1 COR 8:7 Parallel Verse View

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

OET (OET-RV) But not everyone knows this. Some people have been so used to trusting idols that even now as believers when they eat food that’s been sacrificed to idols, they still think it’s wrong and so their weak consciences become defiled.

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, orange:accusative/object, pink:genitive/possessor, cyan:dative/indirect 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 However, this knowledge is not in everyone. Instead, some, being in the custom of the idols until now, eat things as sacrificed to idols, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.

UST However, some people do not fully understand what I have said. They used to worship other gods in the past, and they incompletely understand what is right and wrong. When they eat meat that someone has offered to another god, they feel guilty.

MSB But not everyone [has] this knowledge. Some [people] with consciousness of the idol still eat [such food][fn] as if it were sacrificed to an idol. And [since] their conscience is weak, it is defiled.

8:7 CT Some people are still so accustomed to idols that they eat such food

BLB But this knowledge is not in all. And some, by habit of the idol until now, eat as of a thing sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak, it is defiled.

AICNT But not all men have this knowledge. Some, still accustomed to idols, eat food as if it were sacrificed to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.

OEB Still, it is not everyone that has this knowledge. Some people, because of their association with idols, continued down to the present time, eat the food as food offered to an idol; and their consciences, while still weak, are dulled.

WEBBE However, that knowledge isn’t in all men. But some, with consciousness of an idol until now, eat as of a thing sacrificed to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET But this knowledge is not shared by all. And some, by being accustomed to idols in former times, eat this food as an idol sacrifice, and their conscience, because it is weak, is defiled.

LSV but not in all men [is] the knowledge, and certain with conscience of the idol, until now, eat [it] as a thing sacrificed to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.

FBV But not everyone has this “knowledge.”[fn] Some who up to now have been so used to idols as a reality that when they eat food sacrificed to an idol, their conscience (which is weak) tells them they have defiled themselves.

8:7 Paul takes issue with this knowledge being misapplied, as seen in verse 10 when it could be seen as being proud and arrogant.

TCNT However, not everyone possesses this knowledge. But some [fn]have idols in their conscience even now and eat such food as something sacrificed to idols, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled.

8:7 have idols in their conscience even now and 93.3% ¦ are accustomed to idols and even now CT 4.4%

T4T Nevertheless, some people do not understand that idols are not really alive. In the past, some among you who are believers now were accustomed to believing that idols were really alive. As a result, when they eat such meat now, they still think that it was sacrificed to an idol that is alive. They are not sure that God allows believers to eat meat that has been offered to idols. So, when they eat such meat, they think that they have sinned.

LEB But this knowledge is not in everyone. But some, being accustomed until now to the idol, eat this food as food sacrificed to idols, and their conscience, because it[fn] is weak, is defiled.

8:7 *Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“is”) which is understood as causal

BBE Still, all men have not that knowledge: but some, being used till now to the image, are conscious that they are taking food which has been offered to the image; and because they are not strong in the faith, their minds are troubled.

Moff But remember, it is not everyone who has this "knowledge." Some who have hitherto been accustomed to idols eat the food as food which has been really offered to an idol, and so their weaker conscience is contaminated.

Wymth But all believers do not recognize these facts. Some, from force of habit in relation to the idol, even now eat idol sacrifices as such, and their consciences, being but weak, are polluted.

ASV Howbeit there is not in all men that knowledge: but some, being used until now to the idol, eat as of a thing sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.

DRA But there is not knowledge in every one. For some until this present, with conscience of the idol: eat as a thing sacrificed to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.

YLT but not in all men [is] the knowledge, and certain with conscience of the idol, till now, as a thing sacrificed to an idol do eat [it], and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.

Drby But knowledge [is] not in all: but some, with conscience of the idol, until now eat as of a thing sacrificed to idols; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.

RV Howbeit in all men there is not that knowledge: but some, being used until now to the idol, eat as of a thing sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.

SLT But not in all, knowledge: and some with consciousness of the idol even till now eat as a sacrifice to idols: and their consciousness being weak is contaminated.

Wbstr But there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol to this hour eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.

KJB-1769 Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.

KJB-1611 Howbeit there is not in euerie man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idole vnto this houre, eate it as a thing offred vnto an idole, and their conscience being weake, is defiled.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation)

Bshps But euery man hath not knowledge: For some hauing conscience of the idol vntill this houre, eate as a thing offred vnto idols, and so their conscience being weake, is defiled.
(But every man hath/has not knowledge: For some having conscience of the idol until this hour, eat as a thing offered unto idols, and so their conscience being weak, is defiled.)

Gnva But euery man hath not that knowledge: for many hauing conscience of the idole, vntill this houre, eate as a thing sacrificed vnto the idole, and so their conscience being weake, is defiled.
(But every man hath/has not that knowledge: for many having conscience of the idol, until this hour, eat as a thing sacrificed unto the idol, and so their conscience being weak, is defiled. )

Cvdl But euery man hath not knowlege: for some make yet consciece ouer the Idoll, and eate it as a thinge offred vnto Idols: and so their conscience beynge weake, is defyled.
(But every man hath/has not knowledge: for some make yet consciece over the Idol, and eat it as a thing offered unto Idols: and so their conscience being weak, is defiled.)

TNT But every man hath not knowledge. For some suppose that ther is an ydoll vntyll this houre and eate as of a thinge offered vnto the ydole and so their consciences beynge yet weake are defyled.
(But every man hath/has not knowledge. For some suppose that there is an ydoll until this hour and eat as of a thing offered unto the ydole and so their consciences being yet weak are defiled. )

Wycl But not in alle men is kunnyng. For summen with conscience of ydol til now eten as thing offrid to idolis; and her conscience is defoulid, for it is sijk.
(But not in all men is cunning. For summen with conscience of ydol till now eaten as thing offered to idolis; and her conscience is defiled, for it is sick.)

Luth Es hat aber nicht jedermann das Wissen. Denn etliche machen sich noch ein Gewissen über dem Götzen und essen es für Götzenopfer; damit wird ihr Gewissen, weil es so schwach ist, beflecket.
(It has but not anyone the Wissen. Because several make itself/yourself/themselves still a conscience above to_him idols and eat it for/in_favour_of idolsopfer; with_it/so_that becomes you(pl)/their/her conscience, because it so weak is, tainted.)

ClVg Sed non in omnibus est scientia. Quidam autem cum conscientia usque nunc idoli, quasi idolothytum manducant: et conscientia ipsorum cum sit infirma, polluitur.[fn]
(But not/no in/into/on to_all it_is knowledge/skill. Quidam however when/with conscience until now idols, as_if idolthytum they_eat: and conscience their_own when/with be weak, pollutesur. )

8.7 Polluitur. Per illos scilicet qui habent scientiam unius Dei, sed non cum charitate, per quos in hunc errorem infirmi inducebantur, quorum non cibus polluitur, sed conscientia.

8.7 Polluitur. Per those namely who/which they_have knowledge of_one of_God, but not/no when/with with_love, through which in/into/on this_one error sick inducebantur, whose not/no food pollutesur, but conscience.

UGNT ἀλλ’ οὐκ ἐν πᾶσιν ἡ γνῶσις; τινὲς δὲ τῇ συνηθείᾳ ἕως ἄρτι τοῦ εἰδώλου, ὡς εἰδωλόθυτον ἐσθίουσιν, καὶ ἡ συνείδησις αὐτῶν ἀσθενὴς οὖσα μολύνεται.
(all’ ouk en pasin haʸ gnōsis; tines de taʸ sunaʸtheia heōs arti tou eidōlou, hōs eidōlothuton esthiousin, kai haʸ suneidaʸsis autōn asthenaʸs ousa molunetai.)

SBL-GNT Ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἐν πᾶσιν ἡ γνῶσις· τινὲς δὲ τῇ ⸀συνηθείᾳ ⸂ἕως ἄρτι τοῦ εἰδώλου⸃ ὡς εἰδωλόθυτον ἐσθίουσιν, καὶ ἡ συνείδησις αὐτῶν ἀσθενὴς οὖσα μολύνεται.
(Allʼ ouk en pasin haʸ gnōsis; tines de taʸ ⸀sunaʸtheia ⸂heōs arti tou eidōlou⸃ hōs eidōlothuton esthiousin, kai haʸ suneidaʸsis autōn asthenaʸs ousa molunetai.)

RP-GNT Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐν πᾶσιν ἡ γνῶσις· τινὲς δὲ τῇ συνειδήσει τοῦ εἰδώλου ἕως ἄρτι ὡς εἰδωλόθυτον ἐσθίουσιν, καὶ ἡ συνείδησις αὐτῶν ἀσθενὴς οὖσα μολύνεται.
(All' ouk en pasin haʸ gnōsis; tines de taʸ suneidaʸsei tou eidōlou heōs arti hōs eidōlothuton esthiousin, kai haʸ suneidaʸsis autōn asthenaʸs ousa molunetai.)

TC-GNT Ἀλλ᾽ οὐκ ἐν πᾶσιν ἡ γνῶσις· τινὲς δὲ τῇ [fn]συνειδήσει τοῦ εἰδώλου ἕως ἄρτι ὡς εἰδωλόθυτον ἐσθίουσι, καὶ ἡ συνείδησις αὐτῶν ἀσθενὴς οὖσα μολύνεται.
(All ouk en pasin haʸ gnōsis; tines de taʸ suneidaʸsei tou eidōlou heōs arti hōs eidōlothuton esthiousi, kai haʸ suneidaʸsis autōn asthenaʸs ousa molunetai. )

8:7 συνειδησει του ειδωλου εως αρτι 93.3% ¦ συνηθεια εως αρτι του ειδωλου CT 4.4%

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 8:7–13

In this paragraph Paul discussed a problem related to the knowledge that an idol is nothing. The problem is that not all believers have this knowledge. When those without this knowledge eat food sacrificed to idols, they think they are participating in rites to real gods. They know this is wrong, but being weak they are easily influenced to do it anyway. So believers who know that idols are nothing should not think only about what they have freedom to do, but rather should think about how what they do may influence other believers toward idolatry. They should not do anything that would cause another believer to do something he thinks is wrong.

8:7a

But not everyone has this knowledge.

¶ But not all believers know this.
¶ However, some believers do not yet understand that idols are nothing.
¶ But remember: some among you^(plur) think that idols are alive and powerful.

But: The Greek conjunction that the BSB translates as But here introduces a contrast. In the previous paragraph Paul said, “We know that an idol is nothing in the world and that there is only one God.” In contrast, some people do not know those things to be true.

not everyone has this knowledge: When Paul used the word everyone here he was referring to believers. Not all the Corinthian believers knew that the idols were false gods and had no existence. The NLT makes this explicit:

However, not all believers know this. (NLT)

8:7b

Some people are still so accustomed to idols

Some of them worshiped idols for so long
Serving idols was an important/large part of their life before they believed in Christ.

Some people are still so accustomed to idols: There is a textual issue here.

Some Greek manuscripts have a word that means “custom.” For example:
Some are accustomed to thinking of idols as being real (NLT) (BSB, RSV, NIV, GNT, NASB, ESV, REB, NET, GW, NLT, NCV, CEV)
Some Greek manuscripts have a word that means “conscience.” For example:
There are some in whose conscience false gods still play such a part (NJB) (NJB, KJV)

It is recommended that you follow option 1, since it has strong support from Greek manuscripts and English versions.This is the reading in the UBS Greek NT, which gives it an A rating, indicating that it is almost certainly correct.

Some people: Paul was still referring to believers here.

so accustomed to: Many of the believers in Corinth had worshiped idols since childhood. They had only recently stopped worshiping idols. Some of them still believed these idols were real, even though they had decided to no longer worship them.

Other ways to translate this include:

Some people are so used to worshiping false gods…. (GW)

Some, by being accustomed to idols in former times…. (NET)

8:7c

that they eat such food

that if/when they eat food that has been sacrificed to idols,
So when they go to a feast in the idol’s temple/house,

8:7d

as if it were sacrificed to an idol.

they consider that as taking part in a sacrifice to a real god.
they think they are eating sacred food that has been given to a god who is alive and powerful.

8:7c-d

they eat such food as if it were sacrificed to an idol: Paul was saying that when the new believers ate such meat, they thought they were sharing or participating in a sacrifice to a real god. As a result of this, they considered this meat sacred food (food belonging to the god), and not ordinary food. Other ways to translate this include:

so when they eat food that has been offered to idols, they think of it as the worship of real gods (NLT)

they believe they are eating food offered to a real god (GW)

when they eat this meat, they think of it as sacred/holy food that belongs to the god

sacrificed to an idol: This phrase translates the same Greek word that is used in 8:1a and 8:4a: “food sacrificed to idols.” See the note on 8:1a and translate it here in the same way as you translated it there.

8:7e

And since their conscience is weak,

And so, because their understanding/awareness of right and wrong is not strong enough to cause them to do what is right,
They think this is wrong but they are weak and do it anyway,

their conscience: The Greek word that the BSB translates as conscience refers to a person’s awareness about what is right and what is wrong. It guides a person to do what is right and not do what is wrong. Another way to translate this is:

their awareness/understanding of what is right and what is wrong

is weak: A weak conscienceDifferent scholars have explained “weak conscience” in different ways.Some scholars think that a person with a “weak conscience” lacks the knowledge necessary to make the a decision about what is right and what is wrong. They need to learn more to do so. Garland supports this.Other scholars think that a person with a “weak conscience” is able to decide what is right and what is wrong, but their conscience is not strong enough to cause them act in a way that is consistent with what they think. This is the approach we have taken. Fee and Witherington support this. is one that does not cause a person to act in obedience to what he knows is right or wrong. He may be easily influenced to do the wrong thing. His conscience may be too weak to lead to right behavior because it is not yet strong enough to resist following the example of other Christians who “know” what is right. Some other ways to translate a “weak conscience” are:

their conscious/awareness is too weak to cause them to do what is right

their awareness/understanding of what is right is not enough to make them do it

though they believe/know it is wrong to eat the food, it is hard for them to choose to do what is right

