1 Corinthians 9

1 Corinthians · Chapter 9

1 Corinthians 9:13

1Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord?2If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord.3Mine answer to them that do examine me is this,4Have we not power to eat and to drink?5Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?6Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working?7Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?8Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also?9For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?10Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope.11If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?12If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ.13Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?14Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.15But I have used none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void.16For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!17For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me.18What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.19For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.20And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;21To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law.22To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.23And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.24Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.25And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.26I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:27But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
13Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?Do you not know that those who work in the temple eat of its food, and those who serve at the altar partake of its offerings?Know ye not that they that minister about sacred things eat of the things of the temple, and they that wait upon the altar have their portion with the altar?

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
SurelyΟὐκOukG3756
no

οὐ (ou) οὐ, before a vowel with smooth breathing οὐκ, before one with rough breathing οὐχ (but improperly οὐχ ἰδού, Act.2:7, WH, mg.; cf. WH, Intr., §409; M, Pr., 44, 244), [in LXX for אֵין ,אַיִן ,לֹא ;] neg. particle, not, no, used generally with indic, and for a denial of fact (cf . μή); 1. absol. (accented), οὔ, no: Mat.13:29 Jhn.1:21 21:5; οὒ οὕ, Mat.5:37 Jas.5:12. …

you knowοἴδατεoidateG6063
to know

οἶδα (oida) 1. to know , εὖ οἶδα I know well; εὖ ἴσθι be assured : often with accusative rei, νοήματα οἶδε, μήδεα οἶδε he is versed in counsels, (Homer); with neut. Adjs., πεπνυμένα, φίλα, ἀθεμίστια εἰδώς (Homer); also with genitive, τόξων εὖ εἰδώς cunning in the use of the bow; οἰωνῶν σάφα εἰδώς (Odyssey by Homer): —; χάριν εἰδέναι τινί to acknowledge a debt to another, thank him , (Iliad by Homer), etc.:—;the Imperat. in protestations, ἴστω Ζεὺς αὐτός be Zeus my witness , (Iliad by Homer); doric ἴττω Ζεύς, ἴττω (Aristophanes Comicus): —; εἰδώς absolute one who knows , εἰδυίηι πάντ᾽ ἀγορεύω (Iliad by Hom …

thatὅτιhotiG3754G
that/since: that

ὅτι (hoti) ὅτι, conjc. (prop. neut. of ὅστις). I. As conjc, introducing an objective clause, that; 1. after verbs of seeing, knowing, thinking, saying, feeling: Mat.3:9 6:32 11:25, Mrk.3:28, Luk.2:49, Jhn.2:22, Act.4:13, Rom.1:13 8:38 10:9, Php.4:15, Jas.2:24, al.; elliptically, Jhn.6:46, Php.3:12, al. 2. After εἶναι (γίνεσθαι): defining a demonstr. or of person(s) pron., Jhn.3:19 16:19, Rom.9:6, 1Jn.3:16 al.; with pron. interrog., Mat.8:27, Mrk.4:41, Luk.4:36, Jhn.4:22 al.; id. elliptically, Luk.2:49, Act.5:4, 9, al.; …

sacred [things]ἱερὰhi'eraG2413
sacred

ἱερός (hieros) ἱερός, -ά, όν [in LXX: Eze.28:18 (מִקְדָּשׁ); τό ἱ, 1Ch.29:4 (בַּיִת), Eze.45:19 (עֲזָרָה); very frequently in I Est.1:1-58 -4 Mac ;] 1. in Hom., marvellous, mighty, divine. 2. (Also in Hom, and later cl.) consecrated to the deity, sacred: pl., ἱ. γράμματα, 2Ti.3:15. 3. As subst., (a) (so in Hom.), τὰ ἱ., sacrifices, sacred rites, sacred things: 1Co.9:13; …

workingἐργαζόμενοιergazomenoiG2038
to work

ἐργάζομαι (ergazomai) ἐργάζομαι (ἔργον), [in LXX for עָבַד, פָּעַל, עָשָׂה, etc. ;] 1. intrans., (a) to work, labour: Mat.21:28, Luk.13:14, Jhn.5:17 9:4 b, Act.18:3, 1Co.9:6, 2Th.3:10-12; τ. χερσίν, 1Co.4:12, 1Th.4:11; νυκτὸς κ. ἡαέρας, 1Th.2:9, 2Th.3:8; of working for pay, Mat.21:28; for reward, Rom.4:4-5; (b) to work at a trade or business, to trade: before Iv (Dem.), Mat.25:16. 2. Trans., …

ofἐκekG1537
out from

ἐκ (ek) ἐκ (ἐξ), prep. with genitive, from out of, from (see Addendum, p. 492). This entry is included here, but in the print version the entry is found on p. 492. ἐκ, before a vowel ἐξ, prep. with genitive, of motion outwards, separation from (opposite to εἰς; = Lat. e, ex), from out of, from among, from. I. Of Place, …

templeἱεροῦhi'erouG2411
temple

ἱερόν (hieros) ἱερός, -ά, όν [in LXX: Eze.28:18 (מִקְדָּשׁ); τό ἱ, 1Ch.29:4 (בַּיִת), Eze.45:19 (עֲזָרָה); very frequently in I Est.1:1-58 -4 Mac ;] 1. in Hom., marvellous, mighty, divine. 2. (Also in Hom, and later cl.) consecrated to the deity, sacred: pl., ἱ. γράμματα, 2Ti.3:15. 3. As subst., (a) (so in Hom.), τὰ ἱ., sacrifices, sacred rites, sacred things: 1Co.9:13; …

eat?ἐσθίουσιν;esthiousinG2068
to eat

ἐσθίω (esthiō) ἐσθίω, and (poet, and late prose) ἔσθω, [in LXX chiefly for אכל ;] to eat; (a) absol.: Mat.14:20, 21 Mrk.6:31, Jhn.4:31, al.; ἐν τ. φαγεῖν (on this aor. form, see M, Pr., 111), 1Co.11:21; διδόναι φαγεῖν, with dative of person(s), Mrk.5:43, al.; ἐ. καὶ πίνειν, Mat.6:25, 31 Luk.10:7, al.; of ordinary use of food and drink, 1Co.9:4 11:22; of partaking of food at table, Mrk.2:16, Luk.5:30, al.; opposite to fasting, Mat.11:18, Luk.5:33, al.; of revelling, Mat.24:49, Luk.12:45 . …

altarθυσιαστηρίῳthusiastēriōG2379
altar

θυσιαστήριον (thusiastērion) θυσιαστήριον, -ου, τό (θυσιάζω, to sacrifice), [in LXX (where the word first appears) very freq., nearly always for מַדְבַּח ;] an altar: (a) generally, Jas.2:21; pl., Rom.11:3 (LXX); metaphorically, Heb.13:10 (see Westc., in l, and esp. his add, note on the history of the word, 455 ff.); (b) of the altar of burnt-offering in the Temple, Mat.5:23-24 23:18-20, 35, Luk.11:51, 1Co.9:13 10:18, Heb.7:13, Rev.11:1; (with) of the altar of incense in the sanctuary (Exo.30:1, al.), Luk.1:11; symbolically in Heaven, Rev.6:9 8:3 9:13 14:18 16:7 (Cremer, 292).† (AS)

attendingπαρεδρεύοντεςparedreuontesG4332
to sit near/serve

προσεδρεύω (prosedreuō) προσεδρεύω (πρόσεδρος, sitting near), [in LXX: 1Ma.11:40 * ;] 1. to sit near. 2. to attend regularly: with dative, 1Co.9:13, Rec. (see: παρεδρεύω).† παρ-εδρεύω [in LXX: Pro.1:21 8:3 * ;] to sit constantly beside, attend constantly (cf. MM, xix): τ. θυσιαστηρίω, 1Co.9:13.† (AS)

altarθυσιαστηρίῳthusiastēriōG2379
altar

θυσιαστήριον (thusiastērion) θυσιαστήριον, -ου, τό (θυσιάζω, to sacrifice), [in LXX (where the word first appears) very freq., nearly always for מַדְבַּח ;] an altar: (a) generally, Jas.2:21; pl., Rom.11:3 (LXX); metaphorically, Heb.13:10 (see Westc., in l, and esp. his add, note on the history of the word, 455 ff.); (b) of the altar of burnt-offering in the Temple, Mat.5:23-24 23:18-20, 35, Luk.11:51, 1Co.9:13 10:18, Heb.7:13, Rev.11:1; (with) of the altar of incense in the sanctuary (Exo.30:1, al.), Luk.1:11; symbolically in Heaven, Rev.6:9 8:3 9:13 14:18 16:7 (Cremer, 292).† (AS)

partake?συμμερίζονται;summerizontaiG4829
to share

συμμερίζω (summerizō) συν-μερίζω (Rec. συμμ-), [in LXX: Pro.29:24 א2 (חָלַק) * ;] to distri­bute in shares. Mid., to have a share in: 1Co.9:13 (Diod., al.).† (AS)

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