1 Corinthians 1:27
New International Version
But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

New Living Translation
Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful.

English Standard Version
But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;

Berean Standard Bible
But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

Berean Literal Bible
But God has chosen the foolish things of the world that He might shame the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world that He might shame the strong;

King James Bible
But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

New King James Version
But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;

New American Standard Bible
but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong,

NASB 1995
but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong,

NASB 1977
but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong,

Legacy Standard Bible
But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong,

Amplified Bible
But God has selected [for His purpose] the foolish things of the world to shame the wise [revealing their ignorance], and God has selected [for His purpose] the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong [revealing their frailty].

Christian Standard Bible
Instead, God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Instead, God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong.

American Standard Version
but God chose the foolish things of the world, that he might put to shame them that are wise; and God chose the weak things of the world, that he might put to shame the things that are strong;

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
For God has chosen the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and he has chosen the weak of the world to shame the mighty.

Contemporary English Version
But God chose the foolish things of this world to put the wise to shame. He chose the weak things of this world to put the powerful to shame.

Douay-Rheims Bible
But the foolish things of the world hath God chosen, that he may confound the wise; and the weak things of the world hath God chosen, that he may confound the strong.

English Revised Version
but God chose the foolish things of the world, that he might put to shame them that are wise; and God chose the weak things of the world, that he might put to shame the things that are strong;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
But God chose what the world considers nonsense to put wise people to shame. God chose what the world considers weak to put what is strong to shame.

Good News Translation
God purposely chose what the world considers nonsense in order to shame the wise, and he chose what the world considers weak in order to shame the powerful.

International Standard Version
But God chose what is nonsense in the world to make the wise feel ashamed. God chose what is weak in the world to make the strong feel ashamed.

Literal Standard Version
but God chose the foolish things of the world that He may put the wise to shame; and God chose the weak things of the world that He may put the strong to shame;

Majority Standard Bible
But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

New American Bible
Rather, God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong,

NET Bible
But God chose what the world thinks foolish to shame the wise, and God chose what the world thinks weak to shame the strong.

New Revised Standard Version
But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;

New Heart English Bible
But God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise. And God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong.

Webster's Bible Translation
But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

Weymouth New Testament
But God has chosen the things which the world regards as foolish, in order to put its wise men to shame; and God has chosen the things which the world regards as destitute of influence, in order to put its powerful things to shame;

World English Bible
but God chose the foolish things of the world that he might put to shame those who are wise. God chose the weak things of the world that he might put to shame the things that are strong.

Young's Literal Translation
but the foolish things of the world did God choose, that the wise He may put to shame; and the weak things of the world did God choose that He may put to shame the strong;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Wisdom from God
26Brothers, consider the time of your calling: Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were powerful; not many were of noble birth. 27But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28He chose the lowly and despised things of the world, and the things that are not, to nullify the things that are,…

Cross References
Psalm 8:2
From the mouths of children and infants You have ordained praise on account of Your adversaries, to silence the enemy and avenger.

Isaiah 44:25
who foils the signs of false prophets and makes fools of diviners, who confounds the wise and turns their knowledge into nonsense,

Jeremiah 8:9
The wise will be put to shame; they will be dismayed and trapped. Since they have rejected the word of the LORD, what wisdom do they really have?

1 Corinthians 1:20
Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

1 Corinthians 1:21
For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know Him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.

1 Corinthians 2:12
We have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.

James 2:5
Listen, my beloved brothers: Has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him?


Treasury of Scripture

But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

Psalm 8:2
Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.

Isaiah 26:5,6
For he bringeth down them that dwell on high; the lofty city, he layeth it low; he layeth it low, even to the ground; he bringeth it even to the dust…

Isaiah 29:14,19
Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid…

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1 Corinthians 1
1. After his salutation and thanksgiving for the Corinthians,
10. Paul exhorts them to unity,
12. and reproves their dissensions.
18. God destroys the wisdom of the wise,
21. by the foolishness of preaching;
26. and calls not the wise, mighty, and noble,
28. but the foolish, weak, and men of no account.














(27) Foolish things.--The neuter is used probably for the purpose of generalising, and it expresses the qualities of the men whom God has chosen--"the wise" is masculine in the Greek, showing that it is still of "persons" the Apostle is speaking.

Verse 27. - God chose; not, hath chosen out. We may remark, once for all, that there was no reason why the translators of 1611 should thus have turned the Greek aorists of the New Testament into perfects. In this and in many instances the change of tense is unimportant, but sometimes it materially and injuriously affects the sense. The foolish things... the weak things. So, too, the psalmist, "Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength" (Psalm 8:2); and St. James, "Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith?" (James 2:5).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
But
ἀλλὰ (alla)
Conjunction
Strong's 235: But, except, however. Neuter plural of allos; properly, other things, i.e. contrariwise.

God
Θεός (Theos)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.

chose
ἐξελέξατο (exelexato)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1586: To pick out for myself, choose, elect, select. Middle voice from ek and lego; to select.

the
τὰ (ta)
Article - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

foolish things
μωρὰ (mōra)
Adjective - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3474: Probably from the base of musterion; dull or stupid, i.e. Heedless, blockhead, absurd.

of the
τοῦ (tou)
Article - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

world
κόσμου (kosmou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2889: Probably from the base of komizo; orderly arrangement, i.e. Decoration; by implication, the world (morally).

to
ἵνα (hina)
Conjunction
Strong's 2443: In order that, so that. Probably from the same as the former part of heautou; in order that.

shame
καταισχύνῃ (kataischynē)
Verb - Present Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2617: From kata and aischunomai; to shame down, i.e. Disgrace or put to the blush.

the
τοὺς (tous)
Article - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

wise;
σοφούς (sophous)
Adjective - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 4680: Wise, learned, cultivated, skilled, clever. Akin to saphes; wise.

God
Θεός (Theos)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.

chose
ἐξελέξατο (exelexato)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1586: To pick out for myself, choose, elect, select. Middle voice from ek and lego; to select.

the
τὰ (ta)
Article - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

weak things
ἀσθενῆ (asthenē)
Adjective - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 772: (lit: not strong), (a) weak (physically, or morally), (b) infirm, sick. Strengthless.

of the
τοῦ (tou)
Article - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

world
κόσμου (kosmou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2889: Probably from the base of komizo; orderly arrangement, i.e. Decoration; by implication, the world (morally).

to
ἵνα (hina)
Conjunction
Strong's 2443: In order that, so that. Probably from the same as the former part of heautou; in order that.

shame
καταισχύνῃ (kataischynē)
Verb - Present Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2617: From kata and aischunomai; to shame down, i.e. Disgrace or put to the blush.

the
τὰ (ta)
Article - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

strong.
ἰσχυρά (ischyra)
Adjective - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 2478: Strong (originally and generally of physical strength); mighty, powerful, vehement, sure. From ischus; forcible.


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NT Letters: 1 Corinthians 1:27 But God chose the foolish things (1 Cor. 1C iC 1Cor i cor icor)
1 Corinthians 1:26
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