As in verse 5, Paul uses a euphemism, give to his wife her conjugal rights, to stress the fact that husband and wife ought normally to have sexual relations with each other. In many languages it will seem strange to speak of sex within marriage as a duty. Paul is not speaking in legal terms either, as Revised Standard Version suggests. Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente has “the man should give himself to his own wife, and similarly the wife give herself to her own husband.” Translators should use a natural euphemism that gives the meaning “husbands and wives should respect the sexual desires of each other.”

The husband, the wife means “any husband,” “any wife.”

The second half of verses 3 and 4 is introduced by a phrase meaning “but similarly also,” translated here as likewise. This phrase in Greek may slightly emphasize the second half of the verse. In any case, the structure of the two verses excludes any suggestion that Paul is emphasizing the wife’s duties more than those of the husband, or the other way around. The pattern is:

(see pattern|fig:Table_1CO7-3.jpg).

Such a pattern is known as a chiasmus and is common in many languages. But in some languages it may be unnatural. If the translator changes the order, care should be taken to give equal emphasis to what is said about husbands and about wives. In some languages one may restructure this verse as follows: “Both the husband and wife should fulfill their conjugal duties to each other.”

Should: see comments on 1 Cor. 7.2. If people are married, they ought normally to have sexual relations with one another.

Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, 2nd edition. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1985/1994. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .