1 COR 4:7 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=none Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) because who makes you better than others? What do you have that wasn’t given to you? And if it was given to you, why would you boast as if it hadn’t been given to you?

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, orange:accusative/object, red:negative.
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 makes you superior? And what do you have that you did not receive? And if indeed you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?

UST Nobody has set you apart from every other believer. In fact, God has given to you every good thing that you have. Since these things are gifts from God, you should not say proudly that you yourself earned them.

BLB For who makes you any different? And what do you have that you did not receive? And if also you did receive it, why do you boast as not having received it?

AICNT For who makes you different? And what do you have that you did not receive? But if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?

OEB For who makes any one of you superior to others? And what have you that was not given you? But if you received it as a gift, why do you boast as if you had not?

WEBBE For who makes you different? And what do you have that you didn’t receive? But if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?

WMBB (Same as above)

NET For who concedes you any superiority? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you received it, why do you boast as though you did not?

LSV for who makes you to differ? And what do you have, that you did not receive? And if you also received, why do you glory as not having received?

FBV Who made you so special? What do you have that you weren't given? Since you were given it, why do you proudly claim you weren't?

TCNT For who regards yoʋ as superior? What do yoʋ have that yoʋ did not receive? And if yoʋ received it, why do yoʋ boast as though yoʋ did not receive it?

T4T ◄No one has made any of you superior to others!/Why do any of you think that you are superior to others?► [RHQ] All the abilities that you have, you received from God. [RHQ] So if you received them all from God, ◄you should not boast thinking, “I got these abilities from myself, not from God!”/why do you boast thinking, “I got these abilities from myself, not from God?”► [RHQ]

LEB For who concedes you superiority? And what do you have that you did not receive? But if indeed you received it, why do you boast as if you[fn] did not receive it?

4:7 *Here “if” is supplied as a component of the participle (“receive”) which is understood as conditional

BBE For who made you better than your brother? or what have you that has not been given to you? but if it has been given to you, what cause have you for pride, as if it had not been given to you?

Moff Who singles you out, my brother? What do you possess that has not been given you? And if it was given you, why do you boast as if it had been gained, not given?

Wymth Why, who gives you your superiority, my brother? Or what have you that you did not receive? And if you really did receive it, why boast as if this were not so?

ASV For who maketh thee to differ? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? but if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it?

DRA For who distinguisheth thee? Or what hast thou that thou hast not received? And if thou hast received, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?

YLT for who doth make thee to differ? and what hast thou, that thou didst not receive? and if thou didst also receive, why dost thou glory as not having received?

Drby For who makes thee to differ? and what hast thou which thou hast not received? but if also thou hast received, why boastest thou as not receiving?

RV For who maketh thee to differ? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? but if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?
(For who maketh/makes thee/you to differ? and what hast thou/you that thou/you didst/did not receive? but if thou/you didst/did receive it, why dost/do thou/you glory, as if thou/you hadst/had not received it? )

SLT For who distinguishes thee? and what hast thou which thou didst not receive? and if thou also didst receive, why dost thou boast, as not having received?

Wbstr For who maketh thee to differ from another ? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it , why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it ?

KJB-1769 For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?
(For who maketh/makes thee/you to differ from another? and what hast thou/you that thou/you didst/did not receive? now if thou/you didst/did receive it, why dost/do thou/you glory, as if thou/you hadst/had not received it? )

KJB-1611 For who maketh [fn]thee to differ from another? And what hast thou that thou didst not receiue? Now if thou didst receiue it, why doest thou glory as if thou hadst not receiued it?
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from capitalisation and punctuation and footnotes)

4:7 Gr. distinguisheth thee?

Bshps For who seperateth thee? And what hast thou, that thou hast not receaued? If thou haue receaued it, why reioycest thou, as though thou haddest not receaued it?
(For who separateth thee/you? And what hast thou/you, that thou/you hast not received? If thou/you have received it, why rejoicest/rejoice thou/you, as though thou/you hadst/had not received it?)

Gnva For who separateth thee? and what hast thou, that thou hast not receiued? if thou hast receiued it, why reioycest thou, as though thou haddest not receiued it?
(For who separateth/separates thee/you? and what hast thou/you, that thou/you hast not received? if thou/you hast received it, why rejoicest/rejoice thou/you, as though thou/you hadst/had not received it? )

Cvdl For who preferreth the? What hast thou that thou hast not receaued? Yf thou hast receaued it, why makest thou the thy boost, as though thou haddest not receaued it?
(For who preferreth the? What hast thou/you that thou/you hast not received? If thou/you hast received it, why makest/make thou/you the thy/your boost, as though thou/you hadst/had not received it?)

TNT For who preferreth the? What hast thou that thou hast not receaved? Yf thou have receaved it why reioysest thou as though thou haddest not receaved it?
(For who preferreth the? What hast thou/you that thou/you hast not received? If thou/you have received it why rejoicest/rejoice thou/you as though thou/you hadst/had not received it? )

Wycl Who demeth thee? And what hast thou, that thou hast not resseyued? And if thou hast resseyued, what gloriest thou, as thou haddist not resseyued?
(Who judgeth/judges thee/you? And what hast thou/you, that thou/you hast not received? And if thou/you hast received, what gloryst thou/you, as thou/you hadst/had not received?)

Luth Denn wer hat dich vorgezogen? Was hast du aber, das du nicht empfangen hast? So du es aber empfangen hast, was rühmest du dich denn, als der es nicht empfangen hätte?
(Because who has you/yourself before/in_front_ofgezogen? What have you(sg) but, the you(sg) not received have? So you(sg) it but received have, what/which boast/praisest you(sg) you/yourself because/than, as the/of_the it not received would_have?)

ClVg Quis enim te discernit? quid autem habes quod non accepisti? si autem accepisti, quid gloriaris quasi non acceperis?[fn]
(Who because you(sg) distinguishes? what however you_have that not/no accepisti? when/but_if however accepisti, what to_boasts as_if not/no acceperis? )

4.7 Quis enim te discernit. A massa perditorum? Nullus nisi Deus. Vel si baptizatus es a Petro, quomodo discerneris ab eo qui a Paulo? Nihil ille habet a baptista, nihil tu. Vel redarguit illos eosdem, qui gloriabantur de magisterio pseudo. Quasi dicat: Gloriaris pro illis, sed quid habes ab illis quod non a me? et si a me, quid contra me gloriaris, quasi non idem a me acceperis? Quid autem, etc. Aliud genus arrogantiæ amovere conatur, scilicet ne homo superbiat propter aliquam gratiam a Deo sibi datam, putans se eam habere a se vel a ministro. Si autem accepisti. Hoc dicit contra illos, qui eadem quæ ab Apostolo audientes, de magisterio pseudoapostolorum gloriabantur, qui per eloquentiam commendantes, gloriam in se vertebant; cum Apostolus contemptibilem se videri fecerat, ut gloriam Deo faceret. Ideo Apostolus ironice eis loquitur, quasi concedens quod eis de seipsis videbatur, cum subdit.

4.7 Who because you(sg) distinguishes. From massa losesorum? Nullus except God. Or when/but_if baptised/immersed you_are from Petro, how discerneris away by_him who/which from Paulo? Nothing he/that_one has from baptista, nothing you(sg). Or redarguit those the_same_ones, who/which glorybantur from/about teaching pseudo. As_if let_him_say: Gloryris for to_them, but what you_have away to_them that not/no from me? and when/but_if from me, what on_the_contrary me to_boasts, as_if not/no the_same from me acceperis? What however, etc. Another kind/class arrogantiæ removere conatur, namely not human pridet because some grace from to_God to_himself datam, putans himself her to_have from himself or from ministro. When/But_if however accepisti. This he_says on_the_contrary those, who/which the_same which away Apostolo hearing, from/about teaching pseudoof_the_apostles glorybantur, who/which through eloquentiam commendantes, glory in/into/on himself vertebant; when/with Apostolus contemptibilem himself to_seem had_done, as glory to_God would_do. Therefore/For_that_reason Apostolus ironice to_them speaks, as_if concedens that to_them from/about seipsis it_seemed, when/with I_submit.

UGNT τίς γάρ σε διακρίνει? τί δὲ ἔχεις ὃ οὐκ ἔλαβες? εἰ δὲ καὶ ἔλαβες, τί καυχᾶσαι ὡς μὴ λαβών?
(tis gar se diakrinei? ti de eⱪeis ho ouk elabes? ei de kai elabes, ti kauⱪasai hōs maʸ labōn?)

SBL-GNT τίς γάρ σε διακρίνει; τί δὲ ἔχεις ὃ οὐκ ἔλαβες; εἰ δὲ καὶ ἔλαβες, τί καυχᾶσαι ὡς μὴ λαβών;
(tis gar se diakrinei; ti de eⱪeis ho ouk elabes; ei de kai elabes, ti kauⱪasai hōs maʸ labōn;)

RP-GNT Τίς γάρ σε διακρίνει; Τί δὲ ἔχεις ὃ οὐκ ἔλαβες; Εἰ δὲ καὶ ἔλαβες, τί καυχᾶσαι ὡς μὴ λαβών;
(Tis gar se diakrinei; Ti de eⱪeis ho ouk elabes; Ei de kai elabes, ti kauⱪasai hōs maʸ labōn;)

TC-GNT Τίς γάρ σε διακρίνει; Τί δὲ ἔχεις ὃ οὐκ ἔλαβες; Εἰ δὲ καὶ ἔλαβες, τί καυχᾶσαι ὡς μὴ λαβών;
(Tis gar se diakrinei; Ti de eⱪeis ho ouk elabes; Ei de kai elabes, ti kauⱪasai hōs maʸ labōn; )

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

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 4:1–21: The Corinthians should respect Paul as a servant of Christ

Paul continued to talk about how the Corinthian believers should think about their Christian leaders, especially himself. He said that Christian leaders are servants of Christ and should be judged only by Christ. Some Corinthian believers were saying that they did not have to listen to Paul’s teaching. Paul encouraged the Corinthians to respect and obey him as their spiritual father.

Other possible section headings include:

Paul encouraged the Corinthians to respect him and Apollos

Paul and Apollos deserved respect as Christ’s servants

Paragraph 4:6–13

In this paragraph Paul rebuked the Corinthians for talking proudly about their abilities. Since all their abilities came from God, they had no reason to talk proudly about them. Paul talked about Apollos and himself to contrast the suffering that true workers of Christ were enduring with the proud, boastful attitudes of the Corinthians.

4:7

In this verse Paul used three rhetorical questions to rebuke the Corinthians for the way they argued over teachers and talked proudly about themselves.. He wanted them to feel ashamed of themselves for talking proudly about one teacher and showing dishonor toward another. So there are two ways to translate these questions:

As rhetorical questions. In some languages it is common to use questions like this to criticize or show anger. But make sure that people who read your translation understand these questions as rebukes, not as real questions. For example:
My friend, who makes you so important? What do you possess that was not given you? And if you received it as a gift, why take the credit to yourself? (REB)
Who says you are better than others? What do you have that was not given to you? And if it was given to you, why do you brag as if you did not receive it as a gift? (NCV)
As emphatic statements that by implication rebuke or criticize the Corinthians. For example:
You should not think that you are superior to others. All that you have was given to you. So there is no need to brag about it.

In all three of these questions, Paul used the singular pronoun for “you.” It is as though he were talking to only one person. But he was actually addressing anyone in the group who thought that he or she had the right to look at the work of the teachers and judge them (4:3). In many languages it may therefore be best to translate this verse using the plural “you.”

4:7a

For who makes you so superior?

For has anyone made you better than anyone else?
None of you should say that, since no one made you more important than any other believer.
None of you should judge/criticize your teachers/leaders, for no one has given you a higher status than other believers.

For: The Greek conjunction that the BSB translates as For introduces a rhetorical question that indicates the basis for Paul’s statement; that is, the reason why the Corinthians should not be proud or puffed up. Some English versions, such as the GNT, do not explicitly translate this conjunction. You should introduce the following question in a way that is natural in your language.

who makes you so superior?: This is a rhetorical question. In Greek it is literally, “who judges you^(sing) to be superior?” The implied answer is “no one.” Paul was saying that anyone who was claiming to be superior and to have the right to judge Paul or another worker was wrong. No one had given him that right.

Paul used this rhetorical question to make an emphatic negative statement: no one had made the Corinthians superior to other believers. This statement implied a rebuke: the Corinthians should stop thinking and acting as though they were superior. There are therefore several ways to translate this verse part:

as a rhetorical question. For example:
Who made you superior to others? (GNT)
Who says you are better than others? (NCV)
Who made you so important? (NJB)
as a question with the answer supplied. For example:
Did someone/God declare you to be above everyone else? No!
as an emphatic statement or exclamation. For example:
No one has made you superior to others!
You are wrong to think you are better than others.

Consider what is the most natural way to translate this as a rebuke in your language.

4:7b

What do you have that you did not receive?

Do you have anything that you did not receive as a gift from God? Nothing.
You do not have anything except what God has given you.
Everything you have is a gift from God.

What do you have that you did not receive?: This verse part has some implied information. The Corinthians had received everything from God. God gave the Corinthians their salvation, all their material possessions, and all the abilities they had. So it is also possible to translate this as:

What do you have that God hasn’t given you? (NLT)

Didn’t God give you everything you have? (GNT)

This is a rhetorical question. Paul used this question to make a strong negative statement. He meant “You have nothing that you did not receive.” In other words, “everything you have comes from God.” This implied a rebuke: the Corinthians should not act and speak proudly, because they were totally dependent on God. So there are several ways to translate this question:

as a rhetorical question. For example:
What do you have that was not given to you? (NCV)
as a question with the answer supplied. For example;
Do you have anything that was not given by God? No!
as a strong statement. For example:
Everything you have, you have received from God.
as a rebuke. For example:
You should remember that God gave you every good thing you have.

Translate this question in whichever way is natural in your language.

4:7c

And if you did receive it,

Thus, since God gave you everything you have,
So then, if you agree with me that God gave you everything you have,

And: The Greek conjunction that the BSB translates as And here introduces a third rhetorical question that functions as a concluding rebuke.

if you did receive it: Paul was implying that this condition was true. The Corinthians had received everything from God. This verse part gives the basis for the verse part that follows. So in this context the word if can be translated as “since”:

since you did receive it

General Comment on 4:7b-c

If you translate 4:7b as a strong statement, it may be unnatural to repeat the same information in 4:7c. Instead you may be need to abbreviate this verse part. For example:

^7bEverything you have was given to you. ^7cAnd so…

4:7d

why do you boast as though you did not?

then it is not proper/right for you to talk proudly about yourself, as though you did not receive everything as a gift.
you should not talk proudly/boastfully as if you had earned/obtained everything yourselves.

why do you boast as though you did not?: This is a third rhetorical question. It functions as a rebuke. Paul was telling the believers in Corinth that they should not be boasting in the way they were. It was foolish and wrong to boast about things they had been given. So there are least two ways to translate this question:

as a rhetorical question. For example:
why do you brag as if you did not receive it as a gift? (NCV)
as a rebuke. For example:
You should not boast as though you had not received it.

Translate this question in the way that is natural in your language for rebuking someone.

boast: The Greek word that the BSB translates as boast means to brag or talk arrogantly. The Corinthians had been thinking and talking as if the things God had given to them made them more important than other people.

as though you did not: The phrase as though you did not here means “as though you did not receive everything good you possess as a gift from God.” In some languages it may be more natural to leave this phrase implicit. For example, the CEV translates 4:7c-d as:

And if it was given to you, how can you brag? (CEV)

General Comment on 4:7b-d

If you translate 4:7b as a strong statement, it may be unnatural to repeat the same information in 4:7c. Therefore you may not need to include all of 4:7c. For example:

^7bEverything you have was given you. ^7cAnd so ^7ddo not boast as if you had not received it from God.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / yousingular

σε & ἔχεις & ἔλαβες & ἔλαβες & καυχᾶσαι & λαβών

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: τίς Γάρ σέ διακρίνει τί Δέ ἔχεις ὅ οὐκ ἔλαβες εἰ Δέ καί ἔλαβες τί καυχᾶσαι ὡς μή λαβών)

In this verse, Paul uses the singular form for you. He does this in order to directly address each specific person among the Corinthian believers. In the next verse, he again uses the plural form of “you.”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

τίς & σε διακρίνει?

who & (Some words not found in SR-GNT: τίς Γάρ σέ διακρίνει τί Δέ ἔχεις ὅ οὐκ ἔλαβες εἰ Δέ καί ἔλαβες τί καυχᾶσαι ὡς μή λαβών)

Paul does not ask this question because he is looking for information. Rather, he asks it to involve the Corinthians in what he is arguing. The question assumes that the answer is “no one.” If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea behind this question as an emphatic statement. Alternate translation: [there is no one who makes you superior.]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

τί & ἔχεις ὃ οὐκ ἔλαβες?

what & ˱you˲_˓are˒_having why & (Some words not found in SR-GNT: τίς Γάρ σέ διακρίνει τί Δέ ἔχεις ὅ οὐκ ἔλαβες εἰ Δέ καί ἔλαβες τί καυχᾶσαι ὡς μή λαβών)

Paul does not ask this question because he is looking for information. Rather, he asks it to involve the Corinthians in what he is arguing. The question assumes that the answer is “nothing.” If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea behind this question as an emphatic statement. Alternate translation: [there is nothing that you have that you did not receive.] or [you received everything that you have.]

Note 4 topic: grammar-connect-condition-fact

εἰ δὲ καὶ ἔλαβες

if (Some words not found in SR-GNT: τίς Γάρ σέ διακρίνει τί Δέ ἔχεις ὅ οὐκ ἔλαβες εἰ Δέ καί ἔλαβες τί καυχᾶσαι ὡς μή λαβών)

Paul is speaking as if “receiving it” were a hypothetical possibility, but he means that it is actually true. If your language does not state something as a condition if it is certain or true, and if your readers might think that what Paul is saying is not certain, then you could translate his words as an affirmative statement. Alternate translation: [And since you indeed received it]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

τί καυχᾶσαι ὡς μὴ λαβών?

what why ˱you˲_˓are˒_boasting as (Some words not found in SR-GNT: τίς Γάρ σέ διακρίνει τί Δέ ἔχεις ὅ οὐκ ἔλαβες εἰ Δέ καί ἔλαβες τί καυχᾶσαι ὡς μή λαβών)

Paul does not ask this question because he is looking for information. Rather, he asks it to involve the Corinthians in what he is arguing. Here, there is no answer to the question, since that is exactly Paul’s point. There is no reason for them to boast. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea behind this question as an imperative or a “should” statement. Alternate translation: [do not boast as if you did not receive it.] or [you should not boast as if you did not receive it.]

Note 6 topic: writing-pronouns

καὶ ἔλαβες & μὴ λαβών