Art thou bound unto a wife?
&c.] Or to a woman; either by promise, or by espousal, or by consummate marriage; either of which is a tic, or obligation, a bond, and especially the latter; marriage is such a bond as cannot be dissolved, but by the death of one of the parties; see ( Romans 7:2 ) unless in case of adultery, or of wilful desertion: and it is a bond which mutually obliges; as the husband is bound by the law of marriage to live chastely and lovingly with his wife, and to take care of her, and provide for her; so the wife is bound by the same law to live in like manner with her husband, and to submit unto him, and obey him:
seek not to be loosed;
do not depart from her, nor seek to be divorced, nor even desire to be loosed by death:
art thou loosed from a wife?
being either never married, or else if having been married the wife is dead, or legally divorced for a just cause:
seek not a wife,
or woman; make no inquiry after one; be content to live without one; enter not into a marriage state, nor take any step towards it; it is best to continue loosed, for the reason above given, that is, provided the person has the gift of continence, otherwise not; see ( 1 Corinthians 7:5 ) .