SEV Biblia, Chapter 7:1
¶ En cuanto a las cosas de que me escribisteis, bien es al hombre no tocar mujer.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 Corinthians 7:1
Verse 1. The things whereof ye wrote unto me] It is sufficiently evident that the principal part of this epistle was written in answer to some questions which had been sent to the apostle in a letter from the Corinthian Church; and the first question seems to be this: "Is it proper for a man to marry in the present circumstances of the Church?" The question concerning the expediency or inexpediency of marriage was often agitated among the ancient philosophers; and many, though inclined to decide against it, because of the troubles and cares connected with it, tolerated it in their opinions; because, though an evil, it was judged to be a necessary evil. The words of Menander are full to this effect: gamein, ean tiv thn alhqeian skoph, kakon men estin, all anagkaion kakon? "If a man consider marriage in a proper point of view, it is an evil; but then it is a necessary evil." Metellus Numidicus spoke of it nearly in the same way. Si sine uxore possemus, Quirites, esse, omnes ea molestia careremus; sed quoniam ita natura tradidit, ut nec CUM ILLIS salis commode, nec SINE ILLIS ullo modo vivi possit, saluti perpetus potius quam brevi voluptati consulendum. "If, O ye Romans, we could live unmarried, we should be saved from a great deal of trouble; but, seeing that nature has so ordered it that we cannot live very comfortably with wives, and without them cannot live at all, marriage should be adopted, not for the sake of the short-lived pleasure, but rather for perpetual safety." But this was not the common opinion; the Jews absolutely required that every man should marry, and reputed those as murderers who did not. - See on ver. 6. By the laws of Lycurgus unmarried persons were prohibited from seeing the public games. By the laws of the Spartans bachelors were punished. And Plato declares all such unworthy of any honour. And to this the commentator says, Amen. Not to touch a woman] gunaikov mh aptesqai? The learned reader need not be informed in what sense aptomai is used among the Greeks, and langere among the Latins. For examples Wetstein may be consulted.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 1. Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me , etc.] Though the false apostles had greatly influenced the members of this church, yet there were many among them that had a very great respect for the apostle, and kept up a correspondence with him, though at a distance from him, by writing; in which way they informed him of their doubts and difficulties, that arose in their minds about certain things, and desired his judgment in them, to which they paid a very great deference. The things they wrote to him about, here referred to, may be collected from the contents of this chapter, and some others following; as whether a Christian man ought not to abstain from the use of women; whether a believer ought to live with an unbelieving yoke fellow; whether such as had been circumcised should not make use of some methods to draw on the foreskin of their flesh; whether apprentices, who were called by the grace of God, ought to serve out their time with their masters; and concerning celibacy or virginity, the eating of things offered to idols, and the maintenance of ministers: and he begins with the first; to which he answers, it is good for a man not to touch a woman ; which is to be understood, not of merely touching a woman, which can neither be criminal, nor in all cases inexpedient, or be attended with any ill, or dangerous consequences; nor of the matrimonial contract, which is lawful and honourable; but of the act of carnal copulation with a woman: in this sense the Jews use the phrase, there are three (they say f89 ) that fled from transgression, and the blessed God joined his name with them; and they are these, Joseph, and Joel, and Phalti. Joseph, as appears from what is said, ( Psalm 81:5) a testimony in Joseph is his name; what is the meaning of the phrase in Joseph? this testifies concerning him, rpyjwp tab [gn al , that he did not touch Potiphars wife (i.e. he did not lie with her); Jael, as is clear from what is said, ( Judges 4:18) and Jael went forth to meet Sisera, and she covered him with a mantle; what is the meaning of the phrase, hkymb ? (which is rendered, with a mantle;) our Rabbins here (in Babylon) say with a linen cloth; but our Rabbins there (in the land of Israel) say with bed clothes; says Resh Lekish, if we run over the whole Scripture, we shall not find any household goods so called; wherefore what is it? it is all one as hk ym , my name is thus: and the meaning is, my name witnesses concerning her, [r wtwa hb [gn al , that that wicked one (Sisera) did not touch her f90 ; (i.e. had not carnal knowledge of her;) Phalti, as is evident from hence, one Scripture says, and Saul gave Michal his daughter to Phalti, ( 1 Samuel 25:44) and another Scripture says Phaltiel; sometimes he is called Phalti, and sometimes he is called Phaltiel; who takes Phalti? and who gives Phaltiel? but I testify concerning him; dwd tab [gn al , that he did not touch Davids wife; (i.e. did not lie with her;) (see Genesis 20:6). And in this sense also is the word touch used, both by Greek and Latin authors. The apostles meaning is not that it is unlawful to marry, or that it is sinful to lie with a woman in lawful wedlock; but that it is much better, and more expedient on several accounts, to abstain from the use of women, when persons have the gift of continency.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-9 - The apostle tells the Corinthians that it was good, in that juncture of time, for Christians to keep themselves single. Yet he says tha marriage, and the comforts of that state, are settled by Divine wisdom Though none may break the law of God, yet that perfect rule leaves me at liberty to serve him in the way most suited to their powers an circumstances, of which others often are very unfit judges. All mus determine for themselves, seeking counsel from God how they ought to act.
Greek Textus Receptus
περι 4012 PREP δε 1161 CONJ ων 3739 R-GPN εγραψατε 1125 5656 V-AAI-2P μοι 3427 P-1DS καλον 2570 A-NSN ανθρωπω 444 N-DSM γυναικος 1135 N-GSF μη 3361 PRT-N απτεσθαι 680 5733 V-PMN
Vincent's NT Word Studies
1. It is good (kalon). See on John x. 11. Not merely expedient, but morally salutary. The statement, however, is made in the light of circumstances, see ver. 26, and is to be read with others, such as 2 Corinthians xi. 2; Rom. vii. 4; Eph. v. 28-33, in all which marriage is made the type of the union between Christ and His Church. See also Heb. xiii. 4. 5 May give yourselves (scolashte). Lit., may have leisure. Like the Latin phrase vacaare rei to be free for a thing, and so to devote one's self to it.
Incontinency (akrasian). Only here and Matt. xxiii. 35, on which see note.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
7:1 {Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote} (peri de hwn egrayate). An ellipsis of peri toutwn, the antecedent of peri hwn, is easily supplied as in papyri. The church had written Paul a letter in which a number of specific problems about marriage were raised. He answers them _seriatim_. The questions must be clearly before one in order intelligently to interpret Paul's replies. The first is whether a single life is wrong. Paul pointedly says that it is not wrong, but good (kalon). One will get a one-sided view of Paul's teaching on marriage unless he keeps a proper perspective. One of the marks of certain heretics will be forbidding to marry (#1Ti 4:3). Paul uses marriage as a metaphor of our relation to Christ (#2Co 11:2; Ro 7:4; Eph 5:28-33). Paul is not here opposing marriage. He is only arguing that celibacy may be good in certain limitations. The genitive case with haptesqai (touch) is the usual construction.
