1 COR 1:23 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, orange:accusative/object, cyan:dative/indirect object.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT But we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles.

UST We, however, proclaim that the Messiah died on a cross. Many Jewish people find this message offensive, and many non-Jewish people think that this message is foolish.

BLB we, however, preach Christ having been crucified, a stumbling block indeed to the Jewish and foolishness to Gentiles,

AICNT but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to {Gentiles}.[fn]

1:23, Gentiles: Some manuscripts read “Greeks.”

OEB we are proclaiming Christ crucified! – to the Jews an obstacle, to the Gentiles mere folly,

WEBBE but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Greeks,

WMBB but we proclaim Messiah crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Greeks,

NET but we preach about a crucified Christ, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles.

LSV also we preach Christ crucified, to Jews, indeed, a stumbling-block, and to Greeks foolishness,

FBV but our message is of Christ killed on a cross—offensive to the Jews, and foolishness to the foreigners.

TCNT but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to [fn]Greeks,

1:23 Greeks ¦ Gentiles CT

T4T As for us, we proclaim the message about what Christ accomplished for us when he was nailed {when they nailed him} to the cross. That message offends Jews because they do not think that the Messiah will die, and non-Jews think it is [IRO] a foolish message.

LEB but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a cause for stumbling, but to the Gentiles foolishness,

BBE But we give the good news of Christ on the cross, a hard thing to the Jews, and a foolish thing to the Gentiles;

Moff but our message is Christ the crucified — a stumbling-block to the Jews, "sheer folly" to the Gentiles,

Wymth while we proclaim a Christ who has been crucified—to the Jews a stumbling-block, to Gentiles foolishness,

ASV but we preach Christ crucified, unto Jews a stumblingblock, and unto Gentiles foolishness;

DRA But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews indeed a stumblingblock, and unto the Gentiles foolishness:

YLT also we — we preach Christ crucified, to Jews, indeed, a stumbling-block, and to Greeks foolishness,

Drby but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews an offence, and to nations foolishness;

RV but we preach Christ crucified, unto Jews a stumblingblock, and unto Gentiles foolishness;
(but we preach Christ crucified, unto Jews a stumbling-block, and unto Gentiles foolishness; )

SLT And we proclaim Christ crucified, to the Jews truly a stumbling-block, and to the Greeks foolishness;

Wbstr But we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling-block, and to the Greeks foolishness;

KJB-1769 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
(But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; )

KJB-1611 But wee preach Christ crucified, vnto the Iewes a stumbling block, and vnto the Greekes, foolishnesse:
(But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Yews a stumbling-block, and unto the Greekes, foolishness:)

Bshps But we preache Christe crucified, vnto the Iewes a stumblyng blocke, and vnto the Grekes foolyshnesse:
(But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Yews a stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks foolishnessse:)

Gnva But wee preach Christ crucified: vnto the Iewes, euen a stumbling blocke, and vnto the Grecians, foolishnesse:
(But we preach Christ crucified: unto the Yews, even a stumbling-block, and unto the Grecians/Greeks, foolishness: )

Cvdl But we preach Christ the crucified: to the Iewes an occasion off fallinge, and vnto the Grekes foolishnes.
(But we preach Christ the crucified: to the Yews an occasion off falling, and unto the Greeks foolishness.)

TNT But we preache Christ crucified vnto the Iewes an occasion of fallinge and vnto the Grekes folisshnes:
(But we preach Christ crucified unto the Yews an occasion of falling and unto the Greeks folisshnes: )

Wycl but we prechen Crist crucified, to Jewis sclaundre, and to hethene men foli;
(but we preaching Christ crucified, to Yews sclaundre, and to heathen men folly;)

Luth Wir aber predigen den gekreuzigten Christum, den Juden ein Ärgernis und den Griechen eine Torheit
(We but preaching the gekreuzigten Christum, the Yews a annoyance and the Griechen a/one folly)

ClVg nos autem prædicamus Christum crucifixum: Judæis quidem scandalum, gentibus autem stultitiam,
(us however beforedicamus Christ/Messiah crucifix: To_the_Jews indeed scandal, nations however stupidity, )

UGNT ἡμεῖς δὲ κηρύσσομεν Χριστὸν ἐσταυρωμένον, Ἰουδαίοις μὲν σκάνδαλον, ἔθνεσιν δὲ μωρίαν;
(haʸmeis de kaʸrussomen Ⱪriston estaurōmenon, Youdaiois men skandalon, ethnesin de mōrian;)

SBL-GNT ἡμεῖς δὲ κηρύσσομεν Χριστὸν ἐσταυρωμένον, Ἰουδαίοις μὲν σκάνδαλον ⸀ἔθνεσιν δὲ μωρίαν,
(haʸmeis de kaʸrussomen Ⱪriston estaurōmenon, Youdaiois men skandalon ⸀ethnesin de mōrian,)

RP-GNT ἡμεῖς δὲ κηρύσσομεν χριστὸν ἐσταυρωμένον, Ἰουδαίοις μὲν σκάνδαλον, Ἕλλησιν δὲ μωρίαν·
(haʸmeis de kaʸrussomen ⱪriston estaurōmenon, Youdaiois men skandalon, Hellaʸsin de mōrian;)

TC-GNT ἡμεῖς δὲ κηρύσσομεν Χριστὸν ἐσταυρωμένον, Ἰουδαίοις μὲν σκάνδαλον, [fn]Ἕλλησι δὲ μωρίαν·
(haʸmeis de kaʸrussomen Ⱪriston estaurōmenon, Youdaiois men skandalon, Hellaʸsi de mōrian; )

1:23 ελλησι ¦ εθνεσι CT

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs, red:words differ (from our SR-GNT base).

