1 Corinthians 9:7

1 Corinthians 9:7 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?
• New International Version (NIV)Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink the milk?
• English Standard Version (ESV)Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Or who tends a flock without getting some of the milk?
• New King James Version (NKJV)Who ever goes to war at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Or who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk of the flock?

Context of 1 Corinthians 9:7

5If we have a Christian wife, we should take her with us as we travel. The other apostles do this. So do the Lord's brothers, and also Peter. We have the same authority that they have. 6Barnabas and I seem to be the only leaders who must work at other jobs. We should not need to do that! Think about these examples: A soldier never has to pay for his own food and clothes. A farmer who plants vines will eat some of the grapes. A person who takes care of sheep or goats will drink some of the milk from those animals. You know that is what always happens. 8I am not just telling you human ideas. God's Law teaches the same thing. 9God's Law that he gave to Moses says this: ‘Do not tie shut the mouth of your ox while it walks on your grain.’ But God's Law does not teach this only to help bulls.

1 Corinthians 9:7 word by word

τίς στρατεύεται ἰδίοις ὀψωνίοις ποτέ; τίς φυτεύει ἀμπελῶνα καὶ τὸν καρπὸν αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἐσθίει; ἢ τίς ποιμαίνει ποίμνην καὶ ἐκ τοῦ γάλακτος τῆς ποίμνης οὐκ ἐσθίει;Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Whoτίςtis · which?G5101
• goeth a warfareστρατεύωstrateuomai · to battleG4754
• any timeποτέpote · once/whenG4218
• at his ownἴδιοςidios · one's own/privateG2398
• chargesὀψώνιονopsōnion · compensationG3800
• plantethφυτεύωphuteuō · to plantG5452
• a vineyardἀμπελώνampelōn · vineyardG290
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• eatethἐσθίωesthiō · to eatG2068
• notοὐou · noG3756
• ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• the fruitὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the fruitκαρπόςkarpos · fruitG2590
• thereofαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• orἤē · orG2228
• feedethποιμαίνωpoimainō · to shepherdG4165
• a flockποίμνηpoimnē · flockG4167
• the milkγάλαgala · milkG1051

Cross-references for 1 Corinthians 9:7

• 2 Corinthians 10:4It is like we are fighting in a war, but we do not use human weapons. Instead we use God's weapons. Those weapons are powerful enough to destroy the enemy's strong places. We use those weapons to destroy people's wrong ideas.
• 1 Timothy 1:18Timothy, you are like my own child. So now I am telling you to serve God well. Remember the words from God that people spoke about you, when you became a servant of God. Those words will help you to be strong, like a soldier who fights well.
• 1 Timothy 6:12Continue to believe God's true message. Be like someone who fights well to keep it safe. God has chosen you to live with him for ever. You stood in front of many people and said clearly that you believed in Jesus Christ. So live in a way that shows that you belong to him.
• 2 Timothy 2:3Be patient through the troubles that we Christians have. Be brave and strong, like a good soldier for Christ Jesus.
• 2 Timothy 4:7I have worked to serve Christ well. I have finished everything that God wanted me to do. I am like a runner who has run to the end of the race. I have continued to believe God's true message.
• 1 Corinthians 3:6When I told you God's good news, I was like someone who planted seeds. Then Apollos was like someone who gave water to the young plants. But it was God who caused everything to grow.
• Deuteronomy 20:6Has anyone planted a field with grapes but he has not yet picked any fruit? He also may go home. If he does not, he may die in the battle. Then someone else will enjoy the fruit.
• Proverbs 27:18If you take care of a fig tree, it will give you fruit to eat. If you take care of your master, he will give you honour.
• Jeremiah 23:2So the Lord, Israel's God, says to the leaders who rule over his people, ‘You have not taken care of my people. You have chased them away to other places. So now I will come and punish you, because of the evil things that you have done. I, the Lord, tell you that!
• John 21:15When they had finished eating, Jesus spoke to Simon Peter. He said, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these other disciples love me?’ Peter answered, ‘Yes Lord, you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’
• Acts 20:28You who are leaders should be careful about how you live. Also take care of the group of people that the Holy Spirit has chosen you to lead. Keep them safe like shepherds who take care of their sheep. All the believers belong to God because his Son, Jesus, died for them. He bought them with his blood which poured out on the cross.
• 1 Peter 5:2Watch over the group of believers that God has given to you. Be like a shepherd that takes care of his sheep. Lead them well because you want to do it. Do not do it just because you have to do it. Do it in the way that God wants for you. Do not be a leader because you want to receive money for yourself. Instead, do it because you want to help people.
• Proverbs 27:27You will have enough milk from your goats to feed yourself, your family and your female servants.
• Isaiah 7:22They will give him a lot of milk. So he will have butter and cream to eat. Everyone who remains in the land will have milk and honey as their food.

Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 9:7

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7Who goeth a warfare - at his own charges? - These questions, which are all supposed from the necessity and propriety of the cases to be answered in the affirmative, tend more forcibly to point out that the common sense of man joins with the providence of God in showing the propriety of every man living by the fruits of his labor. The first question applies particularly to the case of the apostle, · Does a soldier provide his own victuals? is used to…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7Who goeth a warfare … - Paul now proceeds to illustrate the right which he knew ministers had to a support 1 Corinthians 9:7-14, and then to show the reason why he had not availed himself of that right; 1 Corinthians 9:15-23. The right he illustrates from the nature of the case 1 Corinthians 9:7, 1 Corinthians 9:11; from the authority of Scripture 1 Corinthians 9:8-10; from the example of the priests under the Jewish law 1 Corinthians 9:18; and from the…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7-10These examples support Paul's point that he and other Christian workers had the right to receive support from those they served.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 77. The minister is spiritually a soldier (2Ti 2:3), a vine-dresser (1Co 3:6-8; So 1:6), and a shepherd (1Pe 5:2, 4). of the fruit--The oldest manuscripts omit "of."Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Corinthians 9:7

• Evil
• Milk
• Minister, Christian

In the dictionaries

• Crown
• Forbear
• Mastery
• Plow
• Sheepfold
• Wait
• Corinthians, First Epistle to the
• Mystery
• Paul, the Apostle
• Scribes

Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 9

• 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