1 COR 2:11 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.)

OET (OET-RV) Yes, what person knows what other people are thinking. Only the spirit of the person themself knows that. So too, no one knows God’s thoughts other than God’s own spirit.

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, orange:accusative/object, pink:genitive/possessor, 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 For who among men knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man that is within him? So also, no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.

UST You can tell that God’s Spirit explores everything about God, because everyone knows that only each human being understands everything about himself or herself. In the same way, only God’s Spirit understands everything about God.

BLB For who among men knows the things of the man, except the spirit of the man within him? So also, no one knows the things of God, except the Spirit of God.

AICNT For who among men knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Likewise, no one {has known}[fn] the things of God except the Spirit of God.

2:11, has known: Later manuscripts read “knows.” BYZ TR

OEB For what person is there who knows what a person is, except the person’s own spirit within them? So, also, no one comprehends what God is, except the Spirit of God.

WEBBE For who amongst men knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so, no one knows the things of God except God’s Spirit.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET For who among men knows the things of a man except the man’s spirit within him? So too, no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.

LSV for who of men has known the things of the man, except the spirit of the man that [is] in him? So also the things of God no one has known, except the Spirit of God.

FBV Who knows anyone's thoughts except the actual person?[fn] In the same way no one knows God's thoughts except the Spirit of God.

2:11 Literally, “who among men knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man that is in him?”

TCNT For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.

T4T Only a person himself (OR, a person’s spirit) knows what he is thinking. Similarly, only God’s Spirit knows what God is thinking.

LEB For who among men knows the things of a man, except the spirit of the man that is in him? Thus also no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.

BBE For who has knowledge of the things of a man but the spirit of the man which is in him? in the same way, no one has knowledge of the things of God but the Spirit of God.

Moff What human being can understand the thoughts of a man,
⇔ except the man's own inner spirit?
⇔ So too no one understands the thoughts of God,
⇔ except the Spirit of God.

Wymth For, among human beings, who knows a man's inner thoughts except the man's own spirit within him? In the same way, also, only God's Spirit is acquainted with God's inner thoughts.

ASV For who among men knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of the man, which is in him? even so the things of God none knoweth, save the Spirit of God.

DRA For what man knoweth the things of a man, but the spirit of a man that is in him? So the things also that are of God no man knoweth, but the Spirit of God.

YLT for who of men hath known the things of the man, except the spirit of the man that [is] in him? so also the things of God no one hath known, except the Spirit of God.

Drby For who of men hath known the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? thus also the things of [fn]God knows no one except the Spirit of [fn]God.

2.11 Elohim

RV For who among men knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of the man, which is in him? even so the things of God none knoweth, save the Spirit of God.
(For who among men knoweth/knows the things of a man, save the spirit of the man, which is in him? even so the things of God none knoweth/knows, save the Spirit of God. )

SLT For who of men knows the things of men except the spirit of man in him? so also the things of God no one knows, except the Spirit of God.

Wbstr For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

KJB-1769 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
(For what man knoweth/knows the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth/knows no man, but the Spirit of God. )

KJB-1611 For what man knoweth the things of a man, saue the spirit of man which is in him? Euen so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from capitalisation)

Bshps For what man knoweth the thynges of a man, saue ye spirite of man which is in hym? Euen so, the thinges of God, knoweth no man, but ye spirite of God.
(For what man knoweth/knows the things of a man, save ye/you_all spirit of man which is in him? Even so, the things of God, knoweth/knows no man, but ye/you_all spirit of God.)

Gnva For what man knoweth the things of a man, saue the spirite of a man, which is in him? euen so the things of God knoweth no man, but the spirit of God.
(For what man knoweth/knows the things of a man, save the spirit of a man, which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth/knows no man, but the spirit of God. )

Cvdl For what ma knoweth what is in man, saue the sprete of ma which is in him? Euen so no man knoweth what is in God, saue ye sprete of God.
(For what man knoweth/knows what is in man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so no man knoweth/knows what is in God, save ye/you_all spirit of God.)

TNT For what man knoweth the thinges of a man: save the sprete of a man which is with in him? Even so the thinges of God knoweth no man but the sprete of god.
(For what man knoweth/knows the things of a man: save the spirit of a man which is with in him? Even so the things of God knoweth/knows no man but the spirit of god. )

Wycl And who of men woot, what thingis ben of man, but the spirit of man that is in hym? So what thingis ben of God, no man knowith, but the spirit of God.
(And who of men woot, what things been of man, but the spirit of man that is in him? So what things been of God, no man knoweth/knows, but the spirit of God.)

Luth Denn welcher Mensch weiß, was im Menschen ist, ohne der Geist des Menschen, der in ihm ist? Also auch weiß niemand, was in GOtt ist, ohne der Geist Gottes.
(Because which person white, what/which in_the people is, without the/of_the spirit the people, the/of_the in him is? So also white no_one, what/which in God is, without the/of_the spirit God’s.)

ClVg Quis enim hominum scit quæ sunt hominis, nisi spiritus hominis, qui in ipso est? ita et quæ Dei sunt, nemo cognovit, nisi Spiritus Dei.
(Who because of_men he_knows which are of_man, except spirit of_man, who/which in/into/on himself it_is? so/thus and which of_God are, nobody/no_one he_knew, except Spirit of_God. )

UGNT τίς γὰρ οἶδεν ἀνθρώπων τὰ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, εἰ μὴ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὸ ἐν αὐτῷ? οὕτως καὶ τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐδεὶς ἔγνωκεν, εἰ μὴ τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ.
(tis gar oiden anthrōpōn ta tou anthrōpou, ei maʸ to pneuma tou anthrōpou to en autōi? houtōs kai ta tou Theou oudeis egnōken, ei maʸ to Pneuma tou Theou.)

SBL-GNT τίς γὰρ οἶδεν ἀνθρώπων τὰ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου εἰ μὴ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὸ ἐν αὐτῷ; οὕτως καὶ τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ οὐδεὶς ⸀ἔγνωκεν εἰ μὴ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ θεοῦ.
(tis gar oiden anthrōpōn ta tou anthrōpou ei maʸ to pneuma tou anthrōpou to en autōi; houtōs kai ta tou theou oudeis ⸀egnōken ei maʸ to pneuma tou theou.)

RP-GNT Τίς γὰρ οἶδεν ἀνθρώπων τὰ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, εἰ μὴ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὸ ἐν αὐτῷ; Οὕτως καὶ τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ οὐδεὶς οἶδεν, εἰ μὴ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ θεοῦ.
(Tis gar oiden anthrōpōn ta tou anthrōpou, ei maʸ to pneuma tou anthrōpou to en autōi; Houtōs kai ta tou theou oudeis oiden, ei maʸ to pneuma tou theou.)

TC-GNT Τίς γὰρ οἶδεν ἀνθρώπων τὰ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, εἰ μὴ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὸ ἐν αὐτῷ; Οὕτω καὶ τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐδεὶς [fn]οἶδεν, εἰ μὴ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ.
(Tis gar oiden anthrōpōn ta tou anthrōpou, ei maʸ to pneuma tou anthrōpou to en autōi; Houtō kai ta tou Theou oudeis oiden, ei maʸ to pneuma tou Theou. )

2:11 οιδεν ¦ εγνωκεν 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 2:6–13

In this paragraph Paul wrote about God’s wisdom, that is, his wise plan to send Christ to save people. Those who follow or depend on human thinking/wisdom do not want to hear or accept God’s message. It is only God’s Spirit who can cause people to know and accept God’s thoughts/plans as wise. The Spirit makes God’s thoughts known only to people/believers who are under the Spirit’s control. These believers try to obey the Spirit in following God’s ways.

2:11a-b

the thoughts of man…the thoughts of God: The Greek phrases that the BSB translates as the thoughts of man and the thoughts of God are literally “the [things] of a person” and “the [things] of God.” They therefore have a very general meaning. They cover both human and divine identity, nature, thoughts, plans, and purposes. The GNT has translated this verse in a way that covers all these areas:

It is only our own spirit within us that knows all about us; in the same way, only God’s Spirit knows all about God. (GNT)

Other English versions focus on only one or the other aspect of what is known. For example:

After all, is there anyone who knows the qualities of anyone except his own spirit, within him; and in the same way, nobody knows the qualities of God except the Spirit of God. (NJB)

You are the only one who knows what is in your own mind, and God’s Spirit is the only one who knows what is in God’s mind. (CEV)

Try to translate these phrases in a broad and general way. If that is not possible or natural in your language, follow the BSB or a similar example.

