinthians Party spirit, and a false notion of Christian liberty, seem to have saved the offender from censure. Grievous indeed is it that crime should sometimes be committed by professors of the gospel, of whic even heathens would be ashamed. Spiritual pride and false doctrine tend to bring in, and to spread such scandals. How dreadful the effect of sin! The devil reigns where Christ does not. And a man is in his kingdom, and under his power, when not in Christ. The bad example of man of influence is very mischievous; it spreads far and wide. Corrup principles and examples, if not corrected, would hurt the whole church Believers must have new hearts, and lead new lives. Their commo conversation and religious deeds must be holy. So far is the sacrific of Christ our Passover for us, from rendering personal and publi holiness unnecessary, that it furnishes powerful reasons and motive for it. Without holiness we can neither live by faith in him, nor joi in his ordinances with comfort and profit.
Greek Textus Receptus
ολως 3654 ADV ακουεται 191 5743 V-PPI-3S εν 1722 PREP υμιν 5213 P-2DP πορνεια 4202 N-NSF και 2532 CONJ τοιαυτη 5108 D-NSF πορνεια 4202 N-NSF ητις 3748 R-NSF ουδε 3761 ADV εν 1722 PREP τοις 3588 T-DPN εθνεσιν 1484 N-DPN ονομαζεται 3687 5743 V-PPI-3S ωστε 5620 CONJ γυναικα 1135 N-ASF τινα 5100 X-ASF του 3588 T-GSM πατρος 3962 N-GSM εχειν 2192 5721 V-PAN
Vincent's NT Word Studies
1. Commonly (olwv). Better, absolutely or actually, as Rev.Should have. Opinions are divided as to whether the relation was that of marriage or concubinage. The former is urged on the ground that ecein to have is commonly used in the New Testament of marriage; and that the aorist participles poihsav (so Tex. Rec.) had done, and katergasamenon hath wrought, imply that an incestuous marriage had already taken place. It is urged, on the other hand, that ecein to have is used of concubinage, John iv. 18; but it takes its meaning there from the sense of marriage in the preceding clause, and is really a kind of play on the word. "He who now stands for thy husband is not thy husband." The indications seem to be in favor of marriage. Notwithstanding the facilities for divorce afforded by the Roman law, and the loose morals of the Corinthians, for a man to marry his stepmother was regarded as a scandal.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
5:1 {Actually} (holws). Literally, wholly, altogether, like Latin _omnino_ and Greek pantws (#1Co 9:22). So papyri have it for "really" and also for "generally" or "everywhere" as is possible here. See also #6:7. With a negative it has the sense of "not at all" as in #15:29; Mt 5:34 the only N.T. examples, though a common word. {It is reported} (akouetai). Present passive indicative of akouw, to hear; so literally, it is heard. "Fornication is heard of among you." Probably the household of Chloe (#1:11) brought this sad news (Ellicott). {And such} (kai toiaute). Climactic qualitative pronoun showing the revolting character of this particular case of illicit sexual intercourse. porneia is sometimes used (#Ac 15:20,29) of such sin in general and not merely of the unmarried whereas moiceia is technically adultery on the part of the married (#Mr 7:21). {As is not even among the Gentiles} (hetis oude en tois eqnesin). Height of scorn. The Corinthian Christians were actually trying to win pagans to Christ and living more loosely than the Corinthian heathen among whom the very word "Corinthianize" meant to live in sexual wantonness and license. See Cicero _pro Cluentio_, v. 14. {That one of you hath his father's wife} (hwste gunaika tina tou patros ecein). "So as (usual force of hwste) for one to go on having (ecein, present infinitive) a wife of the (his) father." It was probably a permanent union (concubine or mistress) of some kind without formal marriage like #Joh 4:8. The woman probably was not the offender's mother (step-mother) and the father may have been dead or divorced. The Jewish law prescribed stoning for this crime (#Le 18:8; 22:11; De 22:30). But the rabbis (Rabbi Akibah) invented a subterfuge in the case of a proselyte to permit such a relation. Perhaps the Corinthians had also learned how to split hairs over moral matters in such an evil atmosphere and so to condone this crime in one of their own members. Expulsion Paul had urged in #2Th 3:6 for such offenders.
