1 Corinthians 7:14
New International Version
For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.

New Living Translation
For the believing wife brings holiness to her marriage, and the believing husband brings holiness to his marriage. Otherwise, your children would not be holy, but now they are holy.

English Standard Version
For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.

Berean Standard Bible
For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his believing wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy.

Berean Literal Bible
For the unbelieving husband is sanctified in the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified in the husband. Otherwise, your children are unclean; but now they are holy.

King James Bible
For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.

New King James Version
For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy.

New American Standard Bible
For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy.

NASB 1995
For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy.

NASB 1977
For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy.

Legacy Standard Bible
For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband. For otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy.

Amplified Bible
For the unbelieving husband is sanctified [that is, he receives the blessings granted] through his [Christian] wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be [ceremonially] unclean, but as it is they are holy.

Christian Standard Bible
For the unbelieving husband is made holy by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy by the husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is they are holy.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
For the unbelieving husband is set apart for God by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is set apart for God by the husband. Otherwise your children would be corrupt, but now they are set apart for God.

American Standard Version
For the unbelieving husband is sanctified in the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified in the brother: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.

Contemporary English Version
Your husband or wife who isn't a follower is made holy by having you as a partner. This also makes your children holy and keeps them from being unclean in God's sight.

English Revised Version
For the unbelieving husband is sanctified in the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified in the brother: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Actually, the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and an unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise, their children would be unacceptable [to God], but now they are acceptable to him.

Good News Translation
For the unbelieving husband is made acceptable to God by being united to his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made acceptable to God by being united to her Christian husband. If this were not so, their children would be like pagan children; but as it is, they are acceptable to God.

International Standard Version
For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified because of her husband. Otherwise, your children would be unclean, but now they are holy.

Majority Standard Bible
For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his believing wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy.

NET Bible
For the unbelieving husband is sanctified because of the wife, and the unbelieving wife because of her husband. Otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy.

New Heart English Bible
For the unbelieving husband is sanctified in the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the brother. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy.

Webster's Bible Translation
For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.

Weymouth New Testament
For, in such cases, the unbelieving husband has become--and is--holy through union with a Christian woman, and the unbelieving wife is holy through union with a Christian brother. Otherwise your children would be unholy, but in reality they have a place among God's people.

World English Bible
For the unbelieving husband is sanctified in the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified in the husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
for the unbelieving husband has been sanctified in the wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified in the husband; otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy.

Berean Literal Bible
For the unbelieving husband is sanctified in the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified in the husband. Otherwise, your children are unclean; but now they are holy.

Young's Literal Translation
for the unbelieving husband hath been sanctified in the wife, and the unbelieving wife hath been sanctified in the husband; otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy.

Smith's Literal Translation
For the unbelieving husband was consecrated in the wife, and the unbelieving wife was consecrated in the husband: for then are our children unclean; and now are they holy.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the believing wife; and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the believing husband: otherwise your children should be unclean; but now they are holy.

Catholic Public Domain Version
For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through the believing wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through the believing husband. Otherwise, your children would be unclean, whereas instead they are holy.

New American Bible
For the unbelieving husband is made holy through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy through the brother. Otherwise your children would be unclean, whereas in fact they are holy.

New Revised Standard Version
For the unbelieving husband is made holy through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy through her husband. Otherwise, your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
For the husband who is not a convert is sanctified through the wife who is a convert, and the wife who is not a convert is sanctified through the husband who is a convert; otherwise, their children would be impure, but in such cases they are pure.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
That man who is an unbeliever is sanctified by the wife who believes, and that woman who is not a believer is sanctified by the husband who believes, otherwise their children are defiled, but now they are pure.
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; for if not, then are your children unclean; but now they are holy.

Godbey New Testament
For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified by the brother. Since then your children are unclean; but now they are holy.

Haweis New Testament
For the husband that believeth not is sanctified by the wife, and the wife who believeth not is sanctified by the husband: else indeed your children were unclean, but now are they holy.

Mace New Testament
for the unbelieving husband is christianiz'd by the believing wife, and the unbelieving wife is christianiz'd by the believing husband: else were your children heathens: whereas they are christians.

Weymouth New Testament
For, in such cases, the unbelieving husband has become--and is--holy through union with a Christian woman, and the unbelieving wife is holy through union with a Christian brother. Otherwise your children would be unholy, but in reality they have a place among God's people.

Worrell New Testament
For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified in the wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified in the brother; else your children are unclean; but as it is they are holy.

Worsley New Testament
For the unbelieving husband is sanctified in the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified in the husband: else were your children unclean; but they are holy.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Principles of Marriage
13And if a woman has an unbelieving husband and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. 14For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his believing wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. 15But if the unbeliever leaves, let him go. The believing brother or sister is not bound in such cases. God has called you to live in peace.…

Cross References
Acts 16:31
They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.”