8:7f

it is defiled.

their conscience becomes unclean/impure.
so they feel guilty/shame before God.

it is defiled: The pronoun it refers to “their conscience.” The word “defile” literally means “to make dirty.” The person’s conscience has become unclean or impure in the sense that he feels he is guilty. His good relationship with God is broken because he thought it was wrong to eat meat that had been sacrificed to an idol but he did it anyway. Other ways to translate this include:

their weak consciences are spoiled

they feel guilty (NCV)

And so they have guilt/shame before God

General Comment on 8:7b-f

In some languages it may be natural to reorder the information in these verse parts and mention what defiles the conscience after 8:7f. For example:

^7bThere are some who have been so accustomed to idolatry ^7dthat they still think of this meat as consecrated to the idol, ^7eand their conscience, being weak, ^7fis defiled ^7cby eating it. (REB)

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

οὐκ ἐν πᾶσιν ἡ γνῶσις

not in all_‹is› ¬the knowledge

Here Paul speaks as if everyone were a container in which knowledge could be stored, but some people do not have knowledge stored in them. He speaks in this way to show that not everyone understands what he has just said about how God the Father and Jesus are the only God and Lord. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea that knowledge is not in someone with a comparable phrase. Alternate translation: [not everyone knows this]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

τῇ συνηθείᾳ & τοῦ εἰδώλου

¬the ˱by˲_custom & ˱of˲_the idol

The Corinthians would have understood the custom of the idols to refer to regular practices associated with worshiping idols, including eating meat sacrificed to idols. If it would be helpful in your language, you could translate the custom of the idols, by refer to worshiping idols “regularly.” Alternate translation: [regularly involved in worshiping idols]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

τῇ συνηθείᾳ & τοῦ εἰδώλου

¬the ˱by˲_custom & ˱of˲_the idol

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea behind custom, you can express the idea by using a verb such as “used to” or “accustomed.” Alternate translation: [accustomed to idols]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ἕως ἄρτι

until now

Here, now refers to the time since these people became believers. Paul means that these people worshiped idols until they became Christians, not until the time he writes this letter. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express until now by clarifying that Paul is referring to when these people first believed in Jesus. Alternate translation: [until they believed in Jesus]

Note 5 topic: translate-unknown

εἰδωλόθυτον

˓an˒_idol_sacrificed_‹thing›

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: [meat from animals sacrificed to idols]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

εἰδωλόθυτον

˓an˒_idol_sacrificed_‹thing›

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: [things that people have sacrificed to idols]

Note 7 topic: grammar-connect-time-simultaneous

ὡς εἰδωλόθυτον ἐσθίουσιν

as ˓an˒_idol_sacrificed_‹thing› ˓are˒_eating_‹food›

This phrase could refer to: (1) whenever the people that Paul is talking about eat things as sacrificed to idols. Alternate translation: [happen to eat things sacrificed to idols] (2) how the people that Paul is talking about think that the things as sacrificed to idols actually belong to another god. Alternate translation: [eat meat as if it were sacrificed to idols that were real]

Note 8 topic: grammar-collectivenouns

ἡ συνείδησις αὐτῶν

¬the the conscience ˱of˲_them

The word conscience is a singular noun that refers to all their consciences. If your language does not use singular nouns in that way, you can use a different expression. Alternate translation: [each of their consciences]

Note 9 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ἀσθενὴς οὖσα

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἐν πᾶσιν ἡ γνῶσις τινές δέ τῇ συνηθείᾳ ἕως ἄρτι τοῦ εἰδώλου ὡς εἰδωλόθυτον ἐσθίουσιν καί ἡ συνείδησις αὐτῶν ἀσθενής οὖσα μολύνεται)

Here, being weak identifies a conscience that easily leads a person to feel guilty. A weak conscience condemns some things that are probably acceptable before God. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express being weak with a comparable metaphor or express the idea plainly. Alternate translation: [being sensitive] or [which often condemns them]

Note 10 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

ἡ συνείδησις αὐτῶν ἀσθενὴς οὖσα μολύνεται

¬the the conscience ˱of˲_them (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἐν πᾶσιν ἡ γνῶσις τινές δέ τῇ συνηθείᾳ ἕως ἄρτι τοῦ εἰδώλου ὡς εἰδωλόθυτον ἐσθίουσιν καί ἡ συνείδησις αὐτῶν ἀσθενής οὖσα μολύνεται)

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 their conscience, which is defiled, rather than focusing on who or what does the “defiling.” If you must state who does the action, Paul implies that the things as sacrificed to idols or “they” do it. If you use the following alternate translation, you may need to add a comma before it. Alternate translation: [their conscience being weak, they defile it]

Parallel 1 COR 8:7