1 Corinthians 3:17

1 Corinthians 3:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
• New International Version (NIV)If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.
• New King James Version (NKJV)If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.
• New Living Translation (NLT)God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.

Context of 1 Corinthians 3:17

15If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. 16Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple. 18Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. 19For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, "He catches the wise in their craftiness,"

1 Corinthians 3:17 word by word

εἴ τις τὸν ναὸν τοῦ θεοῦ φθείρει, φθερεῖ τοῦτον ὁ θεός· ὁ γὰρ ναὸς τοῦ θεοῦ ἅγιός ἐστιν, οἵτινές ἐστε ὑμεῖς.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Ifεἰei · ifG1487
• any manτιςtis · oneG5100
• defileφθείρωphtheirō · to destroyG5351
• the templeναόςnaos · templeG3485
• of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• himοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• forγάρgar · forG1063
• isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• holyἅγιοςhagios · holyG40
• whichὅστιςhostis hētis ho6ti · who/whichG3748
• yeσύsu · youG4771

Cross-references for 1 Corinthians 3:17

• 1 Corinthians 6:18Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.
• Leviticus 15:31"Thus you shall keep the people of Israel separate from their uncleanness, lest they die in their uncleanness by defiling my tabernacle that is in their midst."
• Leviticus 20:3I myself will set my face against that man and will cut him off from among his people, because he has given one of his children to Molech, to make my sanctuary unclean and to profane my holy name.
• Numbers 19:20"If the man who is unclean does not cleanse himself, that person shall be cut off from the midst of the assembly, since he has defiled the sanctuary of the Lord. Because the water for impurity has not been thrown on him, he is unclean.
• Psalms 74:3Direct your steps to the perpetual ruins; the enemy has destroyed everything in the sanctuary!
• Psalms 79:1O God, the nations have come into your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple; they have laid Jerusalem in ruins.
• Ezekiel 5:11Therefore, as I live, declares the Lord God, surely, because you have defiled my sanctuary with all your detestable things and with all your abominations, therefore I will withdraw. My eye will not spare, and I will have no pity.
• Ezekiel 7:22I will turn my face from them, and they shall profane my treasured place. Robbers shall enter and profane it.
• Ezekiel 23:38Moreover, this they have done to me: they have defiled my sanctuary on the same day and profaned my Sabbaths.
• Zephaniah 3:4Her prophets are fickle, treacherous men; her priests profane what is holy; they do violence to the law.
• Genesis 28:17And he was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven."
• Exodus 3:5Then he said, "Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground."
• 1 Chronicles 29:3Moreover, in addition to all that I have provided for the holy house, I have a treasure of my own of gold and silver, and because of my devotion to the house of my God I give it to the house of my God:
• Psalms 93:5Your decrees are very trustworthy; holiness befits your house, O Lord, forevermore.
• Psalms 99:9Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the Lord our God is holy!
• Isaiah 64:11Our holy and beautiful house, where our fathers praised you, has been burned by fire, and all our pleasant places have become ruins.

Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 3:17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17If any man defile the temple - This clause is not consistently translated. , ̔ If any man destroy the temple of God, him will God destroy. The verb is the same in both clauses. If any man injure, corrupt, or destroy the Church of God by false doctrine, God will destroy him - will take away his part out of the book of life. This refers to him who wilfully opposes the truth; the erring, mistaken man shall barely escape; but the obstinate opposer shall be…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17If any man defile … - Or, “destroy, corrupt” ( ́ phtheirei). The Greek word is the same in both parts of the sentence. “If any man destroy‘ the temple of God, God shall destroy‘ him.” This is presented in the form of an adage or proverb. And the truth here stated is based on the fact that the temple of God was inviolable. That temple was holy; and if any man subsequently destroyed it, it might be presumed that God would destroy him. The figurative sense…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-17Verses 16-17 From other parts of the epistle, it appears that the false teachers among the Corinthians taught unholy doctrines. Such teaching tended to corrupt, to pollute, and destroy the building, which should be kept pure and holy for God. Those who spread loose principles, which render the church of God unholy, bring destruction upon themselves. Christ by his Spirit dwells in all true believers. Christians are holy by profession, and should be pure…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16-17Christians should be careful about what they teach and how they interact with each other. The community of believers is God's temple, where God's Spirit lives (see Ephesians 2:21–22). God's temple is holy (see 1 Corinthians 1:2). There are serious consequences for anyone who harms God's temple through jealousy, arguments, or division (see 3:3–4).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. If any ... defile ... destroy--rather as the Greek verb is the same in both cases, "destroy ... destroy." God repays in kind by a righteous retaliation. The destroyer shall himself be destroyed. As temporal death was the penalty of marring the material temple (Le 16:2; Da 5:2, 3, 30), so eternal death is the penalty of marring the spiritual temple--the Church. The destroyers here (1Co 3:16, 17), are distinct from the unwise or unskilful builders (1Co…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Corinthians 3:17

• Church
• Holiness
• House of God
• Sacrilege
• Temple
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Corinthians, First Epistle to the
• Foundation
• Plant
• Temple
• Corinthians, First Epistle to the
• Defile; Defilement
• House of God
• Parousia

Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 3

• 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