1 Corinthians 8

1 Corinthians · Chapter 8

1 Corinthians 8:9

1Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.2And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.3But if any man love God, the same is known of him.4As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one.5For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,)6But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.7Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.8But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse.9But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.10For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol’s temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols;11And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?12But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.13Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
9But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.Be careful, however, that your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak.But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to the weak.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Greek words

EnglishGreekSay itStrong'sMeaning
do be carefulβλέπετεblepeteG0991
to see

βλέπω (blepō) βλέπω, [in LXX chiefly for ראה, also for פּנה, etc. ;] 1. of bodily sight; (a) to see, have sight (opposite to τυφλὸς): Mat.12:22, Jhn.9:7, Act.9:9, Rom.11:8, Rev.3:18, al.; (b) to perceive, look (at), see: absol., Act.1:9; with accusative, Mat.7:3, Mrk.5:31, Luk.6:41, Jhn.1:29, al.; ὅραμα, Act.12:9; γυναῖκα, Mat.5:28; βιβλίον, Rev.5:3, 4; τ. βλεπόμενα, 2Co.4:18. 2. Metaphorical, of mental vision; (a) to see, perceive, discern: absol., Mat.13:13, Luk.8:10; δι ̓ ἐσόπτρου, 1Co.13:12; with accusative, Heb.2:9 10:25; before ὅτι, Heb.3:19, Jas.2:22; …

howeverδὲdeG1161
then

δέ (de) δέ (before vowels δ᾽; on the general neglect of the elision in NT, see WH, App., 146; Tdf., Pr., 96), post-positive conjunctive particle; 1. copulative, but, in the next place, and, now (Abbott, JG, 104): Mat.1:2ff., 2Co.6:15, 16, 2Pe.1:5-7; in repetition for emphasis, Rom.3:21, 22, 9:30, 1Co.2:6, Gal.2:2, Php.2:8; in transition to something new, Mat.1:18, 2:19, Luk.13:1, Jhn.7:14, Act.6:1, Rom.8:28, 1Co.7:1 8:1, al.; in explanatory parenthesis or addition, Jhn.3:19, Rom.5:8, 1Co.1:12, Eph.2:4, 5:32, al.; ὡς δέ, Jhn.2:9; καὶ . . . δέ, but also, Mat.10:18, Luk.1:76, Jhn.6:51, Rom.11:23, al.; …

lestμήmēG3361
not

μή (mē) μή, subjective negative particle, used where the negation depends on a condition or hypothesis, expressed or understood, as distinct from οὐ, which denies absolutely. μή is used where one thinks a thing is not, as distinct from an absolute negation. As a general rule, οὐ negatives the indic, μή the other moods, incl, ptcp. [In LXX for אֵין ,אַיִן ,אַל ] I. As a neg. adv., not; 1. with ref. to thought or opinion: Jhn.3:18, Tit.1:11, 2Pe.1:9. 2. In delib. questions, with subjc. (M, Pr., 185): Mrk.12:14, Rom.3:8. …

perhapsπωςpōsG4458
somehow

πω (pō) πω enclit. part., yet, see: μή-πω, μηδέ-πω, οὔ-πω, οὐδέ-πω, πώ-ποτε πώ-ποτε adv., ever yet: Luk.19:30, Jhn.1:18 5:37 6:35 8:33, 1Jn.4:12.† (AS)

rightἐξουσίαexousiaG1849
authority

ἐξουσία (exousia) ἐξουσία, -ας, ἡ (ἔξεστι), [in LXX: 4Ki.20:13, Psa.113 (114):2 135 (136)8, 9, Isa.39:2, Jer.28 (51):28 (מֶמְשָׁלָה), frequently in Da for Aram. שָׁלְטָן, etc., Wis.10:14, Sir.9:13, al. ;] 1. prop., liberty or power to act, freedom to exercise the inward force or faculty expressed by δύναμις (which see): 1Co.9:12; ἐ. ἔχειν, 2Th.3:9; id. before inf., Jhn.10:18, 1Co.9:4, 5; with genitive obj., Rom.9:21; before ἐπί, with accusative, Rev.22:14; περί, 1Co.7:37. …

