1 Corinthians 8:9

1 Corinthians 8:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.
• New International Version (NIV)Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak.
• English Standard Version (ESV)But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.
• New King James Version (NKJV)But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak.

Context of 1 Corinthians 8:9

7But that knowledge is not in everyone—some, so accustomed to idols up until now, eat food as an idol sacrifice; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. 8But food will not bring us before God. We are no worse off if we do not eat and no better off if we do eat. But watch out that this freedom of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. 10For suppose someone sees you—who have this knowledge—dining in an idol’s temple. If his conscience is weak, won’t he be emboldened to eat idol sacrifices? 11For the one who is weak is destroyed by your knowledge—the brother for whom Messiah died.

1 Corinthians 8:9 word by word

βλέπετε δὲ μή πως ἡ ἐξουσία ὑμῶν αὕτη πρόσκομμα γένηται τοῖς ἀσθενέσιν.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Butδέde · thenG1161
• take heedβλέπωblepō · to seeG991
• lest by any meansμήπωςmēpōs mē pōs · so thatG3381
• thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• libertyὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• libertyἐξουσίαexousia · authorityG1849
• of yoursσύsu · youG4771
• becomeγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
• a stumblingblockπρόσκομμαproskomma · stumbling blockG4348
• that are weakἀσθενέωastheneō · be weak: weakG770

Cross-references for 1 Corinthians 8:9

• 1 Corinthians 8:10For suppose someone sees you—who have this knowledge—dining in an idol’s temple. If his conscience is weak, won’t he be emboldened to eat idol sacrifices?
• 1 Corinthians 10:24Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.
• Matthew 18:6“But whoever causes one of these little ones who trust in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck and to be sunk in the depth of the sea!
• Luke 17:1Then Yeshua said to His disciples, “Stumbling blocks are bound to come, but woe to the one by whom they come!
• Romans 14:20Stop tearing down the work of God for the sake of food. Indeed all things are clean, but wrong for the man who by eating causes stumbling.
• Galatians 5:13Brothers and sisters, you were called to freedom—only do not let your freedom become an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
• 1 Peter 2:16Live as free people, but not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil. Rather, live as God’s slaves.
• 2 Peter 2:19They promise them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption—for a person is a slave to whatever has overcome him.
• 1 Corinthians 10:32Give no offense either to Jewish or Greek people or to God’s community—
• Leviticus 19:14“You are not to curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God. I am Adonai.
• Isaiah 57:14Then it will be said: “Build up, build up, prepare the way, remove every stumbling block out of the way of My people.”
• Ezekiel 14:3“Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts. They have put the stumbling block of their iniquity right before their faces. Should I let them inquire of me at all?
• Ezekiel 44:12Because they ministered to them before their idols, and became a stumbling block of iniquity to the house of Israel, therefore I have lifted up My hand against them”—it is a declaration of Adonai. “They will bear their iniquity.
• Romans 14:13Therefore let us not judge one another from now on, but rather decide this—not to put a stumbling block or a trap in the way of a brother.
• Revelation 2:14“But I have a few things against you. You have some there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who was teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before Bnei-Yisrael, to eat food sacrificed to idols and to commit sexual immorality.
• 1 Corinthians 8:12In this way, when you sin against the brothers and sisters and wound their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Messiah.

Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 8:9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9But take heed - Lest by frequenting such feasts and eating things offered to idols, under the conviction that an idol is nothing, and that you may eat those things innocently, this liberty of yours should become a means of grievously offending a weak brother who has not your knowledge, or inducing one who respects you for your superior knowledge to partake of these things with the conscience, the persuasion and belief, that an idol is something, and to…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9But take heed - This is the reply of Paul to the argument of the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 8:8. “Though all that you say should be admitted to be true, as it must be; though a man is neither morally better nor worse for partaking of meat or abstaining from it; yet the grand principle to be observed is, so to act as not to injure your brethren. Though you may be no better or worse for eating or not eating, yet if your conduct shall injure others, and…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-13Verses 7-13 Eating one kind of food, and abstaining from another, have nothing in them to recommend a person to God. But the apostle cautions against putting a stumbling-block in the way of the weak; lest they be made bold to eat what was offered to the idol, not as common food, but as a sacrifice, and thereby be guilty of idolatry. He who has the Spirit of Christ in him, will love those whom Christ loved so as to die for them. Injuries done to…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9-10Believers should ensure their actions, like eating sacrificial meat, do not cause others to struggle (compare Romans 14:13, 20–21; Galatians 5:13).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. this liberty of yours--the watchword for lax Corinthians. The very indifference of meats, which I concede, is the reason why ye should "take heed" not to tempt weak brethren to act against their conscience (which constitutes sin, Ro 14:22, 23).Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Corinthians 8:9

• Commandments
• Conscience
• Evil
• Example
• Expediency
• Fraternity
• Idolatry
• Neophytes
• Prudence
• Stumbling
• Temptation

In the dictionaries

• Charity
• Commend
• Offend
• Perish
• Touching
• Authority in Religion
• Corinthians, First Epistle to the
• Drunkenness
• Food
• Gnosticism

Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 8

• 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
• 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