1 Corinthians 7:34 Commentary and Bible Study

Now the same point is made about the woman, whether she is married (a wife) or unmarried (a virgin, by assumption). Both husband and wife have duties and commitments to each other and they must not neglect them. They have duties of care, of encouraging in the faith, of learning together, of sharing, of nursing when sick, of calming anxieties, of providing light and interest and happiness in life. These duties are undertaken with joy if there is love in the marriage as there should be, and they are not considered a burden. The husband studies his wife to learn what pleases her, and the wife studies her husband to learn what pleases him.But the unmarried woman has special opportunities to serve the Lord, just as the unmarried man does. She cares for the things of the Lord. When Paul says this, we should understand that he does not mean that this will happen automatically without spiritual effort. He means that this should be the case with those who are single, and they have an opportunity to make this the case. When he says that she may be holy in body and spirit, he does not mean to imply that there is anything unholy about marriage or marriage relations; Scripture is clear about that (Hebrews 13:4). He means simple that she is able to devote herself body and soul to the Lord. How many single women have gone to the mission field and devoted themselves to the Lord in a way that would have been impossible if they had had to bring up a family and care for a husband.