SOTN 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 1:20–25

In this paragraph Paul talked more about foolishness and wisdom. The gospel message expresses God’s power and wisdom. For different reasons, both Jewish people and Greek people may reject it. However, to those who believe the message/gospel, it brings salvation from sin and death.

1:23a

but we preach Christ crucified,

However, we^(excl) preach about the crucified Christ.
Instead, we announce/proclaim the message that Christ died on the cross.

but: There is a contrast here. The contrast is between what the Jewish people and the Greek people wanted (1:22) and what Paul and the other Christian teachers preached (1:23a). The Jewish people wanted to see miracles as proof that Paul and the others said was true. The Greeks wanted to hear/listen to wise words. Instead, Paul just preached the simple message that Christ was crucified for their sins.

we preach Christ crucified: The verb crucified means that people nailed Christ to a wooden cross and left him there to die.

we: The pronoun we here refers to the apostles and other preachers of the gospel. It is in an emphatic position. Its position emphasizes the contrast between what the Jewish people and Greek people wanted, and what the apostles preached.

If there is a way for you translate this emphasis in your language, you should use it here. For example:

As for us, we proclaim the crucified Christ (GNT)

Christ crucified: This is a passive clause. Some ways to translate it are:

Use a passive verb. For example:
Christ was crucified (GW)
Christ was nailed to a cross (CEV)
Use an active verb. For example:
Christ died on a cross
people killed Christ by nailing him to a cross

1:23b

a stumbling block to Jews

The gospel message is like a stumbling block to the Jews,
To the Jews, the message of Christ’s crucifixion is like a stumbling block.
The gospel message offends the Jews.

a stumbling block to Jews: In the Greek language, this phrase refers to something that causes offense or opposition and thus may stop someone from doing something. It means something that makes people angry. This phrase is a metaphor. A stumbling block is something in a person’s path that causes him to fall down.

The message that Paul preached was like a stumbling block to the Jewish people. That was because they refused to believe that God would allow the Christ (Messiah) to be crucified. This was not what they expected would happen to their Messiah. So they refused to believe the gospel, and thus they were lost.

Some ways to translate this phrase that do not use this metaphor are:

This offends Jewish people… (GW)

a message that is offensive to the Jews… (GNT)

This is a big problem to the Jews, (NCV)

to Jews: In the Greek, these words to Jews are placed at the beginning of the clause. By doing this, Paul emphasized the different responses of the three different groups to the message that Christ was crucified for them.

If there is a way for you translate this emphasis in your language, you should use it here. For example:

To Jewish people the message that Christ was crucified is a stumbling block.

1:23c

and foolishness to Gentiles,

and Gentiles think that it is nonsense.
And non-Jews think that our^(excl) message about Christ is the talk of foolish people.

foolishness to Gentiles: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as foolishness to Gentiles is literally “to Gentiles foolishness.” There is some implied information here. The complete sentence would be: “the message that we preach about Christ being crucified sounds/seems like foolishness to the Gentiles.” Some other ways to translate this are:

nonsense to the Gentiles (GNT)

makes no sense to people who are not Jewish (GW)

most Gentiles think it is foolish (CEV)

Gentiles: The word Gentiles means “people who are not Jewish.” Here it means approximately the same as “Greeks” in 1:22b. The Gentiles could not understand how Christ’s shameful death as a common criminal could help anyone at all.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-contrast

δὲ

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἡμεῖς δέ κηρύσσομεν Χριστόν ἐσταυρωμένον Ἰουδαίοις μέν σκάνδαλον ἔθνεσιν δέ μωρίαν)

Here Paul uses But to continue the contrast he set up in [1:22](../01/22.md). Jews seek signs, and Greeks seek wisdom, but Paul and those like him proclaim that the Messiah was crucified. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this connection with a word or phrase that indicates a strong contrast between behavior or beliefs. Alternate translation: [In contrast with them,]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / exclusive

ἡμεῖς

Here, we refers to Paul and others who proclaim the gospel with him. It does not include the Corinthians.

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

Χριστὸν ἐσταυρωμένον

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἡμεῖς δέ κηρύσσομεν Χριστόν ἐσταυρωμένον Ἰουδαίοις μέν σκάνδαλον ἔθνεσιν δέ μωρίαν)

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 Christ who was crucified rather than the person doing the “crucifying.” If you must state who does the action, you can express the idea with: (1) Christ as the subject. Alternate translation: [that Christ laid down his life on the cross] (2) an indefinite or vague subject. Alternate translation: [that they crucified Christ]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

σκάνδαλον

˓a˒_offense

Paul uses stumbling block to indicate that the message about “Christ crucified” causes offense or repulses many Jews. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning of this word with a comparable metaphor or express the idea plainly. Alternate translation: [a repulsive concept] or [an unacceptable idea]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / hyperbole

Ἰουδαίοις & ἔθνεσιν

˱to˲_˓the˒_Jews & ˱to˲_pagans

By using the words translated Jews and Gentiles, Paul is not saying that every single Jewish and Gentile person responds to the gospel in these ways. Instead, he is generalizing, identifying common patterns among people who are Jewish and Gentile. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this form by clarifying that not all Jews and Gentiles are meant. Alternate translation: [to most Jews … to most Gentiles]

Parallel 1 COR 1:23

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 1:20–25

1:23a

1:23b

1:23c

Parallel 1 COR 1:23