1 COR 8:4 Parallel Verse View

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

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, 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 So then, about the eating of the things sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol in the world is nothing and that there is no God except one.

UST Now I will go back to speaking about whether to eat meat that someone has offered to another god. We who believe in God understand that other gods do not really exist. In fact, we understand that the only god is the one God.

BLB Therefore concerning the eating of the things sacrificed to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world and that there is no God except one.

AICNT So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world and that there is no [[other]][fn] God but one.

8:4, other: Later manuscripts add. BYZ TR

OEB With reference, then, to eating food that has been offered to idols – we are aware that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no God but one.

WEBBE Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that no idol is anything in the world, and that there is no other God but one.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET With regard then to eating food sacrificed to idols, we know that “an idol in this world is nothing,” and that “there is no God but one.”

LSV Concerning the eating then of the things sacrificed to idols, we have known that an idol [is] nothing in the world, and that there is no other God except one;

FBV So regarding eating food sacrificed to idols: we know that there are no such things as idols in the world, and that there is only one real God.

TCNT With regard then to eating food sacrificed to idols, we know that “an idol is nothing in the world,” and that “there is no [fn]other God but one.”

8:4 other ¦ — CT

T4T So I will tell you about eating meat that people have sacrificed to idols. We know that it is true, as you say, that idols are not really alive. We also know that there is only one real God.

LEB Therefore, concerning the eating of food sacrificed to idols, we know that “an idol is nothing in the world” and that “there is no God except one.”[fn]

8:4 Considered by many interpreters to be slogans used by the Corinthians to justify their behavior

BBE So, then, as to the question of taking food offered to images, we are certain that an image is nothing in the world, and that there is no God but one.

Moff Well then, with regard to food that has been offered to idols, I am quite aware that "there is no such thing as an idol in the world" and that "there is only the one God."

Wymth As to eating things which have been sacrificed to idols, we are fully aware that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no God but One.

ASV Concerning therefore the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that no idol is anything in the world, and that there is no God but one.

DRA But as for the meats that are sacrificed to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no God but one.

YLT Concerning the eating then of the things sacrificed to idols, we have known that an idol [is] nothing in the world, and that there is no other God except one;

Drby — concerning then the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that an idol [is] nothing in [the] world, and that there [is] no other [fn]God save one.

8.4 Elohim

RV Concerning therefore the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that no idol is anything in the world, and that there is no God but one.

SLT Concerning food therefore of sacrifices to idols, we know that an idol nothing in the world, and that none other God but one.

Wbstr Therefore as concerning the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one.

KJB-1769 As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one.

KJB-1611 As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice vnto idoles, wee know that an idole is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above)

Bshps As concerning the eating of those thinges that are offered vnto idols, we are sure that an idoll is nothing in the worlde, and that there is none other God but one.
(As concerning the eating of those things that are offered unto idols, we are sure that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one.)

Gnva Concerning therefore the eating of things sacrificed vnto idoles, we knowe that an idole is nothing in the worlde, and that there is none other God but one.
(Concerning therefore the eating of things sacrificed unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one. )

Cvdl So are we sure now cocernynge the meates offred vnto Idols, that an Idoll is nothinge in the worlde, and that there is none other God but one.
(So are we sure now concerning the meats offered unto Idols, that an Idoll is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one.)

TNT To speake of meate dedicat vnto ydols we are sure that ther is none ydoll in the worlde and that ther is none other god but one.
(To speak of meat dedicat unto idols we are sure that there is none ydoll in the world and that there is none other god but one. )

Wycl But of metis that ben offrid to idols, we witen, that an idol is no thing in the world, and that ther is no God but oon.
(But of meats that been offered to idols, we perceive, that an idol is no thing in the world, and that there is no God but one.)

Luth So wissen wir nun von der Speise des Götzenopfers, daß ein Götze nichts in der Welt sei, und daß kein anderer GOtt sei ohne der einige.
(So realise we/us now from the/of_the food the idolsopfers, that a idol/god nothing in the/of_the world be, and that no/not others God be without the/of_the some.)

ClVg De escis autem quæ idolis immolantur, scimus quia nihil est idolum in mundo, et quod nullus est Deus, nisi unus.[fn]
(From/About escis however which idols immolantur, we_know because nothing it_is an_idol in/into/on to_the_world, and that none it_is God, except one. )

8.4 De escis. Vituperata scientia eorum, tandem aperit quæ est ea vera. Idolum nihil est in mundo. Id est, inter creaturas mundi. Materiam enim Deus formavit, sed stultitia hominum formam dedit. Quæcunque enim sunt in creaturis, facta sunt per Verbum. Sed forma hominis in idolo non est facta per Verbum, sicut nec peccatum per Verbum. Sed est nihil, et nihil fiunt homines cum peccant. Nisi unus. Hoc dicit ne putetur Deus esse in idolo.

8.4 From/About escis. Vituperata knowledge/skill their, tandem opens which it_is them true. Idolum nothing it_is in/into/on to_the_world. That it_is, between creatures world. Materiam because God formed, but foolishness of_men form he_gave. Whichcunque because are in/into/on creatures, facts are through The_word/saying. But form of_man in/into/on idol not/no it_is facts through The_word/saying, like but_not sin through The_word/saying. But it_is nothing, and nothing are_made people/men when/with peccant. Unless one. This he_says not it_is_supposed God to_be in/into/on idol.

UGNT περὶ τῆς βρώσεως οὖν τῶν εἰδωλοθύτων, οἴδαμεν ὅτι οὐδὲν εἴδωλον ἐν κόσμῳ, καὶ ὅτι οὐδεὶς Θεὸς εἰ μὴ εἷς.
(peri taʸs brōseōs oun tōn eidōlothutōn, oidamen hoti ouden eidōlon en kosmōi, kai hoti oudeis Theos ei maʸ heis.)

SBL-GNT Περὶ τῆς βρώσεως οὖν τῶν εἰδωλοθύτων οἴδαμεν ὅτι οὐδὲν εἴδωλον ἐν κόσμῳ, καὶ ὅτι οὐδεὶς ⸀θεὸς εἰ μὴ εἷς.
(Peri taʸs brōseōs oun tōn eidōlothutōn oidamen hoti ouden eidōlon en kosmōi, kai hoti oudeis ⸀theos ei maʸ heis.)

RP-GNT Περὶ τῆς βρώσεως οὖν τῶν εἰδωλοθύτων, οἴδαμεν ὅτι οὐδὲν εἴδωλον ἐν κόσμῳ, καὶ ὅτι οὐδεὶς θεὸς ἕτερος εἰ μὴ εἷς.
(Peri taʸs brōseōs oun tōn eidōlothutōn, oidamen hoti ouden eidōlon en kosmōi, kai hoti oudeis theos heteros ei maʸ heis.)

TC-GNT Περὶ τῆς βρώσεως οὖν τῶν εἰδωλοθύτων, οἴδαμεν ὅτι οὐδὲν εἴδωλον ἐν κόσμῳ, καὶ ὅτι οὐδεὶς Θεὸς [fn]ἕτερος εἰ μὴ εἷς.
(Peri taʸs brōseōs oun tōn eidōlothutōn, oidamen hoti ouden eidōlon en kosmōi, kai hoti oudeis Theos heteros ei maʸ heis. )

8:4 ετερος ¦ — CT

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

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 8:1–13: Paul answered questions about eating meat that had been offered to idols

In this section Paul wrote about something else the Corinthians had asked him in their earlier letter. They had asked him whether it was acceptable for them to eat the meat of an animal that had been sacrificed to an idol. The primary context for eating such meat was at an idol’s temple. Sometimes an animal would be offered to a false god in connection with a celebration such as a birthday or wedding to seek the god’s blessing and presence at the celebration. The animal would be butchered by a priest and a portion of the meat would be burned on an altar as an offering to the false god. Some of the remaining meat would be returned to the person who offered it and could be eaten together with family or other invited guests at a private banquet room at the temple. (Some of the remaining meat might be sent to the meat market to be sold, a situation that Paul addresses in 10:25–26.)

There were two opinions in the Corinthian church about whether this meat could be eaten by a believer in Christ. Some of the Corinthian believers, including those who wrote the letter, understood that idols were only things that people have made or imagined. They were hoping Paul would agree with them that it was acceptable to eat this meat. However, some other believers thought that it was wrong to enter a temple and eat such meat. They still believed the false gods were real and believed that eating meat offered to them in sacrifice was an act of worship or fellowship with these gods.

Paul agreed in this chapter that the idols worshiped at these temples were not real gods. But he did not give permission to eat this meat at their temple. Doing so might influence other believers to also eat the meat, even though they believed it was wrong. Paul asked the Corinthians believers to act in love toward these brothers rather than selfishly demanding the right to eat this meat.

In chapter 10, Paul will continue to answer the question about eating meat sacrificed to idols. He says that a believer can have no part in the worship of idols and also that demons are active in the sacrifices to idols. He also addresses the separate situations of buying and eating meat sold in the meat market and what to do when someone invites you to eat meat in their home. Before this, in chapter 9, he uses himself as an illustration of the principle he set down at the end of chapter 8 of giving up your rights in love. He had the right to be paid for his work as an apostle, but he gave up his right so that the good news of Jesus would be better accepted.

It is good to translate this section before you decide on a heading for it. Some other possible headings for this section are:

Paul gave instructions about eating meat of/from animals that had been sacrificed to false gods

Believers should not eat anything that causes other believers to sin

Paragraph 8:4–6

Paul began to write his answer to the Corinthians’ questions about eating food sacrificed to idols. In this paragraph he began by agreeing with them about several things.

8:4a

So about eating food sacrificed to idols:

¶ Well then, here is what I say/teach about eating meat that has been sacrificed to idols/gods.
¶ Now, I give this answer to what you^(plur) said about eating meat of/from animals that people have offered/given to false gods.

So about eating food sacrificed to idols: In this verse part Paul reintroduced the topic that the Corinthians had asked him about in their letter. He had also introduced this topic in 8:1a. Here he is more specific, mentioning eating this food. Other ways to translate this include:

So this is what I say about eating meat sacrificed to idols (NCV)

So, what about eating meat that has been offered to idols? (NLT)

So about…: The Greek conjunction that the BSB has translated as So, together with the repetition of the topic (food sacrificed to idols), indicates that Paul is returning to the topic mentioned in 8:1a. You should introduce this return to topic in a way that is natural in your language. For example:

Well then, about… (REB)

Now about… (GW)

So this is what I say about… (NCV)

eating food sacrificed to idols: The Greek word that the BSB translates as food sacrificed to idols is the same as in 8:1a. Translate it here as you did there.

8:4b-c

In these verse parts Paul stated things that he and the Corinthians who had written the letter to him all believed. He may be directly quoting two things they said in their letter. Or he may be restating what they said in their own words. Some English versions (RSV, ESV, REB, NET) use quotations marks to indicate that Paul is quoting, but most versions do not. There is no way to know for sure since we do not have a copy of the Corinthians’ letter to Paul. Some ways to translate this that indicate that Paul is agreeing with something they had said are:

we know that “an idol has no real existence,” and that “there is no God but one.” (RSV)

as you say, we know that an idol is nothing at all in the world and that there is no God but one

I agree with you that idols do not really exist and that there is only one God.

8:4b

We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world,

We^(incl) know, as you say, that none of the idols/gods in the world are real gods,
I agree with you^(plur) that false gods are not alive,

We know: The pronoun We here is inclusive. It refers to Paul himself and some of the believers in Corinth, at least the ones who wrote the letter to Paul. Paul had probably taught them that the gods represented by idols were not real. But Paul says in verse 8:7 that at least some of the believers at Corinth did not know or believe this.

an idol is nothing at all in the world: This indicates that none of the idols in the world exist as living beings. They are made of things such as gold or stone, but they do not have life. They do not represent true gods, they do not hear prayers, and they cannot help or hurt people.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

none of the idols in this world are alive (CEV)

an idol is not really a god

false/idol gods do not really exist

idol: The word idol here, as in 8:1, describes an object or statue that represents a god. In this context, when Paul agrees that “an idol is nothing,” he is referring primarily to the god that is represented by the idol. The god is nothing. The idol is nothing more than the object or statue. It is not a god. Some other ways to translate this are:

gods

false/fake gods

8:4c

and that there is no God but one.

and there is only the one God.
and that the God whom we^(incl) worship is the only true and living God.

there is no God but one: This is another thing that Paul and most of the Corinthian believers knew: there is only one true God, the living and powerful God. This truth is basic to both Jewish people and to Christians, and so was certainly something that Paul and the other teachers had taught the believers in Corinth. Another way to translate this is:

there is only one God (NLT)

there is no other god beside the true God

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-words-phrases

περὶ

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Περί τῆς βρώσεως οὖν τῶν εἰδωλοθύτων οἴδαμεν ὅτι οὐδέν εἴδωλον ἐν κόσμῳ καί ὅτι οὐδείς Θεός εἰ μή εἱς)

Here Paul repeats about from [8:1](../08/01.md) to let his readers know that he is going to speak directly about things sacrificed to idols again. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the repetition of the phrase from [8:1](../08/01.md) by clarifying that Paul is returning to the topic he introduced there. Alternate translation: [returning to]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

τῆς βρώσεως & τῶν εἰδωλοθύτων

the food & ˱of˲_the idol_sacrificed_‹things›

Here Paul uses the possessive form to speak about eating meat sacrificed to idols. If your language does not use this form to express that meaning, you can express the idea by using a verbal phrase. Alternate translation: [eating things sacrificed to idols]

Note 3 topic: translate-unknown

τῶν εἰδωλοθύτων

˱of˲_the idol_sacrificed_‹things›

Here, the things sacrificed to idols refers to meat that has been offered to an idol. Translate this phrase the same way you did in [8:1](../08/01.md). Alternate translation: [of meat from animals sacrificed to idols]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

τῶν εἰδωλοθύτων

˱of˲_the idol_sacrificed_‹things›

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 sacrificed rather than focusing on the person doing the “sacrificing.” If you must state who does the action, you can use a vague or indefinite subject. Alternate translation: [of the things that people have sacrificed to idols]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

οἴδαμεν ὅτι οὐδὲν εἴδωλον ἐν κόσμῳ, καὶ ὅτι οὐδεὶς Θεὸς εἰ μὴ εἷς

˱we˲_˓have˒_known that (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Περί τῆς βρώσεως οὖν τῶν εἰδωλοθύτων οἴδαμεν ὅτι οὐδέν εἴδωλον ἐν κόσμῳ καί ὅτι οὐδείς Θεός εἰ μή εἱς)

Here Paul could be: (1) expressing his own view about an idol and God. Alternate translation: [We know that an idol in the world indeed is nothing and that there is indeed no God except one] (2) quoting what the Corinthians said in their letter so that he can respond to it, much like he did in [6:12–13](../06/12.md); [7:1](../07/01.md). If you chose this option in [8:1](../08/01.md), you should also choose it here. Alternate translation: [you wrote, “we know that an idol in the world is nothing” and, “there is no God except one”]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

οὐδὲν εἴδωλον ἐν κόσμῳ

Here Paul says that an idol is nothing in order to emphasize that idols are not really gods. He is not saying that images or statues do not exist. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express nothing by clarifying that Paul is speaking about how an idol does not have the power or existence of the true God. Alternate translation: [an idol in the world is not really a god]

Note 7 topic: grammar-connect-exceptions

οὐδεὶς Θεὸς εἰ μὴ εἷς

If it would appear in your language that Paul was making a statement here and then contradicting it, you could reword this to avoid using an exception clause. Alternate translation: [there is only one God]

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

εἰ μὴ εἷς

except (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Περί τῆς βρώσεως οὖν τῶν εἰδωλοθύτων οἴδαμεν ὅτι οὐδέν εἴδωλον ἐν κόσμῳ καί ὅτι οὐδείς Θεός εἰ μή εἱς)

Here Paul does not directly quote from the Old Testament, but he uses words that would make any reader who is familiar with the Old Testament think about [Deuteronomy 6:4](../deu/06/04.md), where it is written that “the Lord is one.” If your readers would not make this connection, you could include a footnote or a brief reference to Deuteronomy. Alternate translation: [except one, as Moses wrote in the Scriptures]