New International Version
1 Corinthians 1:27
27But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.
1 Corinthians 1:27 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
- English Standard Version (ESV)But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;
- New King James Version (NKJV)But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;
- New Living Translation (NLT)Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful.
Context of 1 Corinthians 1:27
25For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. 26Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29so that no one may boast before him.
Read all of 1 Corinthians 11 Corinthians 1:27 word by word
ἀλλὰ τὰ μωρὰ τοῦ κόσμου ἐξελέξατο ὁ θεὸς ἵνα καταισχύνῃ τοὺς σοφούς, καὶ τὰ ἀσθενῆ τοῦ κόσμου ἐξελέξατο ὁ θεὸς ἵνα καταισχύνῃ τὰ ἰσχυρά,Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Butἀλλάalla · butG235
- Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- hath chosenἐκλέγωeklegomai · to selectG1586
- the foolish thingsμωρόςmōros · foolishG3474
- of the worldκόσμοςkosmos · worldG2889
- toἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
- confoundκαταισχύνωkataischunō · to dishonorG2617
- the wiseσοφόςsophos · wiseG4680
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- the weak thingsἀσθενήςasthenēs · weakG772
- which are mightyἰσχυρόςischuros · strongG2478
Cross-references for 1 Corinthians 1:27
- Psalms 8:2Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.
- Isaiah 26:5He humbles those who dwell on high, he lays the lofty city low; he levels it to the ground and casts it down to the dust.
- Isaiah 29:14Therefore once more I will astound these people with wonder upon wonder; the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish.”
- Zephaniah 3:12But I will leave within you the meek and humble. The remnant of Israel will trust in the name of the Lord.
- Matthew 4:18As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.
- Matthew 9:9As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.
- Matthew 11:25At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.
- Matthew 21:16“Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, “ ‘From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise’ ?”
- Luke 19:39Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”
- Luke 21:15For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.
- Acts 4:11Jesus is “ ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’
- Acts 6:9Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)—Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia—who began to argue with Stephen.
- Acts 7:35“This is the same Moses they had rejected with the words, ‘Who made you ruler and judge?’ He was sent to be their ruler and deliverer by God himself, through the angel who appeared to him in the bush.
- Acts 17:18A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.
- Acts 24:24Several days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus.
- 2 Corinthians 4:7But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.
Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 1:27
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 27But God hath chosen the foolish things - God has chosen by means of men who are esteemed rude and illiterate to confound the greatest of the Greek philosophers, and overturn their systems; and, by means of men weak, without secular power or authority, to confound the scribes and Pharisees, and in spite of the exertions of the Jewish sanhedrin, to spread the doctrine of Christ crucified all over the land of Judea, and by such instruments as these to…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 27But God hath chosen - The fact of their being in the church at all was the result of his choice. It was owing entirely to his grace. The foolish things - The things esteemed foolish among people. The expression here refers to those who were destitute of learning, rank, wealth, and power, and who were esteemed as fools, and were despised by the rich and the great. To confound - To bring to shame; or that he might make them ashamed; that is, humble them by…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 26-31Verses 26-31 God did not choose philosophers, nor orators, nor statesmen, nor men of wealth, and power, and interest in the world, to publish the gospel of grace and peace. He best judges what men and what measures serve the purposes of his glory. Though not many noble are usually called by Divine grace, there have been some such in every age, who have not been ashamed of the gospel of Christ; and persons of every rank stand in need of pardoning grace…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 27-29God chose humble and overlooked people to show his judgment on human pride (see Romans 3:27; 4:2; 2 Corinthians 4:7–11; 12:8–10; Ephesians 2:9).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2727. the foolish things--a general phrase for all persons and things foolish. Even things (and those, too, foolish things) are chosen by God to confound persons, (and those too persons who are wise). This seems to me the force of the change from neuter to masculine. to confound--The Greek is stronger, "that He might confound (or put to shame)." God confounds the wise by effecting through His instruments, without human wisdom, that the worldly wise, with…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Corinthians 1:27
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 1
- 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
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