Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Corinthians 3:20
And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.
20. And again ] This passage occurs in Psa 94:11.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
And again, – Psa 94:11.
The Lord knoweth – God searches the heart. The particular thing which it is here said that he knows, is, that the thoughts of man are vain. They have this quality; and this is that which the psalmist here says that God sees. The affirmation is not one respecting the omniscience of God, but with respect to what God sees of the nature of the thoughts of the wise.
The thoughts of the wise – Their plans, purposes, designs.
That they are vain – That they lack real wisdom; they are foolish; they shall not be accomplished as they expect; or be seen to have that wisdom which they now suppose they possess.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 20. The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise] They are always full of schemes and plans for earthly good; and God knows that all this is vain, empty, and unsatisfactory; and will stand them in no stead when he comes to take away their souls. This is a quotation from Ps 94:11. What is here said of the vanity of human knowledge is true of every kind of wisdom that leads not immediately to God himself.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
And again, it was said by the psalmist, Psa 94:11, that:
The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity: mans counsels, imaginations, reasonings, they are all vanity; they propose to themselves ends which they cannot attain, and pursue them by means that are inefficacious with reference to their ends.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
20. Quotation from Ps94:11. There it is of men; here it is “of the wise.”Paul by inspiration states the class of men whose “thoughts”(or rather, “reasonings,” as suits the Greek and thesense of the context) the Spirit designated in the Psalm, “vanity,”namely, the “proud” (Ps94:2) and worldly-wise, whom God in Ps94:8 calls “fools,” though they “boast themselves”of their wisdom in pushing their interests (Ps94:4).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And again,…. Not in the same place, nor in the same book, but in the Psalms, in Ps 94:11. This form of citing Scriptures answers to and moreover, used by the Jewish doctors when the matter does not so clearly appear from the first proof, and therefore they produce another q: and so here the apostle, for the further confirmation and illustration of this point, that the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God, to the testimony of Eliphaz, adds this of David,
the Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain; in the Psalms it is, “the Lord knoweth the thoughts of men, that they are vanity”; which the apostle not only cites, but explains and teaches; as that by men is meant men of wisdom and knowledge, of the greatest capacities, whose thoughts, reasonings, schemes, and devices, the omniscient God not only knows, but makes known, and discovers them, sooner or later, to be vain and fruitless, yea, vanity itself; and notwithstanding all their machinations and contrivances, his counsel shall stand, his Gospel shall be maintained, his truths shall prevail, and his ordinances shall be continued, and his work go on.
q Vid. Surenhusii Biblos Katallages, p. 11, 531.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
And again ( ). Another confirmatory passage from Ps 94:11.
Reasonings (). More than cogitationes (Vulgate), sometimes disputations (Php 2:14). Paul changes “men” of LXX to wise () in harmony with the Hebrew context.
Vain (). Useless, foolish, from , a futile attempt.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
1) “And again” (Kai palin) – Paul introduces another witness in addition to that of Job. This second witness is the Psalmist David.
2) “The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise.” This is a quotation based on Psa 94:11. The thoughts of the unregenerate man are there declared to be vain or empty. (Greek tous dialogismous) concerns “The reasonings” of the “wise ones,” of this world order.
3) “That they are vain.” (eisin mataioi) They are vain or empty, ephemeral, deceptive and transitory.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
20. Wise Psa 94:11. Instead of the thoughts of the wise, the Hebrew has it, “the thoughts of men;” a term which includes, of course, men especially who pride themselves in original and philosophic thoughts and reasonings.
Vain Liable to error and defect.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
1Co 3:20 . ] as in Rom 15:10 ; Mat 4:7 . The passage quoted is Psa 94:11 , and the only variation from the Hebrew and the LXX. is in putting instead of , and that purposely, but with no violence to the connection of the original (the reference being to men of pretended wisdom).
] empty , thoughts (for Paul , at all events, had . not . in view) which are without true substance . Comp Plato, Soph. p. 231 B: .
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
20 And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.
Ver. 20. Of the wise ] Such as excel in natural gifts, that are the choicest and most picked men. The Psalmist saith only of men, Psa 94:12 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
20. ] The LXX have (Heb. ); the Psalmist however is speaking of the proud , 1Co 3:2 f., and such, when are in question, would be the worldly wise .
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
The LORD. No art. App-98.
knoweth. App-132.
thoughts = reasonings.
vain. Greek. mataios. See Act 14:15. Quoted from Psa 94:11.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
20.] The LXX have (Heb. ); the Psalmist however is speaking of the proud, 1Co 3:2 f., and such, when are in question, would be the worldly wise.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
1Co 3:20. , of the wise) LXX. have , of men. The word, thoughts, not in itself, but with this addition, of the wise, corresponds to the Hebrew word , Psa 94:11, LXX.-, are) men, namely with their thoughts; see Ps. now quoted in the Hebrew.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
1Co 3:20
1Co 3:20
and again, The Lord knoweth the reasonings of the wise, that they are vain.-God knows all the plans of the wise that they are vain, and will lead to ruin. All the provisions of human wisdom for the advancement of the church of God result in evil to the church and to the world. There never has been an age in the past when there were so many and such costly attractions to draw people to church-fine and luxuriously equipped houses, fine mechanical musical instruments furnishing the best music, well-paid and eloquent ministers, preaching on topics of current interest, with all the societies and helps to attract and entertain the young and the old-yet the people cease to attend. Never before have there been so many human devices and so much money expended at home and abroad to hold and convert the people, and yet the denominational churches are growing relatively weaker and are losing ground.
The Lord has taken the wise men of the churches in their own craftiness. They have thought that they could improve, by their wisdom, on the ways of God, and God has shown them that they bring weakness to the churches and drive men from God and the church. The church of God is defiled, and it is growing weaker day by day under the addition of these human organizations and helps. They are parasites that sap the life from the church, while for a time seeming to add to its vigor and life. Yet with all these warnings of God in the Scriptures confirmed by the examples of the destructive effects of the human inventions, churches and men claiming to be wise, and to believe in the Bible, follow the same path of ruin. There have drifted into the churches many who do not believe the Scriptures. The disposition to bring human organizations into the work and worship of the church comes from a feeling of worldly wisdom which is foolishness with God. It is a manifestation of unbelief and it must be thrust out of the churches before they can be blessed of God.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Marg
The Lord Jehovah. Psa 94:11
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
the lord: Psa 94:11
that: Job 11:11, Job 11:12, Psa 2:1, Rom 1:21, Col 2:8
Reciprocal: 2Sa 16:23 – all the counsel Neh 4:15 – God Ecc 7:16 – neither Isa 19:3 – and I Isa 44:25 – turneth Isa 66:18 – their thoughts Jer 4:14 – How long Oba 1:8 – even Mat 2:8 – go 1Pe 1:18 – vain
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Verse 20. The wise means those who boast of their worldly wisdom; all such are vain in the estimation of the Lord.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
1Co 3:20. And again (Psa 94:11), The Lord knoweth the reasonings of the wise, that they are vain.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Vv. 20. This passage is taken from Psa 94:11. It proclaims the emptiness of human wisdom, not now as to its result, but as to its very essence. The Hebrew and the LXX. say, the thoughts of man. The apostle says, of the wise, because it is through them that mankind exercise their understanding.
The verb knowing has two objects in the original texts (Hebrew and Greek), as is often the case; first, the object known, the thought; then what God knows of those thoughts: that they are vain. We cannot render this forcible turn of expression in French.
The apostle here judges human wisdom only from the point of view of the discovery and attainment of salvation. He certainly respects every sincere effort to discover the truth (Php 4:8); but salvation is a thought of God superior to all the discoveries of human wisdom (1Co 2:6-8).
Though he had addressed the whole Church (1Co 3:17 : Ye are…), it was those who encouraged disorders whom the apostle had indirectly threatened in the foregoing verses. The three following verses contain the direction which it remains to him to give to the Church itself as to its conduct toward Christ’s true ministers. They are therefore the conclusion of the passage begun 1Co 2:5.
Fuente: Godet Commentary (Luke, John, Romans and 1 Corinthians)
and again [Psa 94:11], The Lord knoweth the reasonings of the wise, that they are vain. [Alford interprets the passage thus: “If God uses the craftiness of the wise as a net to catch them in, such wisdom is in his sight folly, since he turns it to their own confusion.” How foolish to modify or adapt the gospel to make it palatable and acceptable to sectarian spirits or worldly minds! Man is to be adjusted to God, not God to man, for he is unchangeable– Jam 1:17; Heb 13:8]
Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)
20. And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise that they are empty. The wise people of this world wear out their eyes, craze their brains and paralyze their nerves to accumulate the wisdom of the world, which is all empty bosh when they get it, wearing them out, making them prematurely old, bringing down their gray hairs with sorrow to the grave for naught.
Fuente: William Godbey’s Commentary on the New Testament
Verse 20
Psalms 94:11.
Verse 21
Let no man glory in men. The apostle thus bringing his train of remark to a conclusion which bears directly upon the great cause of their dissensions,–their excessive personal predilections for the various individuals who had been the instruments of bringing them the gospel.