1 Corinthians 7:4

4 The wife does not have full rights over her own body; her husband shares them. And the husband does not have full rights over his own body; his wife shares them.

1 Corinthians 7:4 Meaning and Commentary

1 Corinthians 7:4

The wife hath not power of her own body
To refrain the use of it from her husband; or to prostitute it to another man:

but the husband;
he has the sole power over it, and may require when he pleases the use of it:

and likewise also the husband has not power over his own body:
to withhold due benevolence, or the conjugal debt from his wife; or abuse it by self-pollution, fornication, adultery, sodomy, or any acts of uncleanness: but the wife; she only has a power over it, a right to it, and may claim the use of it: this power over each other's bodies is not such, as that they may, by consent, either the husband allow the wife, or the wife the husband, to lie with another.

1 Corinthians 7:4 In-Context

2 But because sexual sin is a danger, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband.
3 The husband should give his wife all that he owes her as his wife. And the wife should give her husband all that she owes him as her husband.
4 The wife does not have full rights over her own body; her husband shares them. And the husband does not have full rights over his own body; his wife shares them.
5 Do not refuse to give your bodies to each other, unless you both agree to stay away from sexual relations for a time so you can give your time to prayer. Then come together again so Satan cannot tempt you because of a lack of self-control.
6 I say this to give you permission to stay away from sexual relations for a time. It is not a command to do so.
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.