Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, November 27th, 2024
the Week of Christ the King / Proper 29 / Ordinary 34
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Amplified Bible

1 Corinthians 12:17

If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole [body] were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Church;   Scofield Reference Index - Faith;   The Topic Concordance - Body;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Selfishness;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Church;   Gifts of the spirit;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Body;   Body of Christ;   Christians, Names of;   Church, the;   Worship;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Holy Ghost;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Body;   Body of Christ;   Church;   Humanity;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Brotherly Love;   Inspiration;   Spiritual Gifts;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Character;   Dependence;   Gifts;   Good;   Unity (2);   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Fruit;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Corinthians, First Epistle to the;   Member;   Redeemer;  

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
If the whole body were an eye, it would not be able to hear. If the whole body were an ear, it would not be able to smell anything.
Revised Standard Version
If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell?
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
If all the body were an eye where were then the eare? If all were hearynge: where were the smellynge?
Hebrew Names Version
If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the smelling be?
International Standard Version
If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole bodybody">[fn] were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?
New American Standard Bible
If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?
New Century Version
If the whole body were an eye, it would not be able to hear. If the whole body were an ear, it would not be able to smell.
Update Bible Version
If the whole body is an eye, where is the hearing? If the whole is hearing, where is the smelling?
Webster's Bible Translation
If the whole body [were] an eye, where [were] the hearing? If the whole [were] hearing, where [were] the smelling?
English Standard Version
If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell?
World English Bible
If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the smelling be?
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
Weymouth's New Testament
If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the nostrils be?
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
If al the bodi is the iye, where is heryng? and if al the bodi is heryng, where is smellyng?
English Revised Version
If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
Berean Standard Bible
If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?
Contemporary English Version
If our bodies were only an eye, we couldn't hear a thing. And if they were only an ear, we couldn't smell a thing.
American Standard Version
If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
Bible in Basic English
If all the body was an eye, where would be the hearing? if all was hearing, where would be the smelling?
Complete Jewish Bible
If the whole body were an eye, how could it hear? If it were all hearing, how could it smell?
Darby Translation
If the whole body [were] an eye, where the hearing? if all hearing, where the smelling?
Etheridge Translation
For if the whole body were the eye, where would be the hearing ? And if the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling?
Murdock Translation
And if the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? Or if it were all hearing, where would be the smelling?
King James Version (1611)
If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
New Living Translation
If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?
New Life Bible
If the whole body were an eye how would it hear? If the whole body were an ear, how would it smell?
New Revised Standard
If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?
Geneva Bible (1587)
If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
George Lamsa Translation
If the whole body were eyes, where would hearing be? And if the whole were hearing, where would smelling be?
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
If, the whole body, were, an eye, where were the hearing? If, the whole were, hearing, where were, the smelling?
Douay-Rheims Bible
If the whole body were the eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
If all the body [were] an eye, where were then the hearyng? If all [were] hearyng, where were the smellyng?
Good News Translation
If the whole body were just an eye, how could it hear? And if it were only an ear, how could it smell?
Christian Standard Bible®
If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?
King James Version
If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
Lexham English Bible
If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?
Literal Translation
If all the body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If all hearing, where the smelling?
Young's Literal Translation
If the whole body [were] an eye, where the hearing? if the whole hearing, where the smelling?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Yf all the body were an eye, where were then the hearinge? Yf all were hearinge, where then the smellinge?
Mace New Testament (1729)
if the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? if the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling?
New English Translation
If the whole body were an eye, what part would do the hearing? If the whole were an ear, what part would exercise the sense of smell?
New King James Version
If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling?
Simplified Cowboy Version
If the whole body were an eye, how would you listen? If your whole body were an ear, how would you smell the steak cooking?
New American Standard Bible (1995)
If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?
Legacy Standard Bible
If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?

Contextual Overview

12For just as the body is one and yet has many parts, and all the parts, though many, form [only] one body, so it is with Christ. 13For by one [Holy] Spirit we were all baptized into one body, [spiritually transformed—united together] whether Jews or Greeks (Gentiles), slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one [Holy] Spirit [since the same Holy Spirit fills each life]. 14For the [human] body does not consist of one part, but of many [limbs and organs]. 15If the foot says, "Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body," is it not on the contrary still a part of the body? 16If the ear says, "Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body," is it not on the contrary still a part of the body? 17If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole [body] were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?18But now [as things really are], God has placed and arranged the parts in the body, each one of them, just as He willed and saw fit [with the best balance of function]. 19If they all were a single organ, where would [the rest of] the body be? 20But now [as things really are] there are many parts [different limbs and organs], but a single body. 21The eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you," nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

1 Corinthians 12:21, 1 Corinthians 12:29, 1 Samuel 9:9, Psalms 94:9, Psalms 139:13-16, Proverbs 20:12

Cross-References

Genesis 12:14
And when Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that Sarai was very beautiful.
Genesis 12:15
Pharaoh's princes (officials) also saw her and praised her to Pharaoh; and the woman was taken [for the purpose of marriage] into Pharaoh's house (harem).
Genesis 20:18
for the LORD had securely closed the wombs of all [the women] in Abimelech's household because of Sarah, Abraham's wife.
1 Chronicles 16:21
He allowed no man to oppress or exploit them, And, He reproved and punished kings for their sakes, saying,
1 Chronicles 21:22
Then David said to Ornan, "Give me the site of this threshing floor, so that I may build an altar on it to the LORD. You shall charge me the full price for it, so that the plague may be averted from the people."
Job 34:19
"Who is not partial to princes, Nor does He regard the rich above the poor, For they all are the work of His hands.
Hebrews 13:4
Marriage is to be held in honor among all [that is, regarded as something of great value], and the marriage bed undefiled [by immorality or by any sexual sin]; for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

If the whole body were an eye,.... And nothing else,

where were the hearing? there would be no ear, and so no sense of hearing: and if the whole were hearing: or only consisted of a member capable of the sense of hearing,

where were the smelling? there would be no nose, the organ of smelling, and that sense would be wanting: thus if the church only consisted of ministers of the Gospel, of men of eminent light and knowledge, qualified for the preaching of the word to others, there would be no hearers; and on the other hand, if it only consisted of hearers, of such who only could hear the word to their own advantage, there would be none of a quick understanding, or of a quick smell to discern perverse things, to distinguish truth from error, to discern spirits, and direct the rest of the members to wholesome and savoury food, and preserve them from what would be hurtful and pernicious to them.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

If the whole body ... - The idea in this verse is, that all the parts of the body are useful in their proper place, and that it would be as absurd to require or expect that all the members of the church should have the same endowments, as it would be to attempt to make the body “all eye.” If all were the same; if all had the same endowments, important offices which are now secured by the other members would be unknown. All, therefore, are to be satisfied with their allotment; all are to be honored in their appropriate place.


 
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