English Standard Version
1 Corinthians 9:7
7Who 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?
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?
- 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?
- New Living Translation (NLT)What soldier has to pay his own expenses? What farmer plants a vineyard and doesn’t have the right to eat some of its fruit? What shepherd cares for a flock of sheep and isn’t allowed to drink some of the milk?
Context of 1 Corinthians 9:7
5Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? 6Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living? 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? 8Do I say these things on human authority? Does not the Law say the same? 9For it is written in the Law of Moses, "You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain." Is it for oxen that God is concerned?
Read all of 1 Corinthians 91 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 10:4For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.
- 1 Timothy 1:18This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare,
- 1 Timothy 6:12Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
- 2 Timothy 2:3Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
- 2 Timothy 4:7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
- 1 Corinthians 3:6I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.
- Deuteronomy 20:6And is there any man who has planted a vineyard and has not enjoyed its fruit? Let him go back to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man enjoy its fruit.
- Proverbs 27:18Whoever tends a fig tree will eat its fruit, and he who guards his master will be honored.
- Jeremiah 23:2Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who care for my people: "You have scattered my flock and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for your evil deeds, declares the Lord.
- John 21:15When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs."
- Acts 20:28Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.
- 1 Peter 5:2shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly;
- Proverbs 27:27There will be enough goats' milk for your food, for the food of your household and maintenance for your girls.
- Isaiah 7:22and because of the abundance of milk that they give, he will eat curds, for everyone who is left in the land will eat curds and honey.
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
In the dictionaries
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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries