1 Corinthians 8:4

1 Corinthians 8:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one.
• New International Version (NIV)So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that “An idol is nothing at all in the world” and that “There is no God but one.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that "an idol has no real existence," and that "there is no God but one."
• New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one.

Context of 1 Corinthians 8:4

2Some people may think that they know everything. People like that do not know as much as they ought to know. 3But if somebody loves God, he is God's friend. God knows that person. So think about food that people have offered to idols. You ask, ‘Should Christians eat that food?’ We know that no idol is really alive. We also know that there is only one God. 5It is true that people call many things their gods. Those are things both in heaven and on earth. Those people have many gods and many lords. 6But for us there is only one God, who is the Father. All things come from him. We live to serve him. For us, there is only one Lord, who is Jesus Christ. All things are there because of him. And we ourselves live because of him.

1 Corinthians 8:4 word by word

Περὶ τῆς βρώσεως οὖν τῶν εἰδωλοθύτων οἴδαμεν ὅτι οὐδὲν εἴδωλον ἐν κόσμῳ καὶ ὅτι οὐδεὶς θεὸς εἰ μὴ εἷς.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• As concerningπερίperi · aboutG4012
• thereforeοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
• the eatingβρῶσιςbrōsis · eatingG1035
• of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idolsεἰδωλόθυτοςeidōlothuton · sacrificed to idolsG1494
• we knowεἴδωeidō · to perceive: understandG1492
• thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
• an idolεἴδωλονeidōlon · idolG1497
• nothingοὐδείςoudeis · noneG3762
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• the worldκόσμοςkosmos · worldG2889
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• otherἕτεροςheteros · otherG2087
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• butεἰei · if: notG1487
• ·μήmē · notG3361
• oneεἷςheis · oneG1520

Cross-references for 1 Corinthians 8:4

• 1 Corinthians 10:19So think about food that people offer to idols as a sacrifice. I am not saying that the idols are real gods. The food that people offer to them is not special food.
• Psalms 115:4Those people's idols are made from silver and gold. Yes, human hands make them!
• Isaiah 41:24But no! Your idols are useless. There is nothing that they can do. Anybody who chooses to worship them has turned against God!
• Isaiah 44:8My people, do not shake with fear. Long ago I told you about things that would happen. You can tell people the truth about me. You know that I am the only true God. There is no other Rock to keep you safe. There surely is no other God except me.’
• Jeremiah 10:14People who worship idols are stupid. They do not understand what they are doing. The men who make idols will be ashamed. They make images of gods that are false. None of their idols have the breath of life in them.
• Jeremiah 51:17People who worship idols are stupid. They do not understand what they are doing. The men who make idols will be ashamed. They make images of gods that are false. None of their idols have the breath of life in them.
• Habakkuk 2:19It will be very bad for anyone who says to a piece of wood, “Wake up!” It will be bad for anyone who says to a stone that cannot speak, “Get up and help me!” It cannot teach you! It has gold or silver to make it look nice, but it is not alive.
• Acts 19:26Also, you can see what this man Paul is doing. You have heard his message. Many people here in Ephesus, and in nearly all the places in Asia region, believe what he says. Paul teaches people this: “Anything that men have made is not really a god.”
• 1 Corinthians 8:6But for us there is only one God, who is the Father. All things come from him. We live to serve him. For us, there is only one Lord, who is Jesus Christ. All things are there because of him. And we ourselves live because of him.
• Deuteronomy 3:24‘Almighty Lord, I am your servant. You are showing me how great and how strong you are. There is no other god in heaven or on earth that can do the great things that you do.
• Deuteronomy 4:39Remember today that the Lord is God. He rules in heaven above and on the earth below. Think about that! There is no other God.
• Deuteronomy 6:4Listen, Israelites! The Lord alone is our God. There is no other true God.
• Deuteronomy 32:39Realize the truth! I alone am God. There is no other god as well as me. I can kill and I can give life. I can hurt people and I can make them well again. Nobody can stop me doing what I choose to do.
• Isaiah 37:16‘Lord Almighty, you are Israel's God. You sit on your throne between the cherubs. Only you are the God who rules all the kingdoms in the world. You have made the heavens and the earth.
• Isaiah 44:6The Lord is Israel's King and Redeemer. He is the Lord Almighty. He says, ‘I am the first and I am the last. There is no God, except me.
• Isaiah 45:5I am the Lord and there is nobody else like me. There is no other God, except me. You do not know me as your God, but I will make you strong to fight battles.

Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 8:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Things that are offered in sacrifice - See on the first verse, ( 1 Corinthians 8:1; (note)). An idol is nothing in the world - Dr. Lightfoot translates this, We know that there is no idol in the world; which he explains thus: , idol, is ̔, , , , , a likeness, an image, a sign, a character, a shadow: now signifies there is no idol, no representation of God, in the world. Images there are of stone, wood and metal; but none of these is any representation of…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4As concerning therefore … - The parenthesis closes with 1 Corinthians 8:3. The apostle now proceeds to the real question in debate, and repeats in this verse the question, and the admission that all had knowledge. The admission that all had knowledge proceeds through 1 Corinthians 8:4-6; and in 1 Corinthians 8:7 he gives the answer to it. In 1 Corinthians 8:4-6 everything is admitted by Paul which they asked in regard to the real extent of their knowledge…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4-6In reality, the idols to which such meat is sacrificed are not gods, because there is only one God (Deuteronomy 6:4; see also Deuteronomy 4:35, 39; 10:19–20). He is the Creator of everything, including the meat being sacrificed for the idols. The only ultimate reality is God, the Father, and the one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things were created (see also John 1:3; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:2).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. As concerning, &c.--resuming the subject begun in 1Co 8:1, "As touching," &c. idol is nothing--has no true being at all, the god it represents is not a living reality. This does not contradict 1Co 10:20, which states that they who worship idols, worship devils; for here it is the Gods believed by the worshippers to be represented by the idols which are denied to have any existence, not the devils which really under the idols delude the worshippers…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Corinthians 8:4

• Fraternity
• God Continued...
• Idolatry

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Charity
• Commend
• Offend
• Perish
• Touching
• Corinthians, First Epistle to the
• Food
• Jude, the Epistle of

Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 8

• 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
• 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