fornication, sexual immorality

The Greek that is translated as “sexual immorality” or “fornication” or similar is translated much more specifically in some languages. Morelos Nahuatl has “let a man not yield himself to another woman except only to his wife. Also let a woman not yield herself to another man except only to her husband” or in Lalana Chinantec as “not proper for them to mix themselves with other women. The same is true of women for other men also.” (Source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)

In Low German as Hurenkram or “things related to prostitution (and/or sleeping around)” (translation by Johannes Jessen, publ. 1933, republ. 2006).

complete verse (1 Corinthians 7:2)

Following are a number of back-translations of 1 Corinthians 7:2:

  • Uma: “But I [emphatic] say, it’s better a man have-relations-with [transitive verb based on the root ‘woman’] his own wife/woman, and a woman have-relation-with [transitive verb based on the room ‘man’] her own husband/man, so that no-one behaves wrongly as so often happens.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “But because now many men and women do bad, it is better if each one of you has a husband or a wife.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “However, since there are so many people who get involved with someone who is not their spouse, it’s better if a man gets married and if a woman gets married, because you might be influenced by those people whose activities are filthy.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “but since many people are sleeping-with with someone who is not their spouse, it’s better yet if you get-married so that each one will have a proper spouse.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “But if that’s what can lead men into immoral-behavior with one not their spouse, each married-couple is to enjoy/be-happy-with his/her own spouse.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “But it is know that people everywhere very much commit adultery. Therefore it is better that the man has a wife. And that the woman has a husband.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on 1 Corinthians 7:2

The first few words of the Greek are literally “because of (sexual) immorality” (see comments on 5.1). Most translations have found it necessary to expand this phrase. The temptation to is implied in the Greek, as is Good News Bible‘s rendering “so much.” Barrett brings out the meaning by translating “because cases of fornication occur.” The word translated “fornication” or “immorality” is plural, implying more than one act. Barclay has “In order to avoid illicit sexual relationships.” The difference in meaning between “in order to avoid immorality” and “because there is so much immorality” is not great; the second translation implies the first.

Each man should have is literally a command using the third person singular, but this is misleading. Although Paul uses a grammatical imperative, he is really not ordering anyone to do anything. The meaning is closer to Bible en français courant‘s rendering, “it is better for each man to have….” More precisely, Paul is not ordering the Corinthians to marry, but is saying that it may be necessary for men to marry in order to avoid sexual immorality (compare verse 9). In this context the word have does not mean “get married” but “be in a married state.”

The Greek word translated as own is different in the two parts of the verse. The two Greek words are used consistently in the New Testament in speaking respectively of husbands (Eph 5.28, 33) and wives (1 Cor 14.35; Eph 5.22; Titus 2.5; 1 Peter 3.1, 5). If there is any difference of meaning, the first expression would mean “a wife who belongs to him,” and the second “a husband who is hers alone.” The difference is so slight that all translations that we consulted have ignored it. Far more important is the fact that Paul here, and especially in verses 3-4, says that husbands and wives are equally obligated to each other and therefore are not to have sexual relations with others.

Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, 2nd edition. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1985/1994. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .