“The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.”
My Notes
What Does 1 Corinthians 7:39 Mean?
"The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord." Paul states the MARRIAGE principle: the wife is BOUND to her husband for LIFE. Death ends the bond. After the husband's death, the wife has LIBERTY to remarry — to WHOM SHE WILL (her choice), with ONE condition: ONLY IN THE LORD. The freedom is REAL. The restriction is SINGULAR. The liberty to choose is complete within one boundary: in the Lord.
The phrase "bound by the law as long as her husband liveth" (gynē dedetai nomō eph' hoson chronon zē ho anēr autēs — a wife has been bound by law for as much time as her husband lives) makes the marriage bond LIFELONG: the binding (dedetai — perfect tense, completed action with ongoing result) lasts as long as the husband LIVES. The bond is TEMPORAL — it has a duration. But the duration is the husband's LIFETIME. Death is the only natural release. The bond is as permanent as the life.
The "only in the Lord" (monon en Kyriō — only in the Lord) is the SINGLE condition on the remarriage-freedom: the widow may marry ANYONE she chooses — with one qualifier. The marriage must be 'in the Lord' — within the sphere of Christ, to a fellow believer, under the Lordship of Christ. The freedom is broad (whom she will). The restriction is narrow (in the Lord). The breadth of choice operates within the boundary of faith.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Do you hold both the permanence of the bond AND the liberty of the release?
- 2.What does 'whom she will' — her choice, her initiative — teach about the autonomy of widows?
- 3.How does 'only in the Lord' being the SINGULAR condition honor the breadth of freedom?
- 4.What does the marriage bond being lifelong but TERMINABLE by death teach about permanence?
Devotional
Bound for life. Free at death. Marry whom she will — ONLY in the Lord. The marriage bond lasts as long as the husband lives. Death releases. Remarriage is free — to anyone she CHOOSES — with one condition: in the Lord. The freedom is broad. The restriction is singular. The choice is hers within the boundary of faith.
The 'bound by the law as long as her husband liveth' makes the marriage bond LIFELONG and LAW-BASED: the binding isn't just emotional or social. It's LEGAL (nomō — by law). The duration is the husband's LIFETIME. The bond doesn't expire by mutual agreement, by dissatisfaction, or by changed feelings. It expires by DEATH. The permanence is as permanent as the life. The bond and the breath end together.
The 'she is at liberty to be married to whom she will' grants REAL FREEDOM: the liberty isn't theoretical. It's PRACTICAL — the widow may marry whomever SHE wills. The choice is HERS. The initiative is HERS. The selection is HERS. The freedom isn't 'she may remarry if the church approves.' It's 'she may marry whom SHE WILL.' The autonomy within the boundary is complete.
The 'only in the Lord' is the SINGULAR boundary on the broad freedom: among all the people the widow might choose, the choice must be 'in the Lord' — within the Christian community, under Christ's Lordship, to a fellow believer. The restriction is ONE restriction. Not a list. Not a committee's approval. ONE condition: in the Lord. The simplicity of the boundary honors the breadth of the freedom.
Do you hold both — the permanence of the bond AND the liberty of the release? And does 'only in the Lord' shape your choices?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth,.... That is, she is bound to her husband, by the law of…
The wife is bound ... - ; see the notes at Rom 7:2. Only in the Lord - That is, only to one who is a Christian; with a…
The wife is bound by the law - This seems to be spoken in answer to some other question of the Corinthians to this…
The whole is here closed up with advice to widows: As long as the husband liveth the wife is bound by the law, confined…
The Second Marriage of Women
39. The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth Cf. Rom 7:2.
if her husband…
Cross References
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