1 Corinthians 3:19

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
For	γὰρ gar	G1063	properly · conjunction
wisdom	σοφία sophia	G4678	wisdom (higher or lower · noun — nominative singular feminine
this	τούτου toútou	G5127	of (from or concerning) this (person or thing)
world	κόσμου kosmou	G2889	orderly arrangement · noun — genitive singular masculine
is	ἐστί estí	G2076	he (she or it) is
foolishness	μωρία mōria	G3472	silliness · noun — nominative singular feminine
with	παρὰ para	G3844	properly · preposition
God	θεῷ theō	G2316	figuratively · noun — dative singular masculine, a title
For	γάρ· gar	G1063	properly · conjunction
written	γέγραπται gegraptai	G1125	to "grave" · verb — perfect passive indicative, 3rd person singular
taketh	δρασσόμενος drassomenos	G1405	to grasp · verb — present middle or passive deponent participle, nominative singular masculine
wise	σοφοὺς sophous	G4680	wise (in a most general application) · adjective — accusative plural masculine
in	ἐν en	G1722	"in · preposition
own	αὐτῶν· autōn	G846	the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — genitive plural masculine
craftiness	πανουργίᾳ panourgia	G3834	adroitness · noun — dative singular feminine

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Job 5:13 He taketh the wise in their own craftiness: and the counsel of the froward is carried headlong.
Psalms 141:10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets, whilst that I withal escape.
1 Corinthians 1:19-20 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
Romans 1:21-22 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foo…
Isaiah 44:25 That frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish;
Psalms 9:15-16 The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made: in the net which they hid is their own foot taken.
1 Corinthians 2:6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought…
Psalms 7:14-15 Behold, he travaileth with iniquity, and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood.

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Corinthians 3:18-20

Here he prescribes humility, and a modest opinion of themselves, for the remedy of the irregularities in the church of Corinth, the divisions and contests among them: "Let no man deceive himself, Co1 3:18. Do not be led away from the truth and simplicity of the gospel by pretenders to science and eloquence, by a show of deep learning, or a flourish of words, by rabbis, orators, or philosophers." Note, We are in great danger of deceiving ourselves when we have too high an opinion of human wisdom and arts; plain and pure Christianity will be likely to be despised by those who can suit their doctrines to the corrupt taste of their hearers, and set them off with fine language, or support them wi…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Corinthians 3:19

with God--in the judgment of God. it is written--in Job 5:13. The formula of quoting SCRIPTURE used here, establishes the canonicity of Job. He taketh . . . wise in . . . own craftiness--proving the "foolishness" of the world's wisdom, since it is made by God the very snare to catch those who think themselves so wise. Literally, "He who taketh . . . the whole of the sentence not being quoted, but only the part which suited Paul's purpose.

Adam Clarke on 1 Corinthians 3:19

The wisdom of this world - Whether it be the pretended deep and occult wisdom of the rabbins, or the wire-drawn speculations of the Grecian philosophers, is foolishness with God; for as folly consists in spending time, strength, and pains to no purpose, so these may be fitly termed fools who acquire no saving knowledge by their speculations. And is not this the case with the major part of all that is called philosophy, even in the present day? Has one soul been made wise unto salvation through it? Are our most eminent philosophers either pious or useful men? Who of them is meek, gentle, and humble! Who of them directs his researches so as to meliorate the moral condition of his fellow creatu…

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John Gill

The Church Fathers

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.
— Pope Urban I,

The wisdom of this world is that which lacks the grace of God. It is purely human in character.
— Theodoret of Cyrus, COMMENTARY ON THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS 184

Wherefore? "Because the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God." With what God? Even if the ancient Scriptures have contributed nothing in support of our view thus far, an excellent testimony turns up in what (the apostle) here adjoins: "For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness; and again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.
— Tertullian, Against Marcion Book V

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Job, Book of — A great diversity of opinion exists as to the authorship of this book. From internal evidence, such as the similarity of sentiment and language to those in the Psalms and Proverbs (see Ps. 88 and…
Ignorance · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

1 Corinthians 3:19

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Corinthians 3:18-20

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Corinthians 3:19

Adam Clarke on 1 Corinthians 3:19

John Gill

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

1 Corinthians 3:19

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Corinthians 3:18-20

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Corinthians 3:19

Adam Clarke on 1 Corinthians 3:19

John Gill

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Calvin on 1 Corinthians 3:16–end

Tyndale Open Study Notes on 1 Corinthians 3:18-20