Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary1 Corinthians 3:20
and again, "THE LORD KNOWS THE REASONINGS of the wise, THAT THEY ARE USELESS." Jump to: Clarke Commentary • Barne's Notes • Coffman Commentaries • Gill's Exposition • Commentary Critical and Explanatory • Robertson's Word Pictures • Wesley's Notes • Abbott's New Testament • • Scofield's Notes • Trapp's Commentary • Alford's Commentary • Meyer's Commentary • Bengel's Gnomon • Poole's Annotations • Family Bible New Testament • Cambridge Greek Testament • Whedon's Commentary • Godbey's NT Commentary • Schaff's New Testament Commentary • Dunagan Commentary • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes • Commentary Critical and Explanatory - Unabridged • Treasury of Knowledge • Hodge's Commentary • The Bible Study New Testament Other Authors
Adam Clarke CommentaryThe Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise - They are always full of schemes and plans for earthly good; and God knows that all this is vain, empty, and unsatisfactory; and will stand them in no stead when he comes to take away their souls. This is a quotation from Psalm 94:11. What is here said of the vanity of human knowledge is true of every kind of wisdom that leads not immediately to God himself. Copyright Statement Bibliography Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole BibleAnd again, - Psalm 94:11. The Lord knoweth - God searches the heart. The particular thing which it is here said that he knows, is, that the thoughts of man are vain. They have this quality; and this is that which the psalmist here says that God sees. The affirmation is not one respecting the omniscience of God, but with respect to what God sees of the nature of the thoughts of the wise. The thoughts of the wise - Their plans, purposes, designs. That they are vain - That they lack real wisdom; they are foolish; they shall not be accomplished as they expect; or be seen to have that wisdom which they now suppose they possess. Copyright Statement Bibliography Coffman's Commentaries on the BibleAnd again, The Lord knoweth the reasonings of the wise, that they are vain. This quotation is from Psalms 94:11. The teaching is not merely that "Human thought is fruitless in the sense of not producing anything of spiritual value that redeems man from sin,"[33] but that it is likewise ineffectual in devising any worthwhile solutions of the secular, political, economic and social problems which plague the entire world. ENDNOTE: [33] Donald S. Metz, Beacon Bible Commentary (Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press, 1968), p. 337. Copyright Statement Bibliography John Gill's Exposition of the Whole BibleAnd again,.... Not in the same place, nor in the same book, but in the Psalms, in Psalm 94:11. This form of citing Scriptures answers to ועוד and moreover, used by the Jewish doctors when the matter does not so clearly appear from the first proof, and therefore they produce another the Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain; in the Psalms it is, "the Lord knoweth the thoughts of men, that they are vanity"; which the apostle not only cites, but explains and teaches; as that by men is meant men of wisdom and knowledge, of the greatest capacities, whose thoughts, reasonings, schemes, and devices, the omniscient God not only knows, but makes known, and discovers them, sooner or later, to be vain and fruitless, yea, vanity itself; and notwithstanding all their machinations and contrivances, his counsel shall stand, his Gospel shall be maintained, his truths shall prevail, and his ordinances shall be continued, and his work go on. Copyright Statement Bibliography Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole BibleQuotation from Psalm 94:11. There it is of men; here it is “of the wise.” Paul by inspiration states the class of men whose “thoughts” (or rather, “reasonings,” as suits the Greek and the sense of the context) the Spirit designated in the Psalm, “vanity,” namely, the “proud” (Psalm 94:2) and worldly-wise, whom God in Psalm 94:8 calls “fools,” though they “boast themselves” of their wisdom in pushing their interests (Psalm 94:4). Copyright Statement Bibliography Robertson's Word Pictures in the New TestamentAnd again (και παλιν — kai palin). Another confirmatory passage from Psalm 94:11. Reasonings (διαλογισμους — dialogismous). More than cogitationes (Vulgate), sometimes disputations (Philemon 2:14). Paul changes “men” of lxx to wise (σοπων — sophōn) in harmony with the Hebrew context. Vain (ματαιοι — mataioi). Useless, foolish, from ματη — matē a futile attempt.Copyright Statement Bibliography Wesley's Explanatory NotesAnd again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain. That they are but vain — Empty, foolish; they and all their thoughts. Psalm 94:11. Copyright Statement Bibliography Abbott's Illustrated New TestamentPsalms 94:11. Let no man glory in men. The apostle thus bringing his train of remark to a conclusion which bears directly upon the great cause of their dissensions,--their excessive personal predilections for the various individuals who had been the instruments of bringing them the gospel.
Copyright Statement Bibliography Vv. 20. This passage is taken from Psalms 94:11. It proclaims the emptiness of human wisdom, not now as to its result, but as to its very essence. The Hebrew and the LXX. say, "the thoughts of man." The apostle says, of the wise, because it is through them that mankind exercise their understanding. The verb knowing has two objects in the original texts (Hebrew and Greek), as is often the case; first, the object known, the thought; then what God knows of those thoughts: that they are vain. We cannot render this forcible turn of expression in French. The apostle here judges human wisdom only from the point of view of the discovery and attainment of salvation. He certainly respects every sincere effort to discover the truth (Philippians 4:8); but salvation is a thought of God superior to all the discoveries of human wisdom (1 Corinthians 2:6-8). Though he had addressed the whole Church (1 Corinthians 3:17 : Ye are...), it was those who encouraged disorders whom the apostle had indirectly threatened in the foregoing verses. The three following verses contain the direction which it remains to him to give to the Church itself as to its conduct toward Christ"s true ministers. They are therefore the conclusion of the passage begun 1 Corinthians 2:5. Copyright Statement Bibliography Scofield's Reference NotesMarg The Lord Jehovah. Psalms 94:11 Copyright Statement Bibliography John Trapp Complete Commentary20 And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.
Ver. 20. Of the wise] Such as excel in natural gifts, that are the choicest and most picked men. The Psalmist saith only of men, Psalms 94:12. Copyright Statement Bibliography Greek Testament Critical Exegetical Commentary20.] The LXX have ἀνθρώπων (Heb. אָדָם ); the Psalmist however is speaking of the proud, 1 Corinthians 3:2 f., and such, when διαλογισμοί are in question, would be the worldly wise. Copyright Statement Bibliography Heinrich Meyer's Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament1 Corinthians 3:20. πάλιν] as in Romans 15:10; Matthew 4:7. The passage quoted is Psalms 94:11, and the only variation from the Hebrew and the LXX. is in putting σοφῶν instead of ἀνθρώπων, and that purposely, but with no violence to the connection of the original (the reference being to men of pretended wisdom). μάταιοι] empty, thoughts (for Paul, at all events, had διαλογ. not σοφ. in view) which are without true substance. Comp Plato, Soph. p. 231 B: περὶ τὴν μάταιον δοξοσοφίαν. Copyright Statement Bibliography Johann Albrecht Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament1 Corinthians 3:20. σοφῶν, of the wise) LXX. have ἀνθρώπων, of men. The word, thoughts, not in itself, but with this addition, of the wise, corresponds to the Hebrew word מחשבות, Psalms 94:11, LXX.— εἰσι, are) men, namely with their thoughts; see Ps. now quoted in the Hebrew. Copyright Statement Bibliography Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy BibleAnd again, it was said by the psalmist, Psalms 94:11, that: The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity: man’s counsels, imaginations, reasonings, they are all vanity; they propose to themselves ends which they cannot attain, and pursue them by means that are inefficacious with reference to their ends. Copyright Statement Bibliography Justin Edwards' Family Bible New TestamentAgain; Psalms 94:11. Copyright Statement Bibliography Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges20. καὶ πάλιν. In Psalms 94:11. It is curious that the first of these citations does not, and the second does, agree with the LXX. διαλογισμούς. The reasonings, literally. Copyright Statement Bibliography Whedon's Commentary on the Bible20. Wise—Psalms 94:11. Instead of the thoughts of the wise, the Hebrew has it, “the thoughts of men;” a term which includes, of course, men especially who pride themselves in original and philosophic thoughts and reasonings. Vain—Liable to error and defect. Copyright Statement Bibliography William Godbey's Commentary on the New Testament20. “And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise that they are empty.” The wise people of this world wear out their eyes, craze their brains and paralyze their nerves to accumulate the wisdom of the world, which is all empty bosh when they get it, wearing them out, making them prematurely old, bringing down their gray hairs with sorrow to the grave for naught. Copyright Statement Bibliography Schaff's Popular Commentary on the New Testament1 Corinthians 3:20. And again (Psalms 94:11), The Lord knoweth the reasonings of the wise, that they are vain.
Copyright Statement Bibliography Mark Dunagan Commentary on the Bible1 Corinthians 3:20 and again, The Lord knoweth the reasonings of the wise that they are vain. "and again"- Psalms 94:11 "The Lord knoweth the reasonings of the wise that they are vain"-"The Lord sees how fruitless are the deliberations of the wise." (TCNT) "What the Lord sees is that all their carefully thought-out conclusions are ineffectual..the ineffectiveness of these wise men is illustrated by the schemes, plots, and tricky questions of the Lord"s enemies, by which they tried to entangle him. Jesus always saw completely through their cunning and frustrated their designs WITH A WORD OR TWO..Let the Corinthians keep that in mind and not deceive themselves by admiring worldly wisdom." [Note: _ Lenski p. 153] Keep this verse in mind when you hear the "smart" arguments for Reincarnation, atheism, pantheism, "everyone is on the same road to heaven-ism", "suffering disproves the existence of God-ism", etc.... Copyright Statement Bibliography E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible NotesThe LORD. No art. App-98. knoweth. App-132. thoughts = reasonings. vain. Greek. mataios. See Acts 14:15. Quoted from Psalms 94:11. Copyright Statement Bibliography Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - UnabridgedAnd again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain. From Psalms 94:11, Septuagint There it is of men; here it is "of the wise." Paul by inspiration states the class whose "thoughts" [ dialogismous (Greek #1261); Hebrew, Machsheboth] (rather, "reasonings," as suits the context) the Spirit designated in the psalm, "vanity" - namely, the "proud" (1 Corinthians 3:2) and worldly wise, whom God in 1 Corinthians 3:8 calls "fools," though they "boast themselves" of their wisdom in pushing their interests (1 Corinthians 3:4). Copyright Statement Bibliography Treasury of Scripture KnowledgeAnd again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.
Copyright Statement Bibliography Hodge's Commentary on Romans, Ephesians and First CorintiansFor the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain. We must renounce our own wisdom because it is folly. The infinite mind sees that to be folly which we children think to be wisdom. There are two senses in which this is true, or in which wisdom may be said to be folly. Even truth or true knowledge becomes folly, if employed to accomplish an end for which it is not adapted. If a man attempts to make men holy or happy; if he undertakes to convert the world, by mathematics, or metaphysics, or moral philosophy, he is foolish, and his wisdom, as a means to that end is folly. He must renounce all dependence on those means if he would accomplish that end. But in the second place, much that passes for wisdom among men is in itself, and not merely as a means to an end, foolishness. Both these ideas are evidently comprehended in the apostle's statement. He means to say that human knowledge is entirely inadequate to save men; because that end can only be accomplished by the gospel. And he means also to brand as folly the speculations of men about "the deep things of God." In proof of the assertion that the wisdom of men is foolishness with God, he quotes two passages of Scripture. The first is from Job 5:13 the second is from Psalms 94:11. The former is a fragment of a sentence containing in the Greek no verb. Our translation renders the participle ( ן Ì” הסבףףן Ì ×œ×•×ןע) as though it were a verb. Those passages clearly express the same sentiment which the apostle had uttered. They declare the impotency and insufficiency of human wisdom.
Copyright Statement Bibliography The Bible Study New TestamentAnd another scripture says. Paul paraphrases Psalm 94:11 Septuagint. "Man schemes, and God laughs." Copyright Statement Bibliography |
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