1 COR 1:19 Interlinear View

1. Greek word
2. Greek lemma
3. OET-LV words
4. OET-RV words
5. Strongs
6. Role/Morphology
7. OET Gloss
8. VLT Gloss
9. CAPS codes
10. Confidence
11. OET tags
12. OET word #
1. γέγραπται
2. grafō
3. it has been written
4. it written
5. 11250
6. VIEP3··S
7. ˱it˲ ˓has_been˒ written
8. ˱it˲ ˓has_been˒ written
9. -
10. Y59; R113336; R113347
11. 113334
1. Γάρ
2. gar
3. For/Because
4. because
5. 10630
6. C·······
7. for
8. for
9. S
10. Y59
11. 113335
1. Ἀπολῶ
2. apolluō
3. I will be destroying
4. destroy
5. 6220
6. VIFA1··S
7. ˱I˲ ˓will_be˒ destroying
8. ˱I˲ ˓will_be˒ destroying
9. B
10. Y59; F113334
11. 113336
1. τήν
2. ho
3. the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····AFS
7. the
8. the
9. -
10. Y59
11. 113337
1. σοφίαν
2. sofia
3. wisdom
4. wisdom
5. 46780
6. N····AFS
7. wisdom
8. wisdom
9. -
10. Y59
11. 113338
1. τῶν
2. ho
3. of the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····GMP
7. ˱of˲ the
8. ˱of˲ the
9. -
10. Y59
11. 113339
1. σοφῶν
2. sofos
3. wise
4. -
5. 46800
6. S····GMP
7. wise
8. wise
9. -
10. Y59
11. 113340
1. καί
2. kai
3. and
4. and
5. 25320
6. C·······
7. and
8. and
9. -
10. Y59
11. 113341
1. τήν
2. ho
3. the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····AFS
7. the
8. the
9. -
10. Y59
11. 113342
1. σύνεσιν
2. sunesis
3. intelligence
4. intelligent
5. 49070
6. N····AFS
7. intelligence
8. intelligence
9. -
10. Y59
11. 113343
1. τῶν
2. ho
3. of the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····GMP
7. ˱of˲ the
8. ˱of˲ the
9. -
10. Y59
11. 113344
1. συνετῶν
2. sunetos
3. intelligent
4. -
5. 49080
6. S····GMP
7. intelligent
8. intelligent
9. -
10. Y59
11. 113345
1. συνετῷ
2. sunetos
3. -
4. -
5. 49080
6. A····DMS
7. intelligent
8. intelligent
9. -
10. -
11. 113346
1. ἀθετήσω
2. atheteō
3. I will be rejecting
4. -
5. 1140
6. VIFA1··S
7. ˱I˲ ˓will_be˒ rejecting
8. ˱I˲ ˓will_be˒ rejecting
9. -
10. Y59; F113334
11. 113347

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 1:10–2:16: Believers should not divide up into competing factions. They should be united by true wisdom, the message of the cross.

In this section Paul wrote about a serious problem in the Corinthian church. The Corinthian believers were dividing up into competing groups. They were following whichever human leader they admired the most. Paul tried to solve this problem by reminding the Corinthians of the message of the cross. He wanted them to stop following human wisdom and to follow God’s wisdom.

Paragraph 1:18–19

God made it possible for people to know him only through believing his message about Christ and his death. He has destroyed all human cleverness.

1:19a

For it is written:

For in the Scriptures God says:
That agrees with what God said in his book:

For it is written: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as For it is written introduces a quotation from the Old Testament Scriptures. This quote from Isaiah 29:14 confirms what Paul had just said about those who are perishing. What Paul means is: What I have said in 1:18 is true, because the Scriptures say the same thing.Paul quotes Isaiah 29:14 because that verse is a good example of the truth that people cannot save themselves by their clever ideas. The prophet Isaiah lived long ago, at a time when the nation of Israel was in danger and suffered from enemies who came into their country and attacked them. Instead of turning from their bad ways and trusting God to help them, they listened to their humanly wise men telling them to go and get help from the people Egypt. Because of that, God used their enemies to punish them for their bad ways. In that way, God “destroyed the wisdom of the wise”; that is, he caused the wise men’s advice to come to nothing. From this passage in the OT, Paul reminds the believers that they should not trust humanly wise thoughts and plans about how to become good in God’s sight and how to live in ways pleasing to him. Some other ways to translate this are:

For it says in the Scriptures

For God’s book says

The quote that follows is spoken by God. So another way to translate this is:

As God says in the Scriptures (CEV)

1:19b-c

In this quote from the OT there are two short sentences joined with the word “and.” The second sentence says the same thing as the first sentence using/in different words. This is a common form of Hebrew poetry. Notice how similar these two sentences are. For example:

1:19b	1:19c
“I will cause	I will make
the wise men	the wise men
to lose their	unable to
wisdom;	understand.”
	(NCV)

You may translate each of these sentences separately as the BSB and most other English versions do. However, if the repetition does not sound natural in your language, you can combine these two sentences into one. See the General Comment at the end of the Notes for 1:19c.

1:19b

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;

“I will ruin/destroy the wise thoughts of wise people.
“I will show how worthless/foolish are the clever thoughts of clever people.

I will destroy the wisdom of the wise: This clause means that God will cause the plans of people who trust in human wisdom to fail.

In some languages it is not natural to talk about destroying wisdom. You may need to translate this without using the word wisdom. For example:

I will cause wise people to fail/not succeed.

Some people think they have wise/clever plans. However, I will cause their clever plans to fail.

I will destroy: The Greek word that the BSB translates as I will destroy is from the same verb as “perishing” in 1:18a. It means ruining something completely, making it worthless and useless.

I: The pronoun, I, here refers to God. God is the one who says these words. You may need to make the subject explicit. For example:

God says, “I will destroy…”

the wisdom of the wise: The phrase the wisdom of the wise here means something like “the clever thoughts of people who think themselves clever/wise.” In some languages, it may be more natural to translate this abstract noun wisdom as a noun phrase. You may use “wise thoughts” or “clever plans.” For example:

the clever plans that clever people make

the wise thoughts of wise people

1:19c

the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”

I will ruin the intelligent/clever plans of smart people.”
I will show/prove that the clever ideas of clever people are not successful.”

the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate: This clause means approximately the same thing as 1:19b. The intelligent people are the same people who are called “wise” in 1:19b. Some other ways to translate the phrase the intelligent are:

the clever (RSV)

those who think they know so much (CEV)

clever people

I will frustrate: The Greek word that the BSB translates as I will frustrate means “to set something aside as useless.” Some other ways to translate frustrate are:

thwart (RSV)

bring to nothing (REB)

General Comment on 1:19

In some languages it may be more natural to combine these two verse parts. For example:

I will prevent the plans of those who think they are wise and clever from coming into effect.

There are people who say that they are wise. They think up clever plans. However, I will show that they are not wise. I will make their ideas fail.

No matter how wise some people think they are, I will always defeat/thwart them and their clever schemes/plans.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-words-phrases

γάρ

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: γέγραπται Γάρ Ἀπολῶ τήν σοφίαν τῶν σοφῶν καί τήν σύνεσιν τῶν συνετῶν ἀθετήσω)

Here, For introduces Paul’s evidence that what he said in [1:18](../01/18.md) is true. You could use a word that introduces evidence for a claim or leave the word untranslated. Alternate translation: [As]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

γέγραπται

˱it˲_˓has_been˒_written

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you can express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Paul uses the passive form here to focus on what is written rather than the person doing the “writing.” If you must state who does the action, you can express it so that: (1) the scripture or scripture author writes or speaks the words. Alternate translation: [Isaiah has written] (2) God speaks the words. Alternate translation: [God has said]

Note 3 topic: writing-quotations

γέγραπται γάρ

˱it˲_˓has_been˒_written (Some words not found in SR-GNT: γέγραπται Γάρ Ἀπολῶ τήν σοφίαν τῶν σοφῶν καί τήν σύνεσιν τῶν συνετῶν ἀθετήσω)

In Paul’s culture, For it is written was a normal way to introduce a quotation from an important text. In this case, the quotation comes from [Isaiah 29:14](../isa/29/14.md). If it would be helpful in your language, you could express how Paul introduces the quotation with a comparable phrase that indicates that Paul is quoting from an important text. Alternate translation: [For it can be read in Isaiah] or [For it says in the book of Isaiah]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / quotations

ἀπολῶ τὴν σοφίαν τῶν σοφῶν, καὶ τὴν σύνεσιν τῶν συνετῶν ἀθετήσω

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: γέγραπται Γάρ Ἀπολῶ τήν σοφίαν τῶν σοφῶν καί τήν σύνεσιν τῶν συνετῶν ἀθετήσω)

If you cannot use this form in your language, you could translate this direct quote as an indirect quote, specifying that God is the subject and including an introductory word such as “that.” Alternate translation: [that God will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and he will frustrate the understanding of the intelligent]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

τὴν σοφίαν τῶν σοφῶν & τὴν σύνεσιν τῶν συνετῶν

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: γέγραπται Γάρ Ἀπολῶ τήν σοφίαν τῶν σοφῶν καί τήν σύνεσιν τῶν συνετῶν ἀθετήσω)

In both of these clauses, Paul uses the possessive form to describe wisdom or understanding that belongs to the wise or the intelligent. If it would be helpful in your language, you could indicate that wisdom and understanding belong to the wise or the intelligent. Alternate translation: [the wisdom that the wise have … the understanding that the intelligent have]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / nominaladj

τῶν σοφῶν & τῶν συνετῶν

˱of˲_the wise & ˱of˲_the intelligent

Paul is using the adjectives wise and intelligent as nouns in order to describe groups of people. Your language may use adjectives in the same way. If not, you could translate these with noun phrases. Alternate translation: [of the people who are wise … of the people who are intelligent]

Note 7 topic: translate-unknown

τῶν συνετῶν

˱of˲_the ˱of˲_the intelligent

Here, intelligent describes someone who is good at figuring out problems, understanding new ideas, and making smart decisions. Use a word in your language that gets this general idea across. Alternate translation: [of the smart] or [of the clever]

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.

Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.

OET interlinear 1 COR 1:19

SR Greek word order (including unused variant words in grey)

Section 1:10–2:16: Believers should not divide up into competing factions. They should be united by true wisdom, the message of the cross.

Paragraph 1:18–19

1:19a

1:19b-c

1:19b

1:19c

General Comment on 1:19

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

OET interlinear 1 COR 1:19

SR Greek word order (including unused variant words in grey)

Section 1:10–2:16: Believers should not divide up into competing factions. They should be united by true wisdom, the message of the cross.

Paragraph 1:18–19

1:19a

1:19b-c

1:19b

1:19c

General Comment on 1:19

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

OET interlinear 1 COR 1:19