SEV Biblia, Chapter 7:36
¶ Mas, si a alguno parece cosa fea en su hija, que pase ya de edad, y que así conviene que se haga, haga lo que quisiere, no peca; csese.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 Corinthians 7:36
Verse 36. Uncomely towards his virgin] Different meanings have been assigned to this verse; I shall mention three of the principal. 1. "In those early times, both among the Hebrews and Christians, the daughters were wholly in the power of the father, so that he might give or not give them in marriage as he chose; and might bind them to perpetual celibacy if he thought proper; and to this case the apostle alludes. If the father had devoted his daughter to perpetual virginity, and he afterwards found that she had fixed her affections upon a person whom she was strongly inclined to marry, and was now getting past the prime of life; he, seeing from his daughter's circumstances that it would be wrong to force her to continue in her state of celibacy; though he had determined before to keep her single, yet he might in this case alter his purpose without sin, and let her and her suitor marry." 2. "The whole verse and its context speaks of young women dedicated to the service of God, who were called parqenoi, virgins, in the primitive Church. And a case is put here, 'that circumstances might occur to render the breach of even a vow of this kind necessary, and so no sin be committed.'" 3. "The apostle by parqenov, does not mean a virgin, but the state of virginity or celibacy, whether in man or woman." Both Mr. Locke and Dr. Whitby are of this opinion, and the latter reasons on it thus:- It is generally supposed that these three verses relate to virgins under the power of parents and guardians and the usual inference is, that children are to be disposed of in marriage by the parents, guardians, &c. Now this may be true, but it has no foundation in the text, for threin thn eautou parqenon is not to keep his daughter's, but his own virginity, or rather his purpose of virginity; for, as Phavorinus says, He is called a virgin who freely gives himself up to the Lord, renouncing matrimony, and preferring a life spent in continency. And that this must be the true import of these words appears from this consideration, that this depends upon the purpose of his own heart, and the power he has over his own will, and the no necessity arising from himself to change this purpose. Whereas the keeping a daughter unmarried depends not on these conditions on her father's part but on her own; for, let her have a necessity, and surely the apostle would not advise the father to keep her a virgin, because he had determined so to do; nor could there be any doubt whether the father had power over his own will or not, when no necessity lay upon him to betroth his virgin. The Greek runs to this sense: if he had stood already firm in his heart, finding no necessity, viz. to change his purpose; and hath power over his own will, not to marry; finding himself able to persist in the resolution he had made to keep his virginity, he does well to continue a virgin: and then the phrase, if any man think he behaves himself unseemly towards his virgin, if it be over-aged, and thinks he ought rather to join in marriage, refers to the opinions both of Jews and Gentiles that all ought to marry. The Jews say that the time of marriage is from 16 or 17 to 20; while some of the Gentiles specify from 30 to 35. If any think thus, says the apostle, let them do what they will, they sin not: let them marry. And then he concludes with those words applied to both cases: so then, both he that marries doeth well, and he that marries not, doeth better. This last opinion seems to be the true sense of the apostle.
It may be necessary to make a few general observations on these verses, summing up what has been said.
1. parqenov here should be considered as implying not a virgin, but the state of virginity or celibacy.
2. uperakmov, over-aged, must refer to the passing of that time in which both the laws and customs of Jews and Gentiles required men to marry. See above, and see the note on ver. 6.
3. kai outwv ofeilei ginesqai, And need so require; or, if there appear to be a necessity; is to be understood of any particular change in his circumstances or in his feelings; or, that he finds, from the law and custom in the case, that it is a scandal for him not to marry; then let him do what he wills or purposes.
4. Instead of gameitwsan, let THEM marry, I think gameitw, let HIM marry, is the true reading, and agrees best with the context. This reading is supported by D*EFG, Syriac, in the Arabic, Slavonic, one of the Itala, and St. Augustine. Si nubat, if he marry, is the reading of the Vulgate, several copies of the Itala, Ambrose, Jerome, Ambrosiaster, Sedulius, and Bede.
This reading is nearly of the same import with the other: Let him do what he willeth, he sinneth not, let him marry; or, he sinneth not if he marry.
5. The whole of the 37th verse relates to the purpose that the man has formed; and the strength that he has to keep his purpose of perpetual celibacy, being under no necessity to change that purpose.
6. Instead of o ekgamizwn, he who giveth her in marriage, I purpose to read o gamizwn, he who marrieth, which is the reading of the Codex Alexandrinus, the Codex Vaticanus, No. 1209, and of some others: with Clement, Methodius, and Basil. thn eautou parqenon, his own virgin, is added after the above, by several very ancient and reputable MSS, as also by the Syriac, Armenian, Vulgate, AEthiopic, Clement, Basil, Optatus, and others; but it seems so much like a gloss, that Griesbach has not made it even a candidate for a place in the text. He then who marrieth, though previously intending perpetual virginity, doeth well; as this is agreeable to laws both Divine and human: and he who marrieth not, doeth better, because of the present distress. See 1 Cor. vii. 26.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 36. But if any man think , etc.] This some understand of a man that is engaged, or betrothed to a virgin, and protracts marriage, who may use his prudence in consummating it, if he pleases, for any thing the apostle has said to the contrary: but it is better to understand it of a parent, or one that has the care and guardianship of virgins; if such an one is of opinion, that he behaveth himself uncomely towards his virgin : by exposing her to contempt and reproach, in retaining her at home, and not giving her in marriage when at proper age for such a state; it being reckoned reproachful to be at, or past the age of marriage, or to be in years, and not married; or by so doing lay her under temptation to do that which is uncomely, to commit fornication, which would be uncomely, both to him, and to her; and such a tendency has living in a single state, contrary to inclination. The apostle may have respect to a Jewish tradition founded upon the supposed sense of ( Leviticus 19:29) do not prostitute thy daughter to cause her to be a whore f138 . Says R. Eliezer, this is he who marries his daughter to an old man.
Says R. Akiba, (who was contemporary with the apostle,) this is he who detains his daughter at home when she is marriageable. If she pass the flower of her age ; that is, one that is arrived to years of maturity, is ripe for marriage, and is what the Jewish doctors call trgb ; who, according to them, was one of twelve years and a half old f139 , at which age virgins were judged fit to marry: hence that saying of theirs f140 if thy daughter, hrgb , is ripe, or come to the flower of her age, make thy servant free and give her to him.
Moreover, according to their canons, such an one was no longer under her fathers power; for so runs the canon f141 , hrgb wyk when she is at the flower of her age, she is no more under her fathers power: her father cannot make void her vows, though a husband can f142 : and need so require : that she be given in marriage to a man; if she has not the gift of continence; if she is in danger of falling into the sin of fornication, and the father or guardian are sensible of this: let him do what he will, he sinneth not ; he is under no obligation by what the apostle had said to detain her in a single life; he may give her in marriage if he pleases: he may do what she will , as it may be rendered; comply with her inclination and desire in marrying her to some person; in doing which, neither he nor she will break any law of God, and so not sin therein: let them marry ; let parents marry their children when this is the case; let the young men and young women marry who are so disposed; there is no reason why they should not; there is nothing contrary to it in the word of God, nor in the advice of the apostle; nay, according to him, it was much better to marry than to burn, or to be exposed to any snare and temptation.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 36-40 - The apostle is thought to give advice here about the disposal of children in marriage. In this view, the general meaning is plain Children should seek and follow the directions of their parents as to marriage. And parents should consult their children's wishes; and no reckon they have power to do with them, and dictate just as the please, without reason. The whole is closed with advice to widows Second marriages are not unlawful, so that it is kept in mind, to marr in the Lord. In our choice of relations, and change of conditions, we should always be guided by the fear of God, and the laws of God, an act in dependence on the providence of God. Change of condition ough only to be made after careful consideration, and on probable grounds that it will be to advantage in our spiritual concerns __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
ει 1487 COND δε 1161 CONJ τις 5100 X-NSM ασχημονειν 807 5721 V-PAN επι 1909 PREP την 3588 T-ASF παρθενον 3933 N-ASF αυτου 846 P-GSM νομιζει 3543 5719 V-PAI-3S εαν 1437 COND η 5600 5753 V-PXS-3S υπερακμος 5230 A-NSM και 2532 CONJ ουτως 3779 ADV οφειλει 3784 5719 V-PAI-3S γινεσθαι 1096 5738 V-PNN ο 3739 R-ASN θελει 2309 5719 V-PAI-3S ποιειτω 4160 5720 V-PAM-3S ουχ 3756 PRT-N αμαρτανει 264 5719 V-PAI-3S γαμειτωσαν 1060 5720 V-PAM-3P
Vincent's NT Word Studies
36. Behaveth himself uncomely (aschmonein). Acts unbecomingly, either by throwing temptation in the daughter's way by constraining her to remain unmarried, or by exposing her to the disgrace which was supposed to attach to the unmarried state. But Paul, in his preceding words, has regarded the latter consideration as set aside by the peculiar circumstances of the time.His virgin (thn parqenon autou). Rev. properly inserts daughter. It is an unusual expression for daughter. Xenophon uses it with the word qugathr daughter ("Cyropaedia," iv., 6, 9), and Oedipus speaks of his two daughters as my maidens (Sophocles, "Oedipus Tyrannus," 1462) Pass the flower of her age (h uperakmov). Rev., correctly, be past. Beyond the bloom of life. Plato fixes the point at twenty years ("Republic," 460). Diogenes Laertius says: "An undowered maiden is a heavy burden to a father after she has outrun the flower of her age" ("Lycon," v., 65) Let them marry. Evidently there was assumed to be another in the case beside the father and the virgin.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
7:36 {That he behaveth himself unseemly} (ascemonein). Old verb, here only in N.T., from ascemwn (#1Co 12:23), from a privative and scema. Occurs in the papyri. Infinitive in indirect discourse after nomizei (thinks) with ei (condition of first class, assumed as true). {If she be past the flower of her age} (ean ei huperakmos). Old word, only here in N.T., from huper (over) and akme (prime or bloom of life), past the bloom of youth, _superadultus_ (Vulgate). Compound adjective with feminine form like masculine. Apparently the Corinthians had asked Paul about the duty of a father towards his daughter old enough to marry. {If need so requireth} (kai houtws ofeilei ginesqai). "And it ought to happen." Paul has discussed the problem of marriage for virgins on the grounds of expediency. Now he faces the question where the daughter wishes to marry and there is no serious objection to it. The father is advised to consent. Roman and Greek fathers had the control of the marriage of their daughters. "My marriage is my father's care; it is not for me to decide about that" (Hermione in Euripides' _Andromache_, 987). {Let them marry} (gameitwsan). Present active plural imperative (long form).
