1 Corinthians 9:26

I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
I	ἐγὼ egō	G1473	I · personal pronoun — 1st person nominative singular
therefore	τοίνυν toinun	G5106	truly now · conjunction
so	οὕτως houtōs	G3779	in this way (referring to what precedes or follows) · adverb
run	τρέχω trechō	G5143	compare G2359 (θρίξ)) · verb — present active indicative, 1st person singular
not	οὐκ ouk	G3756	the absolute negative (compare G3361 (μή)) adverb · particle — negative
as	ὡς hōs	G5613	which how · particle
uncertainly	ἀδήλως, adēlōs	G84	uncertainly · adverb
so	οὕτως houtōs	G3779	in this way (referring to what precedes or follows) · adverb
I	πυκτεύω pukteuō	G4438	to box (with the fist) · verb — present active indicative, 1st person singular
not	οὐκ ouk	G3756	the absolute negative (compare G3361 (μή)) adverb · particle — negative
as	ὡς hōs	G5613	which how · particle
beateth	δέρων· derōn	G1194	properly · verb — present active participle, nominative singular masculine
air	ἀέρα aera	G109	by analogy · noun — accusative singular 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

2 Timothy 2:5 And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.
2 Peter 1:10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
Philippians 1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Colossians 1:29 Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.
Luke 13:24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.
2 Timothy 1:12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is…
1 Peter 5:1 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory t…
Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, ag…

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

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Corinthians 9:24–end

In these verses the apostle hints at the great encouragement he had to act in this manner. He had a glorious prize, an incorruptible crown, in view. Upon this head he compares himself to the racers and combatants in the Isthmian games, an allusion well known to the Corinthians, because they were celebrated in their neighbourhood: "Know you not that those who run in a race run all, but one obtaineth the prize? Co1 9:24. All run at your games, but only one gets the race and wins the crown." And here, I. He excites them to their duty: "So run that you may obtain. It is quite otherwise in the Christian race than in your races; only one wins the prize in them. You may all run so as to obtain. You…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Corinthians 9:26

I--Paul returns to his main subject, his own self-denial, and his motive in it. run, not as uncertainly--not as a runner uncertain of the goal. Ye Corinthians gain no end in your entering idol temples or eating idol meats. But I, for my part, in all my acts, whether in my becoming "all things to all men," or in receiving no sustenance from my converts, have a definite end in view, namely, to "gain the more." I know what 1 aim at, and how to aim at it. He who runs with a clear aim, looks straightforward to the goal, makes it his sole aim, casts away every encumbrance (Heb 12:1-2), is indifferent to what the by-standers say, and sometimes even a fall only serves to rouse him the more [BENGEL…

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Adam Clarke on 1 Corinthians 9:26

I therefore so run, not as uncertainly - In the foot-course in those games, how many soever ran, only one could have the prize, however strenuously they might exert themselves; therefore, all ran uncertainly; but it was widely different in the Christian course, if every one ran as he ought, each would receive the prize. The word αδηλως, which we translate uncertainly, has other meanings. 1. It signifies ignorantly; I do not run like one ignorant of what he is about, or of the laws of the course; I know that there is an eternal life; I know the way that leads to it; and I know and feel the power of it. 2. It signifies without observation; the eyes of all the spectators were fixed on those who…

The Church Fathers

The "air" here refers to the powers of evil.
— Theodore of Mopsuestia, PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

So run in this world as to obtain in the next.
— Jerome, Against the Pelagians 1

Paul means that he fights not merely with his words but with his deeds.
— Ambrosiaster, COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES

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

Air — The atmosphere, as opposed to the higher regions of the sky (1 Thess. 4:17; Rev. 9:2; 16:17). This word occurs once as the rendering of the Hebrew ruah (Job 41:16); elsewhere it is the rendering of…
Boxing · FIGURATIVE — FIGURATIVE
Games · Foot races — Foot races
Self-Denial · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Warfare Of Saints · Is against: The flesh — Is against: The flesh

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 9:26

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Corinthians 9:24–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Corinthians 9:26

Adam Clarke on 1 Corinthians 9:26

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

1 Corinthians 9:26

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Corinthians 9:24–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Corinthians 9:26

Adam Clarke on 1 Corinthians 9:26

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Gill on 1 Corinthians 9:26

John Calvin on 1 Corinthians 9:23–end

Tyndale Open Study Notes on 1 Corinthians 9:26