1 Corinthians 9:27

But 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.

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
But	ἀλλ᾽ all᾽	G235	properly · conjunction
under	ὑπωπιάζω hupōpiazō	G5299	to hit under the eye (buffet or disable an antagonist a… · verb — present active indicative, 1st person singular
my	μοῦ moû	G3450	of me
body	σῶμα sōma	G4983	the body (as a sound whole) · noun — accusative singular neuter
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
bring	δουλαγωγῶ, doulagōgō	G1396	to be a slave-driver · verb — present active indicative, 1st person singular
subjection	δουλαγωγέω doulagōgéō	G1396	to be a slave-driver
means	μήπως mḗpōs	G3381	lest somehow
preached	κηρύξας kēruxas	G2784	to herald (as a public crier) · verb — aorist active participle, nominative singular masculine
others	ἄλλοις allois	G243	"else · adjective — dative plural masculine
myself	αὐτὸς autos	G846	the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — nominative singular masculine
be	γένωμαι.¶ genōmai	G1096	to cause to be ("gen"-erate) · verb — second aorist middle deponent subjunctive, 1st person singular
castaway	ἀδόκιμος adokimos	G96	unapproved · adjective — nominative 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

Romans 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
1 Corinthians 9:25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptibl…
Colossians 3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousnes…
2 Corinthians 13:5-6 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except…
1 Peter 2:11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;
1 Corinthians 6:12-13 All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of…
2 Corinthians 6:4-5 But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,
1 Corinthians 8:13 Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.

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 9:27

keep under--literally, "bruise the face under the eyes," so as to render it black and blue; so, to chastise in the most sensitive part. Compare "mortify the deeds of the body," Rom 8:13; also Pe1 2:11. It is not ascetic fasts or macerations of the body which are here recommended, but the keeping under of our natural self-seeking, so as, like Paul, to lay ourselves out entirely for the great work. my body--the old man and the remainders of lust in my flesh. "My body," so far as by the flesh it opposes the spirit [ESTIUS] (Gal 5:17). Men may be severe to their bodies and yet indulge their lust. Ascetic "neglect of the body" may be all the while a more subtile "satisfying of the flesh" (Col 2…

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Adam Clarke on 1 Corinthians 9:27

But I keep under my body, etc. - This is an allusion, not only to boxers, but also to wrestlers in the same games, as we learn from the word ὑπωπιαζω, which signifies to hit in the eyes; and δουλαγωγω, which signifies to trip, and give the antagonist a fall, and then keep him down when he was down, and having obliged him to acknowledge himself conquered, make him a slave. The apostle considers his body as an enemy with which he must contend; he must mortify it by self-denial, abstinence, and severe labor; it must be the slave of his soul, and not the soul the slave of the body, which in all unregenerate men is the case. Lest - having preached to others - The word κηρυξας, which we translate…

The Church Fathers

Let our soul be in command and our body in subjection. Then Christ will come immediately and make his dwelling with us.
— Jerome, HOMILY 9

He also said, 'Fasting is the monk's control over sin. The man who stops fasting is like a stallion who lusts the moment he sees a mare.'
— Desert Fathers, The Desert Fathers, Sayings of the Early Christian Monks

Pambo said to Antony, 'What shall I do?' Antony said, 'Do not trust in your own righteousness. Do not go on sorrowing over a deed that is past. Keep your tongue and your belly under control.'
— Desert Fathers, The Desert Fathers, Sayings of the Early Christian Monks

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

Castaway — Gr. adokimos, (1 Cor. 9:27), one regarded as unworthy (R.V., “rejected”); elsewhere rendered “reprobate” (2 Tim. 3:8, etc.); “rejected” (Heb. 6:8, etc.).
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…
Reprobate — That which is rejected on account of its own worthlessness (Jer. 6:30; Heb. 6:8; Gr. adokimos, “rejected”). This word is also used with reference to persons cast away or rejected because they have…
Affections · General references — General references
Affections, The · Carnal affections should be mortified — Carnal affections should be mortified
Apostasy · UNCLASSIFIED SCRIPTURES RELATING TO — UNCLASSIFIED SCRIPTURES RELATING TO
Appetite · Kept in subjection — Kept in subjection
Captivity · FIGURATIVE — FIGURATIVE
Conduct, Christian · Controlling the body — Controlling the body
Continence · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Lasciviousness · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Lust · Evil — Evil
Ministers

1 Corinthians 9:27

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Corinthians 9:24–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Corinthians 9:27

Adam Clarke on 1 Corinthians 9:27

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

1 Corinthians 9:27

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Corinthians 9:24–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Corinthians 9:27

Adam Clarke on 1 Corinthians 9:27

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Gill on 1 Corinthians 9:27

John Calvin on 1 Corinthians 9:23–end

Tyndale Open Study Notes on 1 Corinthians 9:27