English Standard Version
1 Corinthians 3:7
7So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.
1 Corinthians 3:7 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
- New International Version (NIV)So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.
- New King James Version (NKJV)So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.
- New Living Translation (NLT)It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow.
Context of 1 Corinthians 3:7
5What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. 6I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. 9For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building.
Read all of 1 Corinthians 31 Corinthians 3:7 word by word
ὥστε οὔτε ὁ φυτεύων ἐστίν τι οὔτε ὁ ποτίζων, ἀλλ᾽ ὁ αὐξάνων θεός·Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- So thenὥστεhōste · soG5620
- neitherοὔτεoute · neitherG3777
- is heεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- that plantethφυτεύωphuteuō · to plantG5452
- any thingτιςtis · oneG5100
- he that waterethποτίζωpotizō · to waterG4222
- butἀλλάalla · butG235
- Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- that giveth the increaseαὐξάνωauxanō · to growG837
Cross-references for 1 Corinthians 3:7
- 1 Corinthians 13:2And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
- Psalms 115:1Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!
- Isaiah 40:17All the nations are as nothing before him, they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness.
- Isaiah 41:29Behold, they are all a delusion; their works are nothing; their metal images are empty wind.
- Daniel 4:35all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, "What have you done?"
- John 15:5I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
- 2 Corinthians 12:9But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
- Galatians 6:3For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 3:7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7So then, neither is he that planteth any thing - God alone should have all the glory, as the seed is his, the ground is his, the laborers are his, and the produce all comes from himself.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7Anything - This is to he taken comparatively. They are nothing in comparison with God! Their agency is of no importance compared with his: see the note at 1 Corinthians 1:28. It does not mean that their agency ought not to be performed; that it is not important, and indispensable in its place; but that the honor is due to God - Their agency is indispensable. God could make seed or a tree grow if they were not planted in the earth. But He does not do it…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 5-9Verses 5-9 The ministers about whom the Corinthians contended, were only instruments used by God. We should not put ministers into the place of God. He that planteth and he that watereth are one, employed by one Master, trusted with the same revelation, busied in one work, and engaged in one design. They have their different gifts from one and the same Spirit, for the very same purposes; and should carry on the same design heartily. Those who work hardest…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5-9It is wrong to proudly identify as a follower of a human teacher because God does the real work of redemption. He deserves the honor. They are servants: See 2 Corinthians 4:5.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 77. neither is he that ... anything ... but God--namely, is all in all. "God" is emphatically last in the Greek, "He that giveth the increase (namely), God." Here follows a parenthesis, 1Co 3:8-21, where "Let no man glory in men" stands in antithetic contrast to "God" here.Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Corinthians 3:7
In the dictionaries
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
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