# 1 Corinthians 7.23

<!-- type: passage | created: 2026-07-21 | updated: 2026-07-21 -->

**Book:** [1 Corinthians](/codex/1-corinthians/) · NASB95

## Immediate context (±2 verses)

**ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/))
> 21. Wast thou called being a bondservant? Care not for it: nay, even if thou canst become free, use it rather. 22. For he that was called in the Lord being a bondservant, is the Lord's freedman: likewise he that was called being free, is Christ's bondservant.
>
> **23. Ye were bought with a price; become not bondservants of men.**
>
> 24. Brethren, let each man, wherein he was called, therein abide with God. 25. Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord: but I give my judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be trustworthy. (1 Corinthians 7:21-25, ASV)

**WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/))
> 21. Were you called being a bondservant? Don’t let that bother you, but if you get an opportunity to become free, use it. 22. For he who was called in the Lord being a bondservant is the Lord’s free man. Likewise he who was called being free is Christ’s bondservant.
>
> **23. You were bought with a price. Don’t become bondservants of men.**
>
> 24. Brothers, let each man, in whatever condition he was called, stay in that condition with God. 25. Now concerning virgins, I have no commandment from the Lord, but I give my judgment as one who has obtained mercy from the Lord to be trustworthy. (1 Corinthians 7:21-25, WEB)

**KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/))
> 21. Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather. 22. For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ's servant. <sup>freeman: Gr. made free</sup>
>
> **23. Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.**
>
> 24. Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God. 25. Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord: yet I give my judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful. (1 Corinthians 7:21-25, KJV)

**YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/))
> 21. a servant, wast thou called? be not anxious; but if also thou art able to become free, use [it] rather; 22. for he who [is] in the Lord, having been called a servant, is the Lord's freedman: in like manner also he the freeman, having been called, is servant of Christ:
>
> **23. with a price ye were bought, become not servants of men;**
>
> 24. each, in that in which he was called, brethren, in this let him remain with God. 25. And concerning the virgins, a command of the Lord I have not; and I give judgment as having obtained kindness from the Lord to be faithful: (1 Corinthians 7:21-25, YLT)

## Setting

- **Speaker:** _TBD_
- **Audience:** _TBD_
- **Location:** _TBD_
- **Time period:** _TBD_

## Theological reading

_Patristic / early-church-father exegesis, to be added._

## Key words

_Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word._

- _TBD_
- _TBD_
- _TBD_
- _TBD_


<!-- BACKLINKS:START -->
## Quoted in

**Concepts:**

- [Redemption](/codex/g0629-apolytrosis/)

<!-- BACKLINKS:END -->
## Notes

_Your annotations._

---

_Scripture quotations taken from the **New American Standard Bible®** (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by **The Lockman Foundation**. Used by permission. All rights reserved. [www.lockman.org](https://www.lockman.org)_

## Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the **most literal English translations available** (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the **public domain in the United States**, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

- **[ASV](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
- **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
- **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
- **[YLT](/codex/ylt/)** (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See [Bibles](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.
