1 Corinthians 8:9

But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
But	δὲ de	G1161	but · conjunction
heed	βλέπετε blepete	G991	to look at (literally or figuratively) · verb — present active imperative, 2nd person plural
means	μήπως mḗpōs	G3381	lest somehow
this	αὕτη hautē	G3778	the he (she or it) · demonstrative pronoun — nominative singular feminine
liberty	ἐξουσία exousia	G1849	privilege · noun — nominative singular feminine
yours	ὑμῶν hymōn	G5216	of (from or concerning) you
become	γένηται genētai	G1096	to cause to be ("gen"-erate) · verb — second aorist middle deponent subjunctive, 3rd person singular
stumblingblock	πρόσκομμα proskomma	G4348	a stub · noun — nominative singular neuter
them	ἡ hē	G3588	the (sometimes to be supplied · article — nominative singular feminine
weak	ἀσθενέω asthenéō	G770	to be feeble (in any sense)

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

Galatians 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
Romans 14:20-21 For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence.
1 Peter 2:16 As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.
2 Peter 2:19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in…
Romans 14:1-2 Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.
1 Corinthians 10:24 Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth.
Romans 14:13-15 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his broth…
1 Corinthians 8:12 But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.

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

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Corinthians 8:7–end

The apostle, having granted, and indeed confirmed, the opinion of some among the Corinthians, that idols were nothing, proceeds now to show them that their inference from this assumption was not just, namely, that therefore they might go into the idol-temple, and eat of the sacrifices, and feast there with their heathen neighbours. He does not indeed here so much insist upon the unlawfulness of the thing in itself as the mischief such freedom might do to weaker Christians, persons that had not the same measure of knowledge with these pretenders. And here, I. He informs them that every Christian man, at that time, was not so fully convinced and persuaded that an idol was nothing. Howbeit, the…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Corinthians 8:9

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, Rom 14:22-23).

Adam Clarke on 1 Corinthians 8:9

But 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 conclude, that as you partake of such things, so he may also, and with safety. He is not possessed of your superior information on this point, and he eats to the idol what you take as a common meal.

John Gill on 1 Corinthians 8:9

But take heed lest by any means,.... This is either a reply to the instance of such as argued in favour of eating things offered to idols; or a limitation and explanation of the apostle's own concession, that it made a man, with respect to the favour of God, neither better nor worse: yet care should be taken, lest this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak; he owns they had a liberty, or a right, or power, as the word may be rendered, of eating, or not eating, as they pleased; but then they ought to be cautious, lest they should be the means of offending, or causing to offend, such who were weak in the faith, and had not that knowledge of Christian liberty they had:…

The Church Fathers

But as he goes on, he discloses all the harm which was likely to arise from the matter. For the present, however, that which befel the brethren is his subject. "For take heed," saith he, "lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumbling-block to the weak among the brethren." He did not say, "Your liberty is become a stumbling-block," nor did he positively affirm it that he might not make them more shameless; but how? "Take heed;" frightening them, and making them ashamed, and leading them to disavow any such conduct. And he said not, "This your knowledge," which would have sounded more like praise; nor "this your perfectness;" but, "your liberty;" a thing which seemed to savor more of rashness and obstinacy and arrogance. Neither said he, "To the brethren," but, "To those of the brethren who are weak;" enhancing his accusation from their not even sparing the weak, and those too their brethren. For let it be so that you correct them not, nor arouse them: yet why trip them up, and make them to stumble, when you ought to stretch out the hand? but for that you have no mind: well then, at least avoid casting them down. Since if one were wicked, he required punishment; if weak, healing: but now he is not only weak, but also a brother.
— John Chrysostom, Homily on 1 Corinthians 20

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

Commandments · PRECEPTS OF PAUL. EXPLICITLY STATED OR IMPLIED IN DIDACTIC EPISTLES — PRECEPTS OF PAUL. EXPLICITLY STATED OR IMPLIED IN DIDACTIC EPISTLES
Conscience · 20:12; — 20:12;
Evil · APPEARANCE OF, TO BE AVOI — APPEARANCE OF, TO BE AVOI
Example · 30:7; — 30:7;
Expediency · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Fraternity · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Liberty, Christian · Saints should: Not offend others by — Saints should: Not offend others by
Neophytes · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Offence · Saints should: Be cautious of giving — Saints should: Be cautious of giving
Prudence · 5:25,26;7:6; — 5:25,26;7:6;
Stumbling · .R. V.) — .R. V.)
Temptation · 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 8:9

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Corinthians 8:7–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Corinthians 8:9

Adam Clarke on 1 Corinthians 8:9

John Gill on 1 Corinthians 8:9

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

1 Corinthians 8:9

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Corinthians 8:7–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Corinthians 8:9

Adam Clarke on 1 Corinthians 8:9

John Gill on 1 Corinthians 8:9

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Calvin on 1 Corinthians 8:8–end

Tyndale Open Study Notes on 1 Corinthians 8:9-10