1 Corinthians 10:19
New International Version
Do I mean then that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything?

New Living Translation
What am I trying to say? Am I saying that food offered to idols has some significance, or that idols are real gods?

English Standard Version
What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything?

Berean Standard Bible
Am I suggesting, then, that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything?

Berean Literal Bible
Then what do I mean? That what is sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything?

King James Bible
What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing?

New King James Version
What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything?

New American Standard Bible
What do I mean then? That food sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything?

NASB 1995
What do I mean then? That a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything?

NASB 1977
What do I mean then? That a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything?

Legacy Standard Bible
What do I mean then? That a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything?

Amplified Bible
What do I mean then? That a thing offered to idols is anything [special or changed simply because it is offered], or that an idol is anything?

Christian Standard Bible
What am I saying then? That food sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
What am I saying then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything?

American Standard Version
What say I then? that a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything?

Contemporary English Version
Am I saying that either the idols or the food sacrificed to them is anything at all?

English Revised Version
What say I then? that a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Do I mean that an offering made to a false god is anything, or that a false god itself is anything?

Good News Translation
Do I imply, then, that an idol or the food offered to it really amounts to anything?

International Standard Version
Am I suggesting that an offering made to idols means anything, or that an idol itself means anything?

Majority Standard Bible
Am I suggesting, then, that an idol is anything, or that food sacrificed to an idol is anything?

NET Bible
Am I saying that idols or food sacrificed to them amount to anything?

New Heart English Bible
What am I saying then? That a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything?

Webster's Bible Translation
What then do I say? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing?

Weymouth New Testament
Do I mean that a thing sacrificed to an idol is what it claims to be, or that an idol is a real thing?

World English Bible
What am I saying then? That a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything?
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
What do I say then? That an idol is anything? Or that a sacrifice offered to an idol is anything?

Berean Literal Bible
Then what do I mean? That what is sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything?

Young's Literal Translation
what then do I say? that an idol is anything? or that a sacrifice offered to an idol is anything? --

Smith's Literal Translation
What do I say therefore? that an idol is any thing? or that what is sacrificed to an idol is any thing?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
What then ? Do I say, that what is offered in sacrifice to idols, is any thing ? Or, that the idol is any thing ?

Catholic Public Domain Version
What is next? Should I say that what is immolated to idols is anything? Or that the idol is anything?

New American Bible
So what am I saying? That meat sacrificed to idols is anything? Or that an idol is anything?

New Revised Standard Version
What do I imply then? That food sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything?
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
What do I say then? that the idol is anything, or that the sacrifice to idols is anything? No.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
What therefore do I say? Is an idol anything, or is the sacrifice of an idol anything? No!
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
What, then, do I say? That an idol is any thing? or, that what is sacrificed to an idol is any thing?

Godbey New Testament
Then what do I say? that idolatry is anything? or that an idol is anything?

Haweis New Testament
What do I say then? that an idol is any thing, or that which is sacrificed to an idol is any thing?

Mace New Testament
that the idol, or that what is offered in sacrifice to the idol, is a matter of consequence?

Weymouth New Testament
Do I mean that a thing sacrificed to an idol is what it claims to be, or that an idol is a real thing?

Worrell New Testament
What, then, do I say? that an idol-sacrifice is anything? or that an idol is anything?

Worsley New Testament
What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that what is sacrificed to an idol is in itself any thing to stumble at?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Flee from Idolatry
18Consider the people of Israel: Are not those who eat the sacrifices fellow partakers in the altar? 19Am I suggesting, then, that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God. And I do not want you to be participants with demons.…

Cross References
Deuteronomy 32:21
They have provoked My jealousy by that which is not God; they have enraged Me with their worthless idols. So I will make them jealous by those who are not a people; I will make them angry by a nation without understanding.

Isaiah 44:9-20
All makers of idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Their witnesses fail to see or comprehend, so they are put to shame. / Who fashions a god or casts an idol which profits him nothing? / Behold, all his companions will be put to shame, for the craftsmen themselves are only human. Let them all assemble and take their stand; they will all be brought to terror and shame. ...

Psalm 115:4-8
Their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. / They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see; / they have ears, but cannot hear; they have noses, but cannot smell; ...

Psalm 135:15-18
The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. / They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see; / they have ears, but cannot hear; nor is there breath in their mouths. ...

Jeremiah 10:3-5
For the customs of the peoples are worthless; they cut down a tree from the forest; it is shaped with a chisel by the hands of a craftsman. / They adorn it with silver and gold and fasten it with hammer and nails, so that it will not totter. / Like scarecrows in a cucumber patch, their idols cannot speak. They must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them, for they can do no harm, and neither can they do any good.”

Habakkuk 2:18-19
What use is an idol, that a craftsman should carve it—or an image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak. / Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Awake!’ or to silent stone, ‘Arise!’ Can it give guidance? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, yet there is no breath in it at all.”

2 Kings 17:15
They rejected His statutes and the covenant He had made with their fathers, as well as the decrees He had given them. They pursued worthless idols and became worthless themselves, going after the surrounding nations that the LORD had commanded them not to imitate.

Acts 17:29
Therefore, being offspring of God, we should not think that the Divine Being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by man’s skill and imagination.

Romans 1:22-23
Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools, / and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images of mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

1 Corinthians 8:4-6
So about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world, and that there is no God but one. / For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many so-called gods and lords), / yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we exist. And there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we exist.

1 Corinthians 8:10
For if someone with a weak conscience sees you who are well informed eating in an idol’s temple, will he not be encouraged to eat food sacrificed to idols?

