1 Corinthians 8:9

Contextual Overview

⁷ But not all people know this. Some have had the habit of worshiping idols. So now when they eat meat, they still feel as if it belongs to an idol. They are not sure that it is right to eat this meat. So when they eat it, they feel guilty. ⁷ However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through being hitherto accustomed to idols, eat food as really offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. ⁷ But every man hath not knowledge. For some suppose that ther is an ydoll vntyll this houre and eate as of a thinge offered vnto ye ydole and so their consciences beynge yet weake are defyled. ⁷ However, that knowledge isn't in all men. But some, being used until now to the idol, eat as of a thing sacrificed to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. ⁷ But not everyone has this knowledge. Some people are so accustomed to idols that they still think they are eating food offered to an idol, and since their conscience is weak, it becomes contaminated.Romans 14:14,23; 1 Corinthians 10:28-29;">[xr] ⁷ However, not all people have this knowledge; but some, being accustomed to the idol until now, eat food as if it were sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. ⁷ But not all people know this. Some people are still so used to idols that when they eat meat, they still think of it as being sacrificed to an idol. Because their conscience is weak, when they eat it, they feel guilty. ⁷ Nevertheless there is not in all men that knowledge: but some, being used until now to the idol, eat as [of] a thing sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled. ⁷ But [there is] not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol to this hour eat [it] as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. ⁷ However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

take: 1 Corinthians 8:10, 1 Corinthians 10:24, 1 Corinthians 10:29, Matthew 18:6, Matthew 18:7, Matthew 18:10, Luke 17:1, Luke 17:2, Romans 14:20, Romans 14:21, Galatians 5:13, 1 Peter 2:16, 2 Peter 2:19

liberty: or, power

a stumblingblock: 1 Corinthians 10:32, Leviticus 19:14, Isaiah 57:14, Ezekiel 14:3, Ezekiel 44:12, Romans 14:13-15, Romans 14:20, Galatians 5:13, Revelation 2:14

weak: 1 Corinthians 8:12, 1 Corinthians 9:22, Isaiah 35:3, Romans 14:1, Romans 14:2, Romans 15:1, 2 Corinthians 11:21

Reciprocal: 2 Kings 10:29 - made Israel Song of Solomon 7:13 - I have Matthew 17:27 - lest 1 Corinthians 8:7 - with 1 Corinthians 9:18 - that I 1 Corinthians 10:23 - things are lawful 2 Corinthians 6:3 - General Galatians 2:13 - the other Philippians 2:4 - General Revelation 22:14 - may have

Cross-References

Deuteronomy 28:65
And among these nations you shall find no respite, and there shall be no resting place for the sole of your foot, but the Lord will give you there a trembling heart and failing eyes and a languishing soul.

Deuteronomy 28:65
And among these nations you shall find no ease, and there shall be no rest for the sole of your foot: but Yahweh will give you there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and pining of soul;

Deuteronomy 28:65
And among these nations shalt thou find no ease, and there shall be no rest for the sole of thy foot: but the LORD shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and pining of soul:

Deuteronomy 28:65
You will have no rest among those nations and no place that is yours. The Lord will make your mind worried, your sight weak, and your soul sad.

Deuteronomy 28:65
Among those nations you will have no rest nor will there be a place of peaceful rest for the soles of your feet, for there the Lord will give you an anxious heart, failing eyesight, and a spirit of despair.

Deuteronomy 28:65
And among these nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest: but the LORD shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind:

Deuteronomy 28:65
Among these nations shall you find no ease, and there shall be no rest for the sole of your foot: but Yahweh will give you there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and pining of soul;

Deuteronomy 28:65
"Among those nations you will find no peace (rest), and there will be no resting place for the sole of your foot; but there the LORD will give you a trembling heart, failing eyes, and a despairing soul.

Deuteronomy 28:65
Also thou schalt not reste in tho folkis, nether rest schal be to the step of thi foot. For the Lord schal yyue to thee there a ferdful herte, and iyen failynge, and lijf waastyd with morenyng.

Deuteronomy 28:65
`And among those nations thou dost not rest, yea, there is no resting-place for the sole of thy foot, and Jehovah hath given to thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and grief of soul;

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But take heed lest by any means,.... This is either a reply to the instance of such as argued in favour of eating things offered to idols; or a limitation and explanation of the apostle's own concession, that it made a man, with respect to the favour of God, neither better nor worse: yet care should be taken, lest

this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak; he owns they had a liberty, or a right, or power, as the word may be rendered, of eating, or not eating, as they pleased; but then they ought to be cautious, lest they should be the means of offending, or causing to offend, such who were weak in the faith, and had not that knowledge of Christian liberty they had: not the use of their power and liberty is here denied, but the abuse of it is guarded against; for though the action itself was indifferent, yet as it might be used, it might be sinful, being attended with very bad consequences, such as hereafter mentioned.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

But take heed - This is the reply of Paul to the argument of the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 8:8. “Though all that you say should be admitted to be true, as it must be; though a man is neither morally better nor worse for partaking of meat or abstaining from it; yet the grand principle to be observed is, so to act as not to injure your brethren. Though you may be no better or worse for eating or not eating, yet if your conduct shall injure others, and lead them into sin, that is a sufficient guide to determine you what to do in the case. You should abstain entirely. It is of far more importance that your brother should not be led into sin, than it is that you should partake of meat which you acknowledge 1 Corinthians 8:8 is in itself of no importance.”

Lest by any means - μή πως mē pōs. You should be careful that by no conduct of yours your brother be led into sin. This is a general principle that is to regulate Christian conduct in all matters that are in themselves indifferent.

This liberty of yours - This which you claim as a right; this power which you have, and the exercise of which is in itself lawful. The “liberty” or power ἐξουσία exousia here referred to was that of partaking of the meat that was offered in sacrifice to idols; 1 Corinthians 8:8. A man may have a right abstractly to do a thing, but it may not be prudent or wise to exercise it.

Become a stumbling-block - An occasion of sin; see the note at Matthew 5:29; also see the note at Romans 14:13. See that it be not the occasion of leading others to sin, and to abandon their Christian profession; 1 Corinthians 8:10.

To them that are weak - To those professing Christians who are not fully informed or instructed in regard to the true nature of idolatry, and who still may have a superstitious regard for the gods whom their fathers worshipped.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Corinthians 8:9. But take heed — Lest by frequenting such feasts and eating things offered to idols, under the conviction that an idol is nothing, and that you may eat those things innocently, this liberty of yours should become a means of grievously offending a weak brother who has not your knowledge, or inducing one who respects you for your superior knowledge to partake of these things with the conscience, the persuasion and belief, that an idol is something, and to conclude, that as you partake of such things, so he may also, and with safety. He is not possessed of your superior information on this point, and he eats to the idol what you take as a common meal.