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 have not 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 have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all that I own and if I hand over my body so I might boast but have not love, I gain nothing. 4Love is patient, love is kind, it does not envy, it does not brag, it is not puffed up, 5it does not behave inappropriately, it does not seek its own way, it is not provoked, it keeps no account of wrong,

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

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• thoughἐάνean · ifG1437
• I bestowψωμίζωpsōmizō · to feed/dole outG5595
• allπᾶςpas · allG3956
• myἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• goodsὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• goodsὑπάρχωhuparchō · be alreadyG5225
• I giveπαραδίδωμιparadidōmi · to deliverG3860
• bodyσῶμαsōma · bodyG4983
• toἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• be burnedκαίωkaiō · to kindle/burnG2545
• andδέde · thenG1161
• haveἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
• notμήmē · notG3361
• charityἀγάπηagapē · loveG26
• it profiteth meὠφελέωōpheleō · to helpG5623
• nothingοὐδείςoudeis · noneG3762

Cross-references for 1 Corinthians 13:3

• Matthew 6:1“Beware of practicing your righteousness before others to be seen by them; otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven.
• Matthew 23:5All their works they do to be noticed by men. They make their tefillin wide and their tzitziyot long.
• Luke 18:22When Yeshua heard this, He said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all, as much as you have, and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”
• Luke 19:8But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord. “Look, Master, half of my possessions I give to the poor, and if I have somehow cheated anyone, I repay four times as much!”
• Luke 21:3And He said, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all the rest.
• John 12:43for they loved the glory of men more than the glory of God.
• Galatians 5:26Let us not become conceited—provoking one another, envying one another.
• Philippians 1:15Some are proclaiming the Messiah out of envy and strife, but others out of good will.
• Daniel 3:16Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego replied to the king saying, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to answer you concerning this matter.
• Matthew 7:22Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in Your name, and drive out demons in Your name, and perform many miracles in Your name?’
• John 13:37Peter said to Him, “Master, why can’t I follow You now? I’ll lay down my life for You!”
• John 15:13No one has greater love than this: that he lay down his life for his friends.
• Acts 21:13Then Paul responded, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound but to die for the name of the Lord Yeshua!”
• Philippians 1:20My eager expectation and hope is that in no way will I be put to shame, but that with complete boldness Messiah will even now, as always, be exalted in my body—whether through life or through death.
• Philippians 2:3Do nothing out of selfishness or conceit, but with humility consider others as more important than yourselves,
• Isaiah 57:12I will expose your ‘righteousness’, and your deeds—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