God’s Word Translation
1 Corinthians 9:7
7Does a soldier ever serve in the army at his own expense? Does anyone plant a vineyard and not eat the grapes? Does anyone take care of a flock and not drink milk from the sheep?
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
5Don’t we have the right to take our wives along with us like the other apostles, the Lord’s brothers, and Cephas do? 6Or is it only Barnabas and I who don’t have any rights, except to find work to support ourselves? Does a soldier ever serve in the army at his own expense? Does anyone plant a vineyard and not eat the grapes? Does anyone take care of a flock and not drink milk from the sheep? 8Am I merely stating some human rule? Don’t Moses’ Teachings say the same thing? 9Moses’ Teachings say, “Never muzzle an ox when it is threshing grain.” God’s concern isn’t for oxen.
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 10:4The weapons we use in our fight are not made by humans. Rather, they are powerful weapons from God. With them we destroy people’s defenses, that is, their arguments
- 1 Timothy 1:18Timothy, my child, I’m giving you this order about the prophecies that are still coming to you: Use these prophecies in faith and with a clear conscience to fight this noble war.
- 1 Timothy 6:12Fight the good fight for the Christian faith. Take hold of everlasting life to which you were called and about which you made a good testimony in front of many witnesses.
- 2 Timothy 2:3Join me in suffering like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
- 2 Timothy 4:7I have fought the good fight. I have completed the race. I have kept the faith.
- 1 Corinthians 3:6I planted, and Apollos watered, but God made it grow.
- Deuteronomy 20:6If you have planted a vineyard and not enjoyed the grapes, you may go home. Otherwise, you might die in battle, and someone else will enjoy the grapes.
- Proverbs 27:18Whoever takes care of a fig tree can eat its fruit, and whoever protects his master is honored.
- Jeremiah 23:2“This is what I, the Lord God of Israel, said to the shepherds who take care of my people: You have scattered my sheep and chased them away. You have not taken care of them, so now I will take care of you by punishing you for the evil you have done,” declares the Lord.
- John 21:15After they had eaten breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than the other disciples do?” Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus told him, “Feed my lambs.”
- Acts 20:28Pay attention to yourselves and to the entire flock in which the Holy Spirit has placed you as bishops to be shepherds for God’s church which he acquired with his own blood.
- 1 Peter 5:2Be shepherds over the flock God has entrusted to you. Watch over it as God does: Don’t do this because you have to, but because you want to. Don’t do it out of greed, but out of a desire to serve.
- Proverbs 27:27There will be enough goat milk to feed you, to feed your family, and to keep your servant girls alive.
- Isaiah 7:22That person will eat cheese, because they will produce so much milk. Everyone who is left in the land will eat cheese 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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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