2:11a

For who among men knows the thoughts of man except his own spirit within him?

For who knows all about a person’s thoughts? Only that person’s spirit knows his own thoughts.
Consider this: the only one who can know what is in someone’s heart is that person himself.

For: The Greek word that the BSB translated as For introduces the grounds for Paul’s statements in 2:10a-b. Paul said that God has revealed the mystery to us by his Spirit. That statement explains how we can know the deep things of God.

who among men knows the thoughts of man except his own spirit within him?: This is a rhetorical question. Paul used this rhetorical question to emphasize that no one knows a person’s thoughts except his or her own spirit. No one can know what another person is thinking about unless that person tells someone. Some ways to translate this emphasis are:

As a rhetorical question. For example:
what person knows a man’s thoughts except the spirit of the man which is in him? (RSV)
As a question with the answer. For example:
Who knows the thoughts that another person has? Only a person’s spirit that lives within him knows his thoughts. (NCV)
As a statement. For example:
It is only our own spirit within us that knows all about us. (GNT)

You should translate this rhetorical question in the way that is most natural in your language for expressing emphasis.

men…man…his…him: The Greek words that the BSB translates as men, man, his, and him here refer to human beings, people in general. Paul was referring to anyone and everyone. Therefore the pronouns “our” and “us” may be used. For example:

It is only our own spirit within us that knows all about us, (GNT)

Some versions use second-person pronouns. For example:

You are the only one who knows what is in your own mind (CEV)

except his own spirit within him: The word spirit here means a person’s inner being, his own spiritual nature. A person knows his own thoughts, attitudes, intentions. Only the person himself can tell others those things. It may not be natural in your language to say that a person’s spirit knows what he is thinking. You may need to use an idiom or some other way to tell about a person’s inner being. For example:

The only one who knows what is in a person’s heart is that person himself.

2:11b

So too, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.

In the same way, the only one who knows the thoughts/plans in God’s heart is God’s Spirit.
It is the same with/concerning God. No one understands/knows about God’s thoughts except God’s Spirit.

So too, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God: Here Paul used an expression similar to 2:11a to indicate the close similarity between how a person’s spirit knows that person’s thoughts and how God’s Spirit knows God’s thoughts. However, he was not saying that the relationship is exactly the same. Some other ways to translate this are:

So too, no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. (NET)

and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit (NLT)

except the Spirit of God: God’s own Spirit is the only one who knows God’s nature, thoughts, and intentions. Therefore, only God’s Spirit can cause people to know God. God’s Spirit helped the first believers understand God’s thoughts. He also helps all believers understand God’s thoughts.

General Comment on 2:11a-b

In many languages it is not possible to use the same word for a person’s “spirit” (2:11a) and God’s Holy “Spirit” (2:11b). In some languages the clearest way to translate “the man’s spirit within him” is “the person himself.” For example:

Only the person himself can know the thoughts in his own mind. So also only God’s own Spirit can know what is in God’s mind.

You are the only one who knows what is in your own mind, and God’s Spirit is the only one who knows what is in God’s mind. (CEV)

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

τίς γὰρ οἶδεν ἀνθρώπων τὰ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, εἰ μὴ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὸ ἐν αὐτῷ?

who (Some words not found in SR-GNT: τίς Γάρ οἶδεν ἀνθρώπων τά τοῦ ἀνθρώπου εἰ μή τό πνεῦμα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τό ἐν αὐτῷ Οὕτως καί τά τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐδείς ἔγνωκεν εἰ μή τό Πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ)

Here Paul uses a question because he thinks that everyone will agree with him, for this information is common knowledge in his culture. He does not use a question because he is not sure about the answer. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea behind this question by using a form that presents information that everyone knows and agrees with. Alternate translation: [For it is a well-known fact that no one among men knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man that is within him.]

Note 2 topic: grammar-connect-exceptions

τίς γὰρ οἶδεν ἀνθρώπων τὰ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, εἰ μὴ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὸ ἐν αὐτῷ? οὕτως καὶ τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐδεὶς ἔγνωκεν, εἰ μὴ τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ.