of youὑμῶνhumōnG4771
you

σέ (se) αὐτός, -ή, -ό, determinative pron., in late Gk. much more frequently than in cl. (WM, 178f.; Jannaris, HGG, §1399). 1. Emphatic (so always in nom. exc. when preceded by the art., see infr., iii); (1) self (ipse), expressing opposition, distinction, exclusion, etc., αὐ. ἐκχυθήσεται, Luk.5:37; αὐ. ἐγινώσκεν, Jhn.2:25; αὐ.ὑμεῖς, Jhn.3:28; καὶ αὐ. ἐγώ, Rom.15:14; αὐ. Ἰησοῦς, Jhn.2:24; αὐ. καὶ οἱ μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ, Mrk.2:25; ὑμεῖς αὐ., Mrk.6:31; esp. (as freq in cl.) αὐ. ὁ, Mat.3:4, Mrk.6:17, Jhn.16:27, 1Th.3:11, al.; in late Gk., sometimes weakened, ἐν αὐτῇ τ. ὥρᾳ, in that hour, Luk.10:21 (M, Pr., 91; …

thisαὕτηhautēG3778
this/he/she/it

οὗτος (ohutos) οὗτος, αὕτη, τοῦτο, genitive, τούτου, ταύτης, τούτου, [in LXX chiefly for זֹאת ,זֶה ;] demonstr. pron. (related to ἐκεῖνος as hic to ille), this; 1. as subst., this one, he; (a) absol.: Mat.3:17, Mrk.9:7, Luk.7:44, 45, Jhn.1:15, Act.2:15, al.; expressing contempt (cl.), Mat.13:55, 56, Mrk.6:2, 3, Jhn.6:42, al.; εἰς τοῦτο, Mrk.1:38, Rom.14:9; μετὰ τοῦτο (ταῦτα; V. Westc. on Jhn.5:1), Jhn.2:12 11:7, al.; (b) epanaleptic (referring to what precedes): Mat.5:19, Mrk.3:35, Luk.9:48, Jhn.6:46, Rom.7:10, al.; …

an occasion of stumblingπρόσκομμαproskommaG4348
stumbling block

πρόσκομμα (proskomma) πρόσ-κομμα, -τος, τό (προσκόπτω), [in LXX: Exo.23:33 34:12 (מוֹקֵשׁ), Isa.8:14 (נֶגֶף), Jdth.8:22, Sir.17:25, al. ;] (a) a stumble, stumbling: λίθος προσκόμματος (= נֶגֶף אֶבֶן, Isa, l.with), figuratively, Rom.9:32-33, 1Pe.2:8" (LXX) ; (b) = προσκοπή, an occasion of stumbling, a stumbling-block: metaphorically, Rom.14:13, 20, 1Co.8:9 (Plut.).† SYN.: σκάνδαλον (cf. Cremer, 752 f.) (AS)

may becomeγένηταιgenētaiG1096
to be

γίνομαι (ginomai) γίνομαι, Ion. and κοινή for Att. γίγν- (M. Pr., 47; Bl., §6, 8 Mayser, 166 f.), [in LXX chiefly for היה ;] 1. of persons, things occurrences, to come into being, be born, arise, come on: Jhn.1:15 8:58, 1Co.15:37; a first appearance in public, Mrk.1:4, Jhn.1:6, al.; before ἐκ (of birth), Rom.1:3, Gal.4:4; διά, Jhn.1:3; βροντή, Jhn.12:29; σεισμός, Rev.6:12; γογγυσμός, Act.6:1; χαρά, Act.8:8, many other similar exx.; ἡμέρα, Luk.22:66, al.; ὀψέ, Mrk.11:19; πρωΐα, Mat.27:1; νύξ, Act.27:27. …

weak.ἀσθενέσιν.asthenesinG0772G
weak

ἀσθενής (asthenēs) ἀσθενής -ές (ἀ- neg., σθένος, strength), [in LXX for עָנִי, etc. ;] without strength, weak, feeble: 1Co.1:27 4:10 12:22, 2Co.10:10, Gal.4:9, 1Th.5:14, Heb.7:18, 1Pe.3:7. Rhetorically, τό ἀ. τ. θεοῦ, God's action of apparent weakness: 1Co.1:25; of bodily debility, sick, sickly: Mat.25:39 (Rec.) Mat.25:43-44, Luk.9:2 (Rec.) Luk.10:9, Act.4:9 5:15-16 In moral and spiritual sense (MM, see word; Cremer, 526), Mat.26:41, Mrk.14:38, Rom.5:6, 1Co.8:7 8:9-10 9:22 11:30.† (AS)

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.