Genesis 18:26-32
So the LORD replied, “If I find fifty righteous ones within the city of Sodom, on their account I will spare the whole place.” / Then Abraham answered, “Now that I have ventured to speak to the Lord—though I am but dust and ashes— / suppose the fifty righteous ones lack five. Will You destroy the whole city for the lack of five?” He replied, “If I find forty-five there, I will not destroy it.” ...

Romans 11:16
If the first part of the dough is holy, so is the whole batch; if the root is holy, so are the branches.

1 Peter 3:1-2
Wives, in the same way, submit yourselves to your husbands, so that even if they refuse to believe the word, they will be won over without words by the behavior of their wives / when they see your pure and reverent demeanor.

Matthew 19:6
So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”

Malachi 2:15
Has not the LORD made them one, having a portion of the Spirit? And why one? Because He seeks godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit and do not break faith with the wife of your youth.

Genesis 17:7
I will establish My covenant as an everlasting covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.

Deuteronomy 7:3-4
Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, / because they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods. Then the anger of the LORD will burn against you, and He will swiftly destroy you.

Ezra 9:1-2
After these things had been accomplished, the leaders approached me and said, “The people of Israel, including the priests and Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the surrounding peoples whose abominations are like those of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, and Amorites. / Indeed, the Israelites have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, so that the holy seed has been mixed with the people of the land. And the leaders and officials have taken the lead in this unfaithfulness!”

Nehemiah 13:23-27
In those days I also saw Jews who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. / Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod or of the other peoples, but could not speak the language of Judah. / I rebuked them and called down curses on them. I beat some of these men and pulled out their hair. Then I made them take an oath before God and said, “You must not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters as wives for your sons or for yourselves! ...

2 Corinthians 6:14-15
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership can righteousness have with wickedness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? / What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?

Ephesians 5:21-23
Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. / Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. / For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, His body, of which He is the Savior.

1 Timothy 4:5
because it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

1 Peter 1:15-16
But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, / for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

Leviticus 11:44-45
For I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, because I am holy. You must not defile yourselves by any creature that crawls along the ground. / For I am the LORD, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt so that I would be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy.


Treasury of Scripture

For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.

the unbelieving husband.

1 Corinthians 6:15-17
Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid…

Ezra 9:1,2
Now when these things were done, the princes came to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of the lands, doing according to their abominations, even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites…

1 Timothy 4:5
For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

else.

Ezra 9:2
For they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons: so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass.

Isaiah 52:1
Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.

Malachi 2:15,16
And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth…

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Believing Cases Children Christian Faith God's Holy Husband Indeed Otherwise Reality Sanctified Unbelieving Unclean Unholy Union Wife
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1 Corinthians 7
1. He discusses marriage;
4. showing it to be a remedy against sinful desires,
10. and that the bond thereof ought not lightly to be dissolved.
20. Every man must be content with his vocation.
25. Virginity wherefore to be embraced;
35. and for what respects we may either marry, or abstain from marrying.














For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his believing wife
In the context of 1 Corinthians 7, Paul addresses issues related to marriage, particularly between believers and unbelievers. The term "sanctified" here does not imply salvation but rather a setting apart for a special purpose. In a mixed-faith marriage, the believing spouse brings a sanctifying influence to the household. This reflects the Old Testament principle where the presence of the righteous can bring blessings to others, as seen in Genesis 18:26-32 with Abraham's intercession for Sodom. The believing spouse's faith and conduct can serve as a witness to the unbelieving partner, potentially leading them to faith in Christ.

and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband
This phrase mirrors the previous one, emphasizing the mutual influence spouses have on each other. In the Greco-Roman world, the husband's faith often dictated the family's religious practices. However, Paul acknowledges the spiritual agency of both spouses, regardless of gender. This egalitarian view was countercultural at the time, highlighting the transformative power of the Gospel in breaking down societal norms. The sanctification here is relational and communal, not individual salvation, aligning with the broader biblical theme of God's people being a light to the nations (Isaiah 49:6).

Otherwise your children would be unclean
In Jewish tradition, "unclean" often referred to ceremonial impurity, which could hinder one's participation in religious life. Paul reassures the Corinthian believers that their children are not spiritually disadvantaged by having one unbelieving parent. This reflects the covenantal understanding seen in the Old Testament, where the faith of the parents impacts the spiritual status of the children, as in Deuteronomy 6:6-7. The presence of a believing parent ensures that the children are raised in an environment where they can learn about God and His ways.

but now they are holy
The term "holy" signifies being set apart for God. In this context, it means that the children of a mixed-faith marriage are included in the covenant community and are under the spiritual care and influence of the believing parent. This echoes the promise of Acts 2:39, where the promise of salvation is extended to believers and their children. The holiness here is not inherent but relational, indicating that the children are part of the Christian community and have access to its spiritual blessings and teachings.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Paul the Apostle
The author of 1 Corinthians, addressing the church in Corinth with guidance on marriage and family life.

2. Corinth
A major city in ancient Greece, known for its diverse population and moral challenges, where the early church faced issues of integrating Christian faith with daily life.