In both parts of this verse, Paul makes a negative claim and then offers an exception to that claim. If it would appear in your language that Paul is contradicting himself, you could use a different structure that also singles out one possibility and negates all other possibilities. Alternate translation: [For the spirit of the man that is within him is the only one among men that knows the things of a man, right? So also, the Spirit of God is the only one that knows the things of God]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / gendernotations

ἀνθρώπων & ἀνθρώπου & τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὸ ἐν αὐτῷ

˱among˲_people & person & ˱of˲_the person (Some words not found in SR-GNT: τίς Γάρ οἶδεν ἀνθρώπων τά τοῦ ἀνθρώπου εἰ μή τό πνεῦμα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τό ἐν αὐτῷ Οὕτως καί τά τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐδείς ἔγνωκεν εἰ μή τό Πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ)

Although the words translated men, man, and him are masculine, Paul is using them to refer to anyone, whether man or woman. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express these masculine words with non gendered words or refer to both genders. Alternate translation: [among people … of a person … of the person that is within that person]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

ἀνθρώπου & τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὸ ἐν αὐτῷ

person & ˱of˲_the person (Some words not found in SR-GNT: τίς Γάρ οἶδεν ἀνθρώπων τά τοῦ ἀνθρώπου εἰ μή τό πνεῦμα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τό ἐν αὐτῷ Οὕτως καί τά τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐδείς ἔγνωκεν εἰ μή τό Πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ)

Paul uses the word man to speak of people in general, not one specific person. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express man with a form that indicates people in general in your language. Alternate translation: [of a certain man … of that certain man that is within him] or [of men … of men that is within them]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

τίς & ἀνθρώπων

who & ˱among˲_people

The phrase who among men is a way of asking about people or things that belong to a specific category. Paul means to ask if there are any men who can know the things of a man. He uses this phrase because God also knows the things of a man, so he must limit his question to only men. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea behind this form by using a phrase that asks about people or things, but only those that belong in a specific category. Alternate translation: [which man] or [out of all men, who]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

τὰ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου & τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: τίς Γάρ οἶδεν ἀνθρώπων τά τοῦ ἀνθρώπου εἰ μή τό πνεῦμα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τό ἐν αὐτῷ Οὕτως καί τά τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐδείς ἔγνωκεν εἰ μή τό Πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ)

Here Paul uses the phrases the things of a man and the things of God to refer to everything that makes up the person, including personality, thoughts, actions, desires, possessions, and many more similar categories. Paul is intentionally general and does not narrow down which of these categories he has in mind. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this form with an expression that refers to all the aspects of a person that makes that person unique. Alternate translation: [all the details about a man … all the details about God]

Note 7 topic: translate-unknown

τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὸ ἐν αὐτῷ

Here, the word translated spirit is the same word that Paul uses for the Holy Spirit. It refers to the interior life of a person, to the part of them that people cannot see, including their thoughts and desires. If possible, use the same word here that you will use later in the verse for the Spirit, since Paul is drawing an analogy between the human spirit and God’s Spirit. If you cannot use the word for God’s Spirit to describe a human being, you could: (1) refer simply to a human without specifying which part of the human knows. Alternate translation: [the man himself] (2) use an expression that refers to the interior life of a human. Alternate translation: [the consciousness of the man that is within him]

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὸ ἐν αὐτῷ

In this culture, people would speak of the nonphysical part of a human being as if it were inside the physical part of a human being. Here Paul speaks in this way when he says that the spirit of the man is within him. By using within him, Paul is identifying the spirit as the one that belongs to the man. It is not some other man’s spirit. If it would be helpful in your language, you could translate within him by: (1) using a word or phrase that identifies that the spirit belongs to the man only. Alternate translation: [that man’s own spirit] (2) expressing the idea by using a phrase that describes where a human being’s nonphysical part would be in your culture. Alternate translation: [the spirit of the man that permeates him] or [the spirit of the man that suffuses him]

Parallel 1 COR 2:11

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 2:6–13

2:11a-b

2:11a

2:11b

General Comment on 2:11a-b

Parallel 1 COR 2:11