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Saturday, July 26th, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible

The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible

1 Corinthians 12:16

And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Church;   Scofield Reference Index - Churches;   The Topic Concordance - Body;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Selfishness;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Church;   Gifts of the spirit;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Body;   Body of Christ;   Christians, Names of;   Church, the;   Hear, Hearing;   Worship;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Holy Ghost;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Body;   Body of Christ;   Church;   Humanity;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Brotherly Love;   Ephesians, Epistle to;   Inspiration;   Spiritual Gifts;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Character;   Dependence;   Ear;   Eye;   Gifts;   Good;   Unity (2);   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Fruit;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Corinthians, First Epistle to the;   Member;   Redeemer;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
And if the ear should say, “Because I’m not an eye, I don’t belong to the body,” it is not for that reason any less a part of the body.
King James Version (1611)
And if the eare shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body: is it therefore not of the body?
King James Version
And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
English Standard Version
And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body.
New American Standard Bible
And if the ear says, "Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body," it is not for this reason any less a part of the body.
New Century Version
The ear might say, "Because I am not an eye, I am not part of the body." But saying this would not stop the ear from being a part of the body.
Amplified Bible
If the ear says, "Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body," is it not on the contrary still a part of the body?
New American Standard Bible (1995)
And if the ear says, "Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body," it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body.
Legacy Standard Bible
And if the ear says, "Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body," it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body.
Contemporary English Version
Or suppose an ear says, "I'm not an eye, and so I'm not part of the body." Wouldn't the ear still belong to the body?
Complete Jewish Bible
And if the ear says, "I'm not an eye, so I'm not part of the body," that doesn't make it stop being part of the body.
Darby Translation
And if the ear say, Because I am not an eye I am not of the body, is it on account of this not indeed of the body?
Easy-to-Read Version
The ear might say, "I am not an eye, so I don't belong to the body." But saying this would not make the ear stop being a part of the body.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And if the eare would say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body, is it therefore not of the body?
George Lamsa Translation
And if the ear should say, Because I am not the eye, I am not a part of the body; is it therefore not a member of the body?
Good News Translation
And if the ear were to say, "Because I am not an eye, I don't belong to the body," that would not keep it from being a part of the body.
Lexham English Bible
And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body, not because of this is it not a part of the body.
Literal Translation
And if the ear says, Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body, on account of this, is it not of the body?
American Standard Version
And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; it is not therefore not of the body.
Bible in Basic English
And if the ear says, Because I am not the eye, I am not a part of the body; it is a part of the body all the same.
Hebrew Names Version
If the ear would say, "Because I'm not the eye, I'm not part of the body," it's not therefore not part of the body.
International Standard Version
And if the ear says, "Since I'm not an eye, I'm not part of the body," that does not make it any less a part of the body, does it?
Etheridge Translation
And if the ear should say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body itself, would it therefore not be of the body itself?
Murdock Translation
Or if the ear should say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it, on that account, not of the body?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And yf the eare woulde say, because I am not the eye, I am not of the body: is it therfore not of the body?
English Revised Version
And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; it is not therefore not of the body.
World English Bible
If the ear would say, "Because I'm not the eye, I'm not part of the body," it's not therefore not part of the body.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And if the ear should say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body, is it therefore not of the body?
Weymouth's New Testament
Or were the ear to say, "Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body," that would not make it any the less a part of the body.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And if the ere seith, For Y am not the iye, Y am not of the bodi; not therfor it is not of the bodi.
Update Bible Version
And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; it is not therefore not of the body.
Webster's Bible Translation
And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
New English Translation
And if the ear says, "Since I am not an eye, I am not part of the body," it does not lose its membership in the body because of that.
New King James Version
And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body," is it therefore not of the body?
New Living Translation
And if the ear says, "I am not part of the body because I am not an eye," would that make it any less a part of the body?
New Life Bible
If the ear should say, "I am not a part of the body because I am not an eye," that would not stop it from being a part of the body.
New Revised Standard
And if the ear would say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, though the ear should say - Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body, Is it, therefore, not, of the body?
Douay-Rheims Bible
And if the ear should say: Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body: Is it therefore not of the body?
Revised Standard Version
And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And if ye eare saye I am not the eye: therfore I am not of the body: is he therfore not of the body?
Young's Literal Translation
and if the ear may say, `Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body;' it is not, because of this, not of the body?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And yf the eare saye: I am not the eye, therfore am I not a membre of the body, is he therfore not a membre of the body?
Mace New Testament (1729)
and if the ear should say, "because I am not the eye, I am not of the body;" is it therefore not of the body?
Simplified Cowboy Version
And just because you can't see out of your ear doesn't mean it's not just as useful to the body.

Contextual Overview

12The body is a unit, though it is comprised of many parts. And although its parts are many, they all form one body. So it is with Christ. 13For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free, and we were all given one Spirit to drink. 14For the body does not consist of one part, but of many. 15If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body.17If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18But in fact, God has arranged the members of the body, every one of them, according to His design. 19If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20As it is, there are many parts, but one body. 21The eye cannot say to the hand, "I do not need you." Nor can the head say to the feet, "I do not need you."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

is it: 1 Corinthians 12:16, 1 Corinthians 12:22, Romans 12:3, Romans 12:10, Philippians 2:3

Reciprocal: 1 Corinthians 13:1 - I speak

Cross-References

Genesis 12:13
Please say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake, and on account of you my life will be spared."
Genesis 12:14
So when Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful.
Genesis 12:15
When Pharaoh's officials saw Sarai, they commended her to him, and she was taken into the palace of Pharaoh.
Genesis 13:2
And Abram had become extremely wealthy in livestock and silver and gold.
Genesis 20:14
So Abimelech brought sheep and cattle, menservants and maidservants, and he gave them to Abraham and restored his wife Sarah to him.
Genesis 24:35
"The LORD has greatly blessed my master, and he has become rich. He has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, menservants and maidservants, camels and donkeys.
Genesis 26:14
He owned so many flocks and herds and servants that the Philistines envied him.
Genesis 32:5
I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, menservants, and maidservants. I have sent this message to inform my master, so that I may find favor in your sight.'"
Job 1:3
and he owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and a very large number of servants. Job was the greatest man of all the people of the East.
Job 42:12
So the LORD blessed Job's latter days more than his first. He owned 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And if the ear shall say,.... The organ that receives sounds, and can distinguish them, and in which member is placed the sense of hearing; and may design such as are hearers of the word of God, not merely externally, but internally; who hear so as to love, savour, and relish it; so as to understand and believe it, and to act in compliance with it; and distinguish it for themselves, though they may not be able to give a distinct account of it to others, or instruct others in it:

because I am not the eye: the organ of seeing, in which is seated the visive faculty, and which receives light, and uses it for the good of the body, whose superintendent it is; and may be expressive of the ministers of the Gospel, who are that to the church, as eyes are to the body; they are the light of the world, have a clear insight into the doctrines of the Gospel, and communicate their light to others; they are set in the highest place in the church, and as watchmen and overseers there, to instruct; guide, and direct the members of it:

I am not of the body, is it therefore not of the body? it certainly is; and so such as are only hearers of the Gospel, being affectionate, believing, understanding and fruitful hearers; though they have not such large knowledge and clear light, so as to be capable of overseeing and instructing others, yet are true and useful members of the church, are highly respected by Christ the head, and to be had in esteem by their fellow members, who may be superior to them.


 
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