1 Corinthians 12:2
You know that when you were pagans, you were influenced and led astray to mute idols.

Galatians 4:8
Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods.

Revelation 9:20
Now the rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the works of their hands. They did not stop worshiping demons and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk.

Exodus 20:3-5
You shall have no other gods before Me. / You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in the heavens above, on the earth below, or in the waters beneath. / You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,


Treasury of Scripture

What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing?

that the.

1 Corinthians 1:28
And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

1 Corinthians 3:7
So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

1 Corinthians 8:4
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.

Jump to Previous
Claims Food Idol Idols Image Images Imply Mean Offered Real Sacrifice Sacrificed
Jump to Next
Claims Food Idol Idols Image Images Imply Mean Offered Real Sacrifice Sacrificed
1 Corinthians 10
1. The sacraments of the Jews are types of ours;
7. and their punishments,
11. examples for us.
13. We must flee from idolatry.
21. We must not make the Lord's table the table of demons;
24. and in all things we must have regard for our brothers.














Am I suggesting, then
The Apostle Paul begins this verse with a rhetorical question, a common technique in his epistles to engage the reader and provoke thought. The Greek word used here for "suggesting" is "φημί" (phēmi), which implies a declaration or assertion. Paul is addressing potential misunderstandings about his previous teachings on idolatry and Christian liberty. Historically, Corinth was a city rife with idol worship, and Paul is clarifying his stance to prevent any misinterpretation among the believers.

that food sacrificed to an idol
The phrase refers to the practice of offering food, particularly meat, to pagan gods, a common ritual in ancient Corinth. The Greek term "εἰδωλόθυτον" (eidōlothuton) is used here, meaning "sacrificed to idols." This practice was not only religious but also social, as such food was often consumed in communal meals. Paul is addressing the concern of whether consuming such food implicates a believer in idol worship. Archaeological findings in Corinth reveal temples and altars dedicated to various deities, underscoring the prevalence of this practice.

is anything
Paul questions the intrinsic value or spiritual significance of the food itself. The Greek word "τι" (ti) used here can mean "anything" or "something." Paul is emphasizing that the physical substance of the food is not inherently defiled or spiritually potent. This reflects a broader biblical principle that material objects, in themselves, do not possess spiritual power apart from the intent and belief of the individuals involved.

or that an idol is anything
Here, Paul challenges the nature and power of idols. The Greek word "εἴδωλον" (eidōlon) refers to an image or representation of a deity. In the historical context of Corinth, idols were central to religious life, yet Paul asserts their impotence. This echoes Old Testament teachings, such as in Isaiah 44:9-20, where idols are depicted as lifeless and powerless. Paul is reinforcing the monotheistic belief that only the God of Israel is truly sovereign and worthy of worship.

(19) What say I then?--It might have been argued from the preceding verse that the Apostle admitted the heathen offerings and the idols to which they were offered to be as real as were the offerings and Being to whom the altar was erected by Israel, whereas in 1Corinthians 8:4 he had asserted the contrary.

Verse 19. - What say I then? What is it, then, which I am maintaining (φημι)? That the idol is anything. St. Paul repudiates an inference which he had already denied (1 Corinthians 8:4). Is anything. Has any intrinsic value, meaning, or importance. In itself, the idol offering is a mere dead, indifferent thing. Of itself, the idol is an eidolon - a shadowy, unreal thing, one of the elilim; but in another aspect it was "really something," and so alone could the rabbis account for phenomena which seemed to imply the reality of infernal miracles ('Avoda Zarah,' fol. 54, 2; 55, 1; and see note in 'Life of St. Paul,' 2:74).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Am I suggesting,
φημι (phēmi)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 5346: To say, declare. Properly, the same as the base of phos and phaino; to show or make known one's thoughts, i.e. Speak or say.

then,
οὖν (oun)
Conjunction
Strong's 3767: Therefore, then. Apparently a primary word; certainly, or accordingly.

that
ὅτι (hoti)
Conjunction
Strong's 3754: Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because.

food sacrificed to an idol
εἰδωλόθυτόν (eidōlothyton)
Adjective - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 1494: Neuter of a compound of eidolon and a presumed derivative of thuo; an image-sacrifice, i.e. Part of an idolatrous offering.

is
ἐστιν (estin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

anything,
τί (ti)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 5100: Any one, some one, a certain one or thing. An enclitic indefinite pronoun; some or any person or object.

or
(ē)
Conjunction
Strong's 2228: Or, than. A primary particle of distinction between two connected terms; disjunctive, or; comparative, than.

that
ὅτι (hoti)
Conjunction
Strong's 3754: Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because.

an idol
εἴδωλόν (eidōlon)
Noun - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 1497: An idol, false god. From eidos; an image; by implication, a heathen god, or the worship of such.

is
ἐστιν (estin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

anything?
τί (ti)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 5100: Any one, some one, a certain one or thing. An enclitic indefinite pronoun; some or any person or object.


Links
1 Corinthians 10:19 NIV
1 Corinthians 10:19 NLT
1 Corinthians 10:19 ESV
1 Corinthians 10:19 NASB
1 Corinthians 10:19 KJV

1 Corinthians 10:19 BibleApps.com
1 Corinthians 10:19 Biblia Paralela
1 Corinthians 10:19 Chinese Bible
1 Corinthians 10:19 French Bible
1 Corinthians 10:19 Catholic Bible

NT Letters: 1 Corinthians 10:19 What am I saying then? That (1 Cor. 1C iC 1Cor i cor icor)
1 Corinthians 10:18
Top of Page
Top of Page