3. Believing Spouse
A Christian husband or wife whose faith impacts their family.

4. Unbelieving Spouse
A non-Christian partner in a marriage, who is influenced by the believing spouse's faith.

5. Children of Mixed-Faith Marriages
Offspring of a marriage where one parent is a believer and the other is not, considered "holy" due to the believing parent's influence.
Teaching Points
Sanctification Through Influence
The presence of a believing spouse brings a sanctifying influence to the entire household, setting it apart for God's purposes.

Holiness of Children
Children in mixed-faith marriages are considered holy, meaning they are set apart and have a special place in God's plan due to the faith of one parent.

Faith's Transformative Power
The faith of one family member can have a profound impact on the spiritual environment of the home, potentially leading others to Christ.

Marriage as a Mission Field
Believers in mixed-faith marriages are called to live out their faith authentically, serving as a witness to their spouse and children.

God's Sovereignty in Family Dynamics
Trust in God's ability to work through complex family situations, using the faith of one to bless and influence the whole.(14) The unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife.--Any scruple which a Christian might have felt as to whether matrimonial union with an unbeliever would be defiling is here removed, and the purity of the former teaching justified. In contrast to that other union in which the connection is defiling (1Corinthians 6:16), the purity of the believing partner in this union, being a lawful one, as it were, entirely overweighs the impurity of the unbeliever, it being not a moral, but a kind of ceremonial impurity. The children of such marriages were considered to be Christian children; and the fruit being holy, so must we regard as holy the tree from which it springs. It must be remembered that the "sanctification" and "holiness" here spoken of is not that inward sanctification which springs from the action of the Holy Spirit in the individual heart, but that consecration which arises from being in the body of Christ, which is the Christian Church (Romans 9:16.)

Verse 14. - Is sanctified; literally, has been sanctified, the status has been rendered (so to speak) theoretically clean. By the wife; literally, in the wife. The bond is still holy; its holiness rests in the believing wife or husband. The reasoning would remove any scruples which Jewish Christians might derive from Deuteronomy 7:3, etc. By the husband; rather, in the brother. The liberty implied by these remarks, contrasting so strongly with the rigid rules laid down in the days of Ezra (Ezra 9; Nehemiah 9.) recall the change of dispensation. Unclean; i.e. not placed in immediate covenant relation to God. But now are they holy. This does not necessarily imply that they were baptized as infants, but only that they were hallowed as the fruit of a hallowed union. See the remarkable words of Malachi (Malachi 2:15). "If the root be holy, so are the branches" (Romans 11:16).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
For
γὰρ (gar)
Conjunction
Strong's 1063: For. A primary particle; properly, assigning a reason.

the
(ho)
Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

unbelieving
ἄπιστος (apistos)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 571: (passively) untrustworthy (person), or incredible (thing).

husband
ἀνὴρ (anēr)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 435: A male human being; a man, husband. A primary word; a man.

is sanctified
ἡγίασται (hēgiastai)
Verb - Perfect Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 37: From hagios; to make holy, i.e. purify or consecrate; to venerate.

through
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

[his]
τῇ (tē)
Article - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

[believing] wife,
γυναικί (gynaiki)
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 1135: A woman, wife, my lady. Probably from the base of ginomai; a woman; specially, a wife.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

the
(hē)
Article - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

unbelieving
ἄπιστος (apistos)
Adjective - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 571: (passively) untrustworthy (person), or incredible (thing).

wife
γυνὴ (gynē)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 1135: A woman, wife, my lady. Probably from the base of ginomai; a woman; specially, a wife.

is sanctified
ἡγίασται (hēgiastai)
Verb - Perfect Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 37: From hagios; to make holy, i.e. purify or consecrate; to venerate.

through
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

[her]
τῷ (tō)
Article - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

[believing] husband.
ἀδελφῷ (adelphō)
Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 80: A brother, member of the same religious community, especially a fellow-Christian. A brother near or remote.

Otherwise
ἐπεὶ (epei)
Conjunction
Strong's 1893: Of time: when, after; of cause: since, because; otherwise: else. From epi and ei; thereupon, i.e. Since.

your
ὑμῶν (hymōn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

children
τέκνα (tekna)
Noun - Nominative Neuter Plural
Strong's 5043: A child, descendent, inhabitant. From the base of timoria; a child.

would be
ἐστιν (estin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

unclean,
ἀκάθαρτά (akatharta)
Adjective - Nominative Neuter Plural
Strong's 169: Unclean, impure. Impure (lewd) or specially, (demonic).

but
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

now
νῦν (nyn)
Adverb
Strong's 3568: A primary particle of present time; 'now'; also as noun or adjective present or immediate.

they are
ἐστιν (estin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

holy.
ἅγιά (hagia)
Adjective - Nominative Neuter Plural
Strong's 40: Set apart by (or for) God, holy, sacred. From hagos; sacred.


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NT Letters: 1 Corinthians 7:14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified (1 Cor. 1C iC 1Cor i cor icor)
1 Corinthians 7:13
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