1 Corinthians 13:3

1 Corinthians 13:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
• New International Version (NIV)If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
• English Standard Version (ESV)If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

Context of 1 Corinthians 13:3

1If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing. 4Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,

1 Corinthians 13:3 word by word

κἂν ψωμίσω πάντα τὰ ὑπάρχοντά μου, καὶ ἐὰν παραδῶ τὸ σῶμά μου ἵνα καυχήσωμαι, ἀγάπην δὲ μὴ ἔχω, οὐδὲν ὠφελοῦμαι.¶Read the interlinear

• And ifἐάνean · ifG1437
• giveψωμίζωpsōmizō · to feed/dole outG5595
• allπᾶςpas · allG3956
• my possessionsὑπάρχωhuparchō · be alreadyG5225
• surrenderπαραδίδωμιparadidōmi · to deliverG3860
• my bodyσῶμαsōma · bodyG4983
• to be burnedκαίωkaiō · to kindle/burnG2545
• but do not haveἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
• loveἀγάπηagapē · loveG26
• it profitsὠφελέωōpheleō · to helpG5623
• me nothingοὐδείςoudeis · noneG3762

Cross-references for 1 Corinthians 13:3

• Matthew 6:1“Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.
• Matthew 23:5But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments.
• Luke 18:22When Jesus heard this, He said to him, “One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
• Luke 19:8Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much.”
• Luke 21:3And He said, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all of them;
• John 12:43for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God.
• Galatians 5:26Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.
• Philippians 1:15Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from good will;
• Daniel 3:16Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter.
• Matthew 7:22Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’
• John 13:37Peter said to Him, “Lord, why can I not follow You right now? I will lay down my life for You.”
• John 15:13Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.
• Acts 21:13Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”
• Philippians 1:20according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ will even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.
• Philippians 2:3Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;
• Isaiah 57:12I will declare your righteousness and your deeds, But they will not profit you.

Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 13:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor - This is a proof that charity, in our sense of the word, is not what the apostle means; for surely almsgiving can go no farther than to give up all that a man possesses in order to relieve the wants of others. The word , which we translate to feed the poor, signifies to divide into morsels, and put into the mouth; which implies carefulness and tenderness in applying the bounty thus freely given. And…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3And though I bestow - The Greek word used here ́ psōmisōfrom ́ psaōto break off) meant properly to break off, and distribute in small portions; to feed by morsels; and may be applicable here to distributing one‘s property in small portions. Charity or alms to the poor, was usually distributed at one‘s gate Luke 16:20, or in some public place. Of course, if property was distributed in this manner, many more would be benefitted than if all were given to…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3exult in the surrender of my body: Some manuscripts say sacrificed my body to be burned. A copyist could have easily changed the text by accident, as in Greek, the two readings differ by only one letter. It is unclear which reading is better. However, the manuscripts supporting the reading exult in instead of sacrificed are generally more reliable. I gain nothing: Even the most impressive sacrificial acts mean nothing if not motivated by love.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. bestow ... goods ... poor--literally, "dole out in food" all my goods; one of the highest functions of the "helps" (1Co 12:28). give ... body to be burned--literally, "to such a degree as that I should be burned." As the three youths did (Da 3:28), "yielded their bodies" (compare 2Co 12:15). These are most noble exemplifications of love in giving and in suffering. Yet they may be without love; in which case the "goods" and "body" are given, but not the…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Corinthians 13:3

• Beneficence
• Charitableness
• Graces
• Liberality
• Love
• Martyrdom
• Persecution
• Poor
• Readings, Select
• Religion
• Righteousness
• Sanctification
• Uncharitableness
• Vanity
• Works
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• Charity
• Childish
• Love
• Prophesy
• Tongues, Gift of
• Vaunt
• Abstinence
• Bestow
• Busybody
• Corinthians, First Epistle to the

Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 13

• 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