the First Week of Lent
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New King James Version
1 Corinthians 1:22
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For the Jews ask for signs and the Greeks seek wisdom,
For the Iewes require a signe, and the Greekes seeke after wisedome.
For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom,
For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom;
The Jews ask for miracles, and the Greeks want wisdom.
For Jews demand signs (attesting miracles), and Greeks pursue [worldly] wisdom and philosophy,
For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom;
For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom,
Jews demand signs and Greeks search for wisdom,
Jews ask for miracles, and Greeks want something that sounds wise.
Precisely because Jews ask for signs and Greeks try to find wisdom,
Since Jews indeed ask for signs, and Greeks seek wisdom;
The Jews ask for miraculous signs, and the Greeks want wisdom.
Seeing also that the Iewes require a signe, and the Grecians seeke after wisdome.
For the Jews demand signs, and the Syrians seek after wisdom:
Jews want miracles for proof, and Greeks look for wisdom.
For indeed, Jews ask for sign miracles and Greeks seek wisdom,
And since Jews ask for a sign, and Greeks seek wisdom,
Seeing that Jews ask for signs, and Greeks seek after wisdom:
Seeing that the Jews make request for signs, and the Greeks are looking for knowledge:
For Yehudim ask for signs, Yevanim seek after wisdom,
Jews ask for signs, and Greeks look for wisdom,Matthew 12:38; 16:1; Mark 8:11; Luke 11:16; John 4:48;">[xr]
For the Jihudoyee demand signs, and the Aramoyee require wisdom;
Because the Jews ask for signs, and the Gentiles demand wisdom.
For the Iewes require a signe, & the Grekes seke after wisedome:
Seeing that Jews ask for signs, and Greeks seek after wisdom:
For Jews ask for signs, Greeks seek after wisdom,
For whereas the Jews demand signs, and the Greeks seek wisdom, We preach Christ crucified,
Seeing that Jews demand miracles, and Greeks go in search of wisdom,
For Jewis seken signes, and Grekis seken wisdom;
Seeing that Jews ask for signs, and Greeks seek after wisdom:
For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek wisdom:
For Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks ask for wisdom,
It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom.
The Jews are looking for something special to see. The Greek people are looking for the answer in wisdom.
For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom,
Seeing that both, Jews for signs, do ask, and, Greeks for wisdom, do seek,
For both the Jews require signs: and the Greeks seek after wisdom.
For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom,
For ye Iewes requyre a signe and the Grekes seke after wysdome.
Since also Jews ask a sign, and Greeks seek wisdom,
For the Iewes requyre tokens, and the Grekes axe after wyssdome.
while the Jews require signs, and the Greeks seek wisdom:
While 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."
The Jews want their miracles and the Greeks their lofty philosophies, so they both turn up their noses at our foolishness.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
the Jews: Matthew 12:38, Matthew 12:39, Matthew 16:1-4, Mark 8:11, Luke 11:16, Luke 11:20, John 2:18, John 4:28
the Greeks: Acts 17:18-21
Reciprocal: 1 Kings 13:3 - General Matthew 11:6 - whosoever Luke 11:29 - they John 4:48 - Except John 6:30 - What John 7:48 - General Acts 14:1 - Greeks Acts 19:10 - both Acts 20:21 - to the Jews 1 Corinthians 2:2 - not
Cross-References
So the evening and the morning were the third day.
Then God said, "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years;
Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth."
Bring out with you every living thing of all flesh that is with you: birds and cattle and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, so that they may abound on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth."
So God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. Genesis 1:28">[fn]
And Laban said to him, "Please stay, if I have found favor in your eyes, for I have learned by experience that the LORD has blessed me for your sake."
For what you had before I came was little, and it has increased to a great amount; the LORD has blessed you since my coming. And now, when shall I also provide for my own house?"
Also God said to him: "I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall proceed from you, and kings shall come from your body.
"For I will look on you favorably and make you fruitful, multiply you and confirm My covenant with you.
"Look now at the behemoth, [fn] which I made along with you;He eats grass like an ox.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
For the Jews require a sign,.... The Jews had always been used to miracles, in confirmation of the mission of the prophets sent unto them, and therefore insisted on a sign proving Jesus to be the true Messiah; except signs and wonders were wrought, they would not believe; and though miracles were wrought in great numbers, and such as never man did, they remained incredulous, and persisted in demanding a sign from heaven, and in their own way; and it was told them that no other sign should be given them, but that of the prophet Jonah, by which was signified the resurrection of Christ from the dead; this was given them, and yet they believed not, but went on to require a sign still; nothing but miracles would do with them, and they must be such as they themselves pleased: the Alexandrian copy, and some others, and the Vulgate Latin version, read "signs", in the plural number:
and the Greeks seek after wisdom; the wisdom of the world, natural wisdom, philosophy, the reason of things, the flowers of rhetoric, the ornaments of speech, the beauties of oratory, the justness of style and diction; as for doctrines they regarded none, but such as they could comprehend with, and account for by their carnal reason, everything else they despised and exploded. Hence we often read l of חכמת יוונית, "the Grecian wisdom", or wisdom of the Greeks; which, the Jews say m, lay in metaphors and dark sayings, which were not understood but by them that were used to it; the study of it was forbidden by them, though some of their Rabbins were conversant with it n.
l T. Bab Menachot, fol 99. 2. Bava Kama, fol. 82. 2. m Maimon & Bartenora in Misn. Sota, c. 9. sect. 14. n Shalshelet Hakabala, fol. 25. 1. Ganz. Tzemach David, par. 3. fol. 31. 2.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
For the Jews require a sign - A miracle, a prodigy, an evidence of divine interposition. This was the characteristic of the Jewish people. God had manifested himself to them by miracles and wonders in a remarkable manner in past times, and they greatly prided themselves on that fact, and always demanded it when any new messenger came to them, professing to be sent from God. This propensity they often evinced in their contact with the Lord Jesus; Matthew 12:38; Matthew 16:1; Mark 8:11; Luke 11:16; Luke 12:54-56. Many mss., instead of “sign” here in the singular, read “signs” in the plural; and Griesbach has introduced that reading into the text. The sense is nearly the same, and it means that it was a characteristic of the Jews to demand the constant exhibition of miracles and wonders; and it is also implied here, I think, by the reasoning of the apostle, that they believed that the communication of such signs to them as a people, would secure their salvation, and they therefore despised the simple preaching of a crucified Messiah. They expected a Messiah that should come with the exhibition of some stupendous signs and wonders from heaven (Matthew 12:38, etc., as above); they looked for the displays of amazing power in his coming, and they anticipated that he would deliver them from their enemies by mere power; and they, therefore, were greatly offended 1 Corinthians 1:23, by the simple doctrine of a crucified Messiah.
And the Greeks ... - Perhaps this means the pagan in general, in opposition to the Jews; see the note at Romans 1:16. It was, however, especially the characteristic of the Greek philosophers. They seek for schemes of philosophy and religion that shall depend on human wisdom, and they therefore despise the gospel.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse 22. For the Jews require a sign — Instead of σημειον, a sign, ABCDEFG, several others, both the Syriac, Coptic, Vulgate, and Itala, with many of the fathers, have σημεια, signs; which reading, as undoubtedly genuine, Griesbach has admitted into the text. There never was a people in the universe more difficult to be persuaded of the truth than the Jews: and had not their religion been incontestably proved by the most striking and indubitable miracles, they never would have received it. This slowness of heart to believe, added to their fear of being deceived, induced them to require miracles to attest every thing that professed to come from God. They were a wicked and adulterous generation, continually seeking signs, and never saying, It is enough. But the sign which seems particularly referred to here is the assumption of secular power, which they expected in the Messiah; and because this sign did not appear in Christ, therefore they rejected him.
And the Greeks seek after wisdom. — Such wisdom, or philosophy, as they found in the writings of Cicero, Seneca, Plato, &c., which was called philosophy, and which came recommended to them in all the beauties and graces of the Latin and Greek languages.
