1 Corinthians 1:28

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
And God chose what the world thinks is not important—what the world hates and thinks is nothing. He chose these to destroy what the world thinks is important.

Revised Standard Version
God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are,

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And vile thinges of the worlde and thinges which are despysed hath God chosen yee and thinges of no reputacion for to brynge to nought thinges of reputacion

Hebrew Names Version
and God chose the lowly things of the world, and the things that are despised, and the things that are not, that he might bring to nothing the things that are:

International Standard Version
And God chose what is insignificant in the world, what is despised, what is nothing, in order to destroy what is something,Romans 4:17; 1 Corinthians 2:6;">[xr]

New American Standard Bible
and the insignificant things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are,

New Century Version
He chose what the world thinks is unimportant and what the world looks down on and thinks is nothing in order to destroy what the world thinks is important.

Update Bible Version
and the base things of the world, and the things that are despised, God chose, the things that are not, that he might bring to nothing the things that are:

Webster's Bible Translation
And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, and things which are not, to bring to naught things that are:

English Standard Version
God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are,

World English Bible
and God chose the lowly things of the world, and the things that are despised, and the things that are not, that he might bring to nothing the things that are:

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And the base things of the world, and things that are despised, hath God chosen; yea, things that are not, to bring to nought the things that are; That no flesh may glory before him.

Weymouth's New Testament
and the things which the world regards as base, and those which it sets utterly at nought--things that have no existence--God has chosen in order to reduce to nothing things that do exist;

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and God chees the feble thingis of the world, to confounde the stronge thingis; and God chees the vnnoble thingis `and dispisable thingis of the world, and tho thingis that ben not, to distruye tho thingis that ben;

English Revised Version
and the base things of the world, and the things that are despised, did God choose, [yea] and the things that are not, that he might bring to nought the things that are:

Berean Standard Bible
He chose the lowly and despised things of the world, and the things that are not, to nullify the things that are,

Contemporary English Version
What the world thinks is worthless, useless, and nothing at all is what God has used to destroy what the world considers important.

Amplified Bible
God has selected [for His purpose] the insignificant (base) things of the world, and the things that are despised and treated with contempt, [even] the things that are nothing, so that He might reduce to nothing the things that are,

American Standard Version
and the base things of the world, and the things that are despised, did God choose, yea and the things that are not, that he might bring to nought the things that are:

Bible in Basic English
And the low things of the world, and the things without honour, did God make selection of, yes, even the things which are not, so that he might make as nothing the things which are:

Complete Jewish Bible
and God chose what the world looks down on as common or regards as nothing in order to bring to nothing what the world considers important;

Darby Translation
and the ignoble things of the world, and the despised, has God chosen, [and] things that are not, that he may annul the things that are;

Etheridge Translation
28 and he hath chosen those of low birth [fn] in the world, and the outcasts, and those who are nothing, to bring to nothing those who are;

Murdock Translation
and he hath chosen those of humble birth in the world, and the despised, and them who are nothing, to bring to naught them who are something:

King James Version (1611)
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,

New Living Translation
God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important.

New Life Bible
God has chosen what is weak and foolish of the world, what is hated and not known, to destroy the things the world trusts in.

New Revised Standard
God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are,

Geneva Bible (1587)
And vile things of the worlde and thinges which are despised, hath God chosen, and thinges which are not, to bring to nought thinges that are,

George Lamsa Translation
And he has chosen those of humble families in the world, and the lowly, and those who are insignificant, in order to belittle those who consider themselves important,

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, the low-born things of the world, and the things that are despised, hath God chosen, - and the things that are not, - that, the things that are, he might bring to nought;

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the base things of the world and the things that are contemptible, hath God chosen: and things that are not, that he might bring to nought things that are:

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And vnnoble thynges of the worlde, & thinges which are despysed, hath God chosen, [yea] and thinges which are not, to bryng to naught thynges that are:

Good News Translation
He chose what the world looks down on and despises and thinks is nothing, in order to destroy what the world thinks is important.

Christian Standard Bible®
God has chosen what is insignificant and despised in the world—what is viewed as nothing—to bring to nothing what is viewed as something,

King James Version
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:

Lexham English Bible
and the insignificant of the world, and the despised, God chose, the things that are not, in order that he might abolish the things that are,

Literal Translation
And God chose the low-born of the world, and the despised, and the things that are not, so that He might bring to nothing the things that are,

Young's Literal Translation
and the base things of the world, and the things despised did God choose, and the things that are not, that the things that are He may make useless --

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And the vyle and despysed before the worlde hath God chosen, yee and that which is nothinge, that he mighte destroye that which is oughte,

Mace New Testament (1729)
those who were looked upon by the world as vile, as despicable, as nothing, these has God chosen to reduce their sufficiency to nothing.

New English Translation
God chose what is low and despised in the world, what is regarded as nothing, to set aside what is regarded as something,

New King James Version
and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are,

Simplified Cowboy Version
God chose those looked down upon to shame those who turn their nose up.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are,

Legacy Standard Bible
and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may abolish the things that are,

Contextual Overview

¹⁷ God didn't send me out to collect a following for myself, but to preach the Message of what he has done, collecting a following for him. And he didn't send me to do it with a lot of fancy rhetoric of my own, lest the powerful action at the center—Christ on the Cross—be trivialized into mere words. ¹⁸The Message that points to Christ on the Cross seems like sheer silliness to those hellbent on destruction, but for those on the way of salvation it makes perfect sense. This is the way God works, and most powerfully as it turns out. It's written, I'll turn conventional wisdom on its head, I'll expose so-called experts as crackpots. So where can you find someone truly wise, truly educated, truly intelligent in this day and age? Hasn't God exposed it all as pretentious nonsense? Since the world in all its fancy wisdom never had a clue when it came to knowing God, God in his wisdom took delight in using what the world considered dumb—preaching, of all things!—to bring those who trust him into the way of salvation. ²²While Jews clamor for miraculous demonstrations and Greeks go in for philosophical wisdom, we go right on proclaiming Christ, the Crucified. Jews treat this like an anti-miracle—and Greeks pass it off as absurd. But to us who are personally called by God himself—both Jews and Greeks—Christ is God's ultimate miracle and wisdom all wrapped up in one. Human wisdom is so tinny, so impotent, next to the seeming absurdity of God. Human strength can't begin to compete with God's "weakness." ²⁶Take a good look, friends, at who you were when you got called into this life. I don't see many of "the brightest and the best" among you, not many influential, not many from high-society families. Isn't it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, chose these "nobodies" to expose the hollow pretensions of the "somebodies"? That makes it quite clear that none of you can get by with blowing your own horn before God. Everything that we have—right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start—comes from God by way of Jesus Christ. That's why we have the saying, "If you're going to blow a horn, blow a trumpet for God."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

things which: Romans 4:17, 2 Corinthians 12:11

to bring: 1 Corinthians 2:6, Deuteronomy 28:63, Job 34:19, Job 34:20, Job 34:24, Psalms 32:10, Psalms 37:35, Psalms 37:36, Isaiah 2:11, Isaiah 2:17, Isaiah 17:13, Isaiah 17:14, Isaiah 37:36, Isaiah 41:12, Daniel 2:34, Daniel 2:35, Daniel 2:44, Daniel 2:45, Revelation 18:17

Reciprocal: Leviticus 14:32 - whose hand Numbers 22:30 - upon which thou hast ridden Judges 15:15 - slew 1 Samuel 17:49 - smote Proverbs 8:5 - General Song of Solomon 8:1 - I should not be despised Ezekiel 17:24 - have brought Daniel 2:25 - captives of Judah Daniel 4:17 - the basest Amos 5:5 - come Micah 5:2 - yet Zephaniah 3:12 - leave Zechariah 4:10 - despised Matthew 3:9 - God 1 Corinthians 1:23 - foolishness 1 Corinthians 10:19 - that the 2 Corinthians 4:7 - in Galatians 4:14 - ye

Cross-References

Genesis 1:1
First this: God created the Heavens and Earth—all you see, all you don't see. Earth was a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, an inky blackness. God's Spirit brooded like a bird above the watery abyss.

Genesis 1:3
God spoke: "Light!" And light appeared. God saw that light was good and separated light from dark. God named the light Day, he named the dark Night. It was evening, it was morning— Day One.

Genesis 9:1
God blessed Noah and his sons: He said, "Prosper! Reproduce! Fill the Earth! Every living creature—birds, animals, fish—will fall under your spell and be afraid of you. You're responsible for them. All living creatures are yours for food; just as I gave you the plants, now I give you everything else. Except for meat with its lifeblood still in it—don't eat that.

Genesis 17:20
"And Ishmael? Yes, I heard your prayer for him. I'll also bless him; I'll make sure he has plenty of children—a huge family. He'll father twelve princes; I'll make him a great nation. But I'll establish my covenant with Isaac whom Sarah will give you about this time next year."

Genesis 33:5
Then Esau looked around and saw the women and children: "And who are these with you?" Jacob said, "The children that God saw fit to bless me with."

Job 42:12
God blessed Job's later life even more than his earlier life. He ended up with fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand teams of oxen, and one thousand donkeys. He also had seven sons and three daughters. He named the first daughter Dove, the second, Cinnamon, and the third, Darkeyes. There was not a woman in that country as beautiful as Job's daughters. Their father treated them as equals with their brothers, providing the same inheritance.

Psalms 69:34
You heavens, praise him; praise him, earth; Also ocean and all things that swim in it.

Isaiah 45:18
God , Creator of the heavens— he is, remember, G od. Maker of earth— he put it on its foundations, built it from scratch. He didn't go to all that trouble to just leave it empty, nothing in it. He made it to be lived in. This God says: "I am God , the one and only. I don't just talk to myself or mumble under my breath. I never told Jacob, ‘Seek me in emptiness, in dark nothingness.' I am God . I work out in the open, saying what's right, setting things right. So gather around, come on in, all you refugees and castoffs. They don't seem to know much, do they— those who carry around their no-god blocks of wood, praying for help to a dead stick? So tell me what you think. Look at the evidence. Put your heads together. Make your case. Who told you, and a long time ago, what's going on here? Who made sense of things for you? Wasn't I the one? God ? It had to be me. I'm the only God there is— The only God who does things right and knows how to help. So turn to me and be helped—saved!— everyone, whoever and wherever you are. I am God , the only God there is, the one and only. I promise in my own name: Every word out of my mouth does what it says. I never take back what I say. Everyone is going to end up kneeling before me. Everyone is going to end up saying of me, ‘Yes! Salvation and strength are in God !'" All who have raged against him will be brought before him, disgraced by their unbelief. And all who are connected with Israel will have a robust, praising, good life in God !

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And base things of the world,.... Who are reckoned the filth of the world, and the offscouring of all things; men of mean birth, education, and business of life:

and things that are despised; and set at nought, as poor persons generally are; yet God

hath chosen them; even the poor of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of a kingdom:

yea, and things which are not; some think the Gentiles are here intended, who by the Jews are called "things that are not": as in the apocryphal books:

"O Lord, give not thy sceptre unto "them that be nothing", and let them not laugh at our fall; but turn their device upon themselves, and make him an example, that hath begun this against us.'' (Esther 14:11)

"56 As for the other people, which also come of Adam, thou hast said that "they are nothing", but be like unto spittle: and hast likened the abundance of them unto a drop that falleth from a vessel. 57 And now, O Lord, behold, these heathen, which have ever been "reputed as nothing", have begun to be lords over us, and to devour us.'' (2 Esdras 6)

:- for note on non-entities, or such who are not in being, are meant; but who are not accounted of, or are reckoned as nothing; and these the Lord calls by his grace, as a fruit and evidence of electing love:

to bring to nought things that are; who, on the account of their noble birth, large possessions, and high attainments in knowledge and learning, thought themselves something; all which will one day be abolished, and will stand them in no stead with regard to future happiness and glory. The Jews q have a saying quite contrary to all this, that

"the Shekinah, or presence of God, does not dwell on any but upon a wise man, a mighty man, and a rich man.''

q T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 92. 1.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And base things of the world - Those things which by the world are esteemed ignoble. Literally, those which are not of noble, or illustrious birth τὰ ἀγειῆ ta ageiē.

Things which are despised - Those which the world regards as objects of contempt; compare Mark 9:12; Luke 18:19; Acts 4:11.

Yea - The introduction of this word by the translators does nothing to illustrate the sense, but rather enfeebles it. The language here is a striking instance of Paul’s manner of expressing himself with great strength. He desires to convey in the strongest terms, the fact, that God had illustrated his plan by choosing the objects of least esteem among people. He is willing to admit all that could be said on this point. He says, therefore, that he had chosen the things of ignoble birth and rank - the base things of the world; but this did not fully express his meaning. He had chosen objects of contempt among people; but this was not strong enough to express his idea. He adds, therefore, that he had chosen those things which were absolutely nothing, which had no existence; which could not be supposed to influence him in his choice.

And things which are not - τὰ μὴ ὄντα ta mē onta. That which is nothing; which is worthless; which has no existence; those flyings which were below contempt itself; and which, in the estimation of the world, were passed by as having no existence; as not having sufficient importance to be esteemed worthy even of the slight notice which is implied in contempt. For a man who despises a thing must at least notice it, and esteem it worth some attention. But the apostle here speaks of things beneath even that slight notice; as completely and totally disregarded, as having no existence. The language here is evidently that of hyperbole (compare the note at John 21:25). It was a figure of speech common in the East, and not unusual in the sacred writings; compare Isaiah 40:17.

All nations before him are as nothing.

And they are counted to him less than nothing and vanity.

See also Romans 4:17, “God, who - calleth those things which be not, as though they were.” This language was strongly expressive of the estimate which the Jews fixed on the Gentiles, as being a despised people, as being in fact no people; a people without laws, and organization, and religion, and privileges; see Hosea 1:10; Hosea 2:23; Rom 9:25; 1 Peter 2:10. “When a man of rank among the Hindus speaks of low-caste persons, of notorious profligates, or of those whom he despises, he calls them “alla-tha-varkal,” that is, “those who are not.” The term does not refer to life or existence, but to a quality or disposition, and is applied to those who are vile and abominable in all things. “My son, my son, go not among them ‘who are not.’” “Alas! alas! those people are all alla-tha-varkal.” When wicked men prosper, it is said, “this is the time for those ‘who are not.’” “Have you heard that those ‘who are not’ are now acting righteously?” Vulgar and indecent expressions are also called, “words that are not.” “To address men in the phrase ‘are not,’ is provoking beyond measure” - Roberts, as quoted in Bush’s Illustrations of Scripture.

To bring to naught - To humble and subdue. To show them how vain and impotent they were.

Things that are - Those who on account of their noble birth, high attainments, wealth, and rank placed a high estimate on themselves and despised others.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 28. And base things - and things which are despised — It is very likely that the apostle refers here to the Gentiles and to the Gentile converts, who were considered base and despicable in the eyes of the Jews, who counted them no better than dogs, and who are repeatedly called the things that are not. By these very people, converted to Christianity, God has brought to nought all the Jewish pretensions; and by means of the Gentiles themselves, he has annihilated the whole Jewish polity; so that even Jerusalem itself was soon after this, trodden under foot of the Gentiles.