To the unmarried and to the widows

(τοις αγαμοις κα ταις χηραις). It is possible that by "the unmarried" (masculine plural) the apostle means only men since widows are added and since virgins receive special treatment later (verse 1 Corinthians 7:25) and in verse 1 Corinthians 7:32 ο αγαμος is the unmarried man. It is hardly likely that Paul means only widowers and widows and means to call himself a widower by ως καγω (even as I). After discussing marital relations in verses 1 Corinthians 7:2-7 he returns to the original question in verse 1 Corinthians 7:1 and repeats his own personal preference as in verse 1 Corinthians 7:7. He does not say that it is better to be unmarried, but only that it is good (καλον as in verse 1 Corinthians 7:1) for them to remain unmarried. Αγαμος is an old word and in N.T. occurs only in this passage. In verses 1 Corinthians 7:11; 1 Corinthians 7:34 it is used of women where the old Greeks would have used ανανδρος, without a husband.

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Old Testament