1 Corinthians 12:15

1 Corinthians 12:15 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
• New International Version (NIV)Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body.
• English Standard Version (ESV)If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body.
• New King James Version (NKJV)If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body?

Context of 1 Corinthians 12:15

13When they baptized us, we all became parts of one body. It was the one Spirit who brought us together. It made no difference whether we were Jews or Gentiles. It made no difference whether we were slaves or free people. God poured his one Spirit into all of us. 14A person's body does not have only one part. It has many parts. If the foot could speak, it might say, ‘I am not a hand, so I do not belong to this body.’ But what it says makes no difference. It is still a part of the body. 16If the ear could speak, it might say, ‘I am not an eye, so I do not belong to this body.’ But what it says makes no difference. It still belongs to the body. 17If the whole body was an eye, the body would not hear anything. If the whole body was an ear, it would not recognize different smells.

1 Corinthians 12:15 word by word

ἐὰν εἴπῃ ὁ πούς· ὅτι οὐκ εἰμὶ χείρ, οὐκ εἰμὶ ἐκ τοῦ σώματος, οὐ παρὰ τοῦτο οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκ τοῦ σώματος;Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Ifἐάνean · ifG1437
• the footὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the footπούςpous · footG4228
• shall sayλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• Becauseὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
• I amεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• notοὐou · noG3756
• the handχείρcheir · handG5495
• ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• the bodyσῶμαsōma · bodyG4983
• itοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• thereforeπαράpara · from/with/besideG3844

Cross-references for 1 Corinthians 12:15

• Judges 9:8One day, the trees decided to choose a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree, “Be our king.”
• 2 Kings 14:9But King Jehoash of Israel sent this message back to King Amaziah of Judah: ‘In Lebanon, a thorn bush sent this message to a cedar tree: “Please give your daughter to my son, to be his wife.” Then a wild animal of Lebanon came and knocked down the thorn bush. It walked all over it!

Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 12:15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15If the foot shall say, etc. - As all the members of the body are necessarily dependent on each other, and minister to the general support of the system, so is it in the Church. All the private members are intimately connected among themselves, and also with their pastors; without which union no Church can subsist.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15If the foot shall say … - The same figure and illustration which Paul here uses occurs also in pagan writers. It occurs in the apologue which was used by Menenius Agrippa, as related by Livy (lib. 2: cap. 32), in which he attempted to repress a rebellion which had been excited against the nobles and senators, as useless and cumbersome to the state. Menenius, in order to show the folly of this, represents the different members of the body as conspiring…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-26Verses 12-26 Christ and his church form one body, as Head and members. Christians become members of this body by baptism. The outward rite is of Divine institution; it is a sign of the new birth, and is called therefore the washing of regeneration, Tit 3:5. But it is by the Spirit, only by the renewing of the Holy Ghost, that we are made members of Christ's body. And by communion with Christ at the Lord's supper, we are strengthened, not by drinking the…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14-21These verses shift from the image of a physical body to the image of the church as a spiritual body. Every part of the body is important and essential for it to work well. Believers should not brag about their spiritual roles or think less of them compared to others. God, who created the body, has placed each part exactly where he wants it (12:18).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1515. The humbler members ought not to disparage themselves, or to be disparaged by others more noble (1Co 12:21, 22). foot ... hand--The humble speaks of the more honorable member which most nearly resembles itself: so the "ear" of the "eye" (the nobler and more commanding member, Nu 10:31), (1Co 12:16). As in life each compares himself with those whom he approaches nearest in gifts, not those far superior. The foot and hand represent men of active life…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Corinthians 12:15

• Church

In the dictionaries

• Administration
• Bond
• Covet
• Temper
• Tongues, Gift of
• Church Government
• Communion; (fellowship)
• Corinthians, First Epistle to the
• Ephesians, Epistle to the
• Gift

Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings