1 Corinthians 1:27

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.

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise. He chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

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,

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
but God hath chosen the folysshe thinges of the worlde to confounde the wyse. And God hath chosyn the weake thinges of the worlde to confounde thinges which are mighty.

Hebrew Names Version
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;

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.Psalm 8:2; Matthew 11:25; James 2:5;">[xr]

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,

New Century Version
But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and he chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

Update Bible Version
but God chose the foolish things of the world, that he might put to shame those that are wise; and God chose the weak things of the world, that he might put to shame the things that are 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;

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;

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;

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world, to shame the wise, and the weak things of the world, to shame the things that are mighty:

Weymouth's 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;

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
But God chees tho thingis that ben fonned of the world, to confounde wise men;

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;

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.

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.

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].

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;

Bible in Basic English
But God made selection of the foolish things of this world so that he might put the wise to shame; and the feeble things that he might put to shame the strong;

Complete Jewish Bible
But God chose what the world considers nonsense in order to shame the wise; God chose what the world considers weak in order to shame the strong;

Darby Translation
But God has chosen the foolish things of the world, that he may put to shame the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world, that he may put to shame the strong things;

Etheridge Translation
but Aloha hath chosen the simple of the world, to shame the wise, and he hath chosen the weak of the world, to shame the mighty,

Murdock Translation
But God hath chosen the foolish ones of the world, to shame the wise; and he hath chosen the feeble ones of the world, to shame the mighty;

King James Version (1611)
But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world, to confound the wise: and God hath chosen the weake things of the world, to confound the things which are mighty:

New Life Bible
But God has chosen what the world calls foolish to shame the wise. He has chosen what the world calls weak to shame what is strong.

New Revised Standard
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;

Geneva Bible (1587)
But God hath chosen the foolish thinges of the world to confound the wise, and God hath chosen the weake thinges of the worlde, to confound the mightie things,

George Lamsa Translation
But God has chosen the foolish ones of the world to put the wise to shame; and God has chosen the weak ones of the world to embarrass the mighty;

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
On the contrary - the foolish things of the world, hath God chosen, that he might put to shame them who are wise, and, the weak things of the world, hath God chosen, that he might put to shame the things that are mighty,

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.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
But God hath chosen the foolyshe thynges of the worlde, to confounde the wise: And God hath chosen the weake thynges of the worlde, to confounde thynges which are myghtie:

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.

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.

King James Version
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;

Lexham English Bible
But the foolish things of the world God chose in order that he might put to shame the wise, and the weak things of the world God chose in order that he might put to shame the strong,

Literal Translation
But God chose the foolish things of the world that the wise might be put to shame, and God chose the weak things of the world so that He might put to shame the strong things.

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;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
but that foolish is before the worlde, hath God chosen, that he mighte cofounde the wyse: And that weake is before ye worlde, hath God chosen, yt he mighte confounde the mightye.

Mace New Testament (1729)
but God hath chosen those who are foolish in the opinion of the world, to confound the wise; and the weak men of the world to confound the mighty:

New English Translation
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 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;

Simplified Cowboy Version
God chose the lowest of us to shame those on high. He personally chose nobodies to show the somebodies what he could do. He chose the weak to put the powerful in their place.

New American Standard Bible (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,

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,

Contextual Overview

¹⁷ For Christ didn't send me to baptize, but to preach the Good News—and not with clever speech, for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power. ¹⁸ The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. ¹⁹ As the Scriptures say, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent." ²⁰ So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world's brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. ²¹ Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. ²² It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom. ²³ So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it's all nonsense. ²⁴ But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. ²⁵ This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God's weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength. ²⁶ Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world's eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Psalms 8:2, Isaiah 26:5, Isaiah 26:6, Isaiah 29:14, Isaiah 29:19, Zephaniah 3:12, Matthew 4:18-22, Matthew 9:9, Matthew 11:25, Matthew 21:16, Luke 19:39, Luke 19:40, Luke 21:15, Acts 4:11-21, Acts 6:9, Acts 6:10, Acts 7:35, Acts 7:54, Acts 17:18, Acts 24:24, Acts 24:25, 2 Corinthians 4:7, 2 Corinthians 10:4, 2 Corinthians 10:5, 2 Corinthians 10:10

Reciprocal: Exodus 4:17 - General Exodus 39:21 - as the Lord Leviticus 14:32 - whose hand Numbers 22:23 - the ass saw Numbers 22:30 - upon which thou hast ridden Judges 4:21 - took Judges 7:2 - too many Judges 7:13 - a cake Judges 11:5 - to fetch Judges 15:15 - slew 1 Samuel 13:22 - there was neither 1 Samuel 17:40 - staff 1 Samuel 17:49 - smote 1 Kings 20:14 - young men 2 Kings 5:4 - and told his lord 2 Kings 5:13 - how much rather Nehemiah 4:2 - feeble Job 32:9 - Great Job 32:13 - We Isaiah 33:23 - the lame Jeremiah 9:23 - wise Jeremiah 49:20 - Surely Ezekiel 17:24 - have brought Daniel 2:25 - captives of Judah Amos 1:1 - who Amos 7:14 - an herdman Micah 5:2 - yet Matthew 3:9 - God Luke 10:21 - revealed Luke 18:24 - How Acts 4:13 - were Acts 9:22 - confounded 1 Corinthians 1:25 - the foolishness James 3:15 - but

Cross-References

Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Genesis 1:2
The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.

Genesis 1:7
And that is what happened. God made this space to separate the waters of the earth from the waters of the heavens.

Genesis 1:9
Then God said, "Let the waters beneath the sky flow together into one place, so dry ground may appear." And that is what happened.

Genesis 1:21
So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that scurries and swarms in the water, and every sort of bird—each producing offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:25
God made all sorts of wild animals, livestock, and small animals, each able to produce offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was good.

Genesis 2:18
Then the Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him."

Psalms 139:14
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.

Isaiah 43:7
Bring all who claim me as their God, for I have made them for my glory. It was I who created them.'"

Malachi 2:15
Didn't the Lord make you one with your wife? In body and spirit you are his. And what does he want? Godly children from your union. So guard your heart; remain loyal to the wife of your youth.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world,.... So the Jews, in distinction from their wise Rabbins and doctors, call others, טפשין דעלמא, "the fools of the world" p; the persons whom God made choice of from all eternity, as appears by his calling them in time, are such who with respect to the wisdom of the world are foolish; have not those natural parts and abilities, that sagacity and penetration in things natural and civil, that knowledge and learning which many others have; and are therefore esteemed foolish by the men of the world, in comparison of whom; who are the wise and prudent, they are but babes: and God's end in his choice of them, and calling them, is

to confound the wise; who sooner or later will be brought to shame and confusion, to see such idiots, as they took them to be, wiser than they in the business of salvation; having been directed and influenced by divine grace to choose that good part, which shall never be taken from them, when they will be stripped of their nobility, wealth, and wisdom; to see these men go into the kingdom of heaven, and they themselves shut out:

and God hath chosen the weak things of the world; who cannot boast of their birth and pedigree, of their ancient and illustrious families; have no titles of honour to aggrandize them, nor estates, possessions, and worldly substance to support themselves with; and this he has done,

to confound the things which are mighty; as Haman was by the advancement of Mordecai. It will be to the utter confusion of the rich and mighty, to see persons of the lowest class in life made kings and priests by Christ, set among princes, and upon the throne of glory; and they themselves fleeing, and calling to the mountains to fall upon them, and cover them from the sight of him that sits on the throne, and the Lamb.

p Zohar in Numb. fol. 63. 3. & 65. 4.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

But God hath chosen - The fact of their being in the church at all was the result of his choice. It was owing entirely to his grace.

The foolish things - The things esteemed foolish among people. The expression here refers to those who were destitute of learning, rank, wealth, and power, and who were esteemed as fools, and were despised by the rich and the great.

To confound - To bring to shame; or that he might make them ashamed; that is, humble them by showing them how little he regarded their wisdom; and how little their wisdom contributed to the success of his cause. By thus overlooking them, and bestowing his favors on the humble and the poor; by choosing his people from the ranks which they despised, and bestowing on them the exalted privilege of being called the sons of God, he had poured dishonor on the rich and the great, and overwhelmed them, and their schemes of wisdom, with shame. It is also true, that those who are regarded as fools by the wise men of the world are able often to confound those who boast of their wisdom; and that the arguments of plain people, though unlearned except in the school of Christ; of people of sound common sense under the influence of Christian principles, have a force which the learning and talent of the people of this world cannot gainsay or resist. They have truth on their side; and truth, though dressed in a humble garb, is more mighty than error, though clothed with the brilliancy of imagination, the pomp of declamation, and the cunning of sophistry.

And the weak things - Those esteemed weak by the people of the world.

The mighty - The great; the noble; the learned.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 27. But God hath chosen the foolish things — God has chosen by means of men who are esteemed rude and illiterate to confound the greatest of the Greek philosophers, and overturn their systems; and, by means of men weak, without secular power or authority, to confound the scribes and Pharisees, and in spite of the exertions of the Jewish sanhedrin, to spread the doctrine of Christ crucified all over the land of Judea, and by such instruments as these to convert thousands of souls to the faith of the Gospel, who are ready to lay down their lives for the truth. The Jews have proverbs that express the same sense as these words of the apostle. In Shemoth Rabba, sec. 17, fol. 117, it is said: "There are certain matters which appear little to men, yet by them God points out important precepts. Thus hyssop in the sight of man is worth nothing, but in the sight of God its power is great; sometimes he equals it to the cedar, particularly in the ordinance concerning the lepers, and in the burning of the red heifer. Thus God commanded them in Egypt, Exodus 12:22: And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, c. And concerning Solomon it is said, 1 Kings 4:33: And he discoursed of trees, from the cedar on Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of the wall. Whence we may learn that great and small things are equal in the eyes of the Lord, and that even by small things He can work great miracles."