1 Corinthians 4:9

For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
For	γάρ gar	G1063	properly · conjunction
think	δοκῶ dokō	G1380	compare the base of G1166 (δεικνύω)) of the same meaning · verb — present active indicative, 1st person singular
that	ὅτι hoti	G3754	demonstrative · conjunction
God	θεὸς theos	G2316	figuratively · noun — nominative singular masculine, a title
forth	ἀπέδειξεν apedeixen	G584	to show off · verb — aorist active indicative, 3rd person singular
us	ἡμᾶς hēmâs	G2248	us
apostles	ἀποστόλους apostolous	G652	a delegate · noun — accusative plural masculine
last	ἐσχάτους eschatous	G2078	farthest · adjective — accusative plural masculine
were	ὡς hōs	G5613	which how · particle
death	ἐπιθανατίους, epithanatious	G1935	doomed to death · adjective — accusative plural masculine
for	ὅτι hóti	G3754	demonstrative
made	ἐγενήθημεν egenēthēmen	G1096	to cause to be ("gen"-erate) · verb — second aorist passive deponent indicative, 1st person plural
spectacle	θέατρον theatron	G2302	a place for public show ("theatre") · noun — nominative singular neuter
world	κόσμῳ kosmō	G2889	orderly arrangement · noun — dative singular masculine
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
angels	ἀγγέλοις angelois	G32	compare G34 (ἀγέλη)) (to bring tidings) · noun — dative plural masculine
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
men	ἀνθρώποις. anthrōpois	G444	from G3700 (ὀπτάνομαι)) · noun — dative plural masculine

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

Hebrews 10:33 Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so u…
Romans 8:36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
2 Corinthians 4:8-12 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
1 Corinthians 15:30-32 And why stand we in jeopardy every hour?
2 Corinthians 1:8-10 For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength,…
Philippians 1:29-30 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;
Hebrews 1:14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?
Acts 19:29 And the whole city was filled with confusion: and having caught Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul’s companions in travel, they r…

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

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Corinthians 4:7-13

Here the apostle improves the foregoing hint to a caution against pride and self-conceit, and sets forth the temptations the Corinthians had to despise him, from the difference of their circumstances. I. He cautions them against pride and self-conceit by this consideration, that all the distinction made among them was owing to God: Who maketh thee to differ? And what hast thou that thou didst not receive? Co1 4:7. Here the apostle turns his discourse to the ministers who set themselves at the head of these factions, and did but too much encourage and abet the people in those feuds. What had they to glory in, when all their peculiar gifts were from God? They had received them, and could not g…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Corinthians 4:9

For--assigning the reason for desiring that the "reign" of himself and his fellow apostles with the Corinthians were come; namely, the present afflictions of the former. I think--The Corinthians (Co1 3:18) "seemed" to (literally, as here, "thought") themselves "wise in this world." Paul, in contrast, "thinks" that God has sent forth him and his fellow ministers "last," that is, the lowest in this world. The apostles fared worse than even the prophets, who, though sometimes afflicted, were often honored (Kg2 1:10; Kg2 5:9; Kg2 8:9, Kg2 8:12). set forth--as a spectacle or gazing-stock. us the apostles--Paul includes Apollos with the apostles, in the broader sense of the word; so Rom 16:7…

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Adam Clarke on 1 Corinthians 4:9

God hath set forth us the apostles last - This whole passage is well explained by Dr. Whitby. "Here the apostle seems to allude to the Roman spectacles, της των θηριομαχων, και μονομαχιας ανδροφονου, that of the Bestiarii and the gladiators, where in the morning men were brought upon the theatres to fight with wild beasts, and to them was allowed armor to defend themselves and smite the beasts that assailed them; but in the meridian or noon-day spectacles the gladiators were brought forth naked, and without any thing to defend themselves from the sword of the assailant; and he that then escaped was only kept for slaughter to another day, so that these men might well be called επιθανατιοι, me…

The Church Fathers

The angels marvel at the apostles' fortitude. As for human beings, some rejoice in the apostles' afflictions, while others are moved to pity but have no help to offer.
— Theodoret of Cyrus, COMMENTARY ON THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS 189

for as this world consists of men and angels: We, saith the Apostle, are made a spectacle to the world, to angels and to men, so also the higher place again has been prepared beforehand for angels and men.
— Cosmas Indicopleustes, The Christian Topography, Book 6

But here, at least, you say he interprets the world to be the God thereof, when he says: "We are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men." For if by world he had meant the people thereof, he would not have afterwards specially mentioned "men.
— 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

Ephesus — The capital of proconsular Asia, which was the western part of Asia Minor. It was colonized principally from Athens. In the time of the Romans it bore the title of “the first and greatest metropolis…
Games — (1.) Of children (Zech. 8:5; Matt. 11:16). The Jewish youth were also apparently instructed in the use of the bow and the sling (Judg. 20:16; 1 Chr. 12:2). (2.) Public games, such as were common…
Theatre — Only mentioned in Acts 19:29, 31. The ruins of this theatre at Ephesus still exist, and they show that it was a magnificent structure, capable of accommodating some 56,700 persons. It was the largest…
Games · .Fighting wild “beasts”, of spiritual conflict — .Fighting wild “beasts”, of spiritual conflict
Persecution · OF THE RIGHTEOUS — OF THE RIGHTEOUS
Roman Empire, The · Allusions to grecian game adapted by: Gladiatorial fights — Allusions to grecian game adapted by: Gladiatorial fights

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 4:9

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Corinthians 4:7-13

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Corinthians 4:9

Adam Clarke on 1 Corinthians 4:9

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

1 Corinthians 4:9

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Corinthians 4:7-13

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Corinthians 4:9

Adam Clarke on 1 Corinthians 4:9

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Gill on 1 Corinthians 4:9

John Calvin on 1 Corinthians 4:9-15

Tyndale Open Study Notes on 1 Corinthians 4:9