Lectionary Calendar
Monday, July 21st, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible

King James Version (1611 Edition)

1 Corinthians 12:17

If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Church;   Scofield Reference Index - Faith;   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;   Worship;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Holy Ghost;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Body;   Body of Christ;   Church;   Humanity;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Brotherly Love;   Inspiration;   Spiritual Gifts;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Character;   Dependence;   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®
If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?
King James Version
If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
English Standard Version
If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell?
New American Standard Bible
If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?
New Century Version
If the whole body were an eye, it would not be able to hear. If the whole body were an ear, it would not be able to smell.
Amplified Bible
If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole [body] were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?
New American Standard Bible (1995)
If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?
Legacy Standard Bible
If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?
Berean Standard Bible
If 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?
Contemporary English Version
If our bodies were only an eye, we couldn't hear a thing. And if they were only an ear, we couldn't smell a thing.
Complete Jewish Bible
If the whole body were an eye, how could it hear? If it were all hearing, how could it smell?
Darby Translation
If the whole body [were] an eye, where the hearing? if all hearing, where the smelling?
Easy-to-Read Version
If the whole body were an eye, it would not be able to hear. If the whole body were an ear, it would not be able to smell anything.
Geneva Bible (1587)
If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
George Lamsa Translation
If the whole body were eyes, where would hearing be? And if the whole were hearing, where would smelling be?
Good News Translation
If the whole body were just an eye, how could it hear? And if it were only an ear, how could it smell?
Lexham English Bible
If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?
Literal Translation
If all the body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If all hearing, where the smelling?
American Standard Version
If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
Bible in Basic English
If all the body was an eye, where would be the hearing? if all was hearing, where would be the smelling?
Hebrew Names Version
If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the smelling be?
International Standard Version
If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole bodybody
">[fn] were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?
Etheridge Translation
For if the whole body were the eye, where would be the hearing ? And if the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling?
Murdock Translation
And if the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? Or if it were all hearing, where would be the smelling?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
If all the body [were] an eye, where were then the hearyng? If all [were] hearyng, where were the smellyng?
English Revised Version
If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
World English Bible
If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the smelling be?
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
Weymouth's New Testament
If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the nostrils be?
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
If al the bodi is the iye, where is heryng? and if al the bodi is heryng, where is smellyng?
Update Bible Version
If the whole body is an eye, where is the hearing? If the whole is hearing, where is the smelling?
Webster's Bible Translation
If the whole body [were] an eye, where [were] the hearing? If the whole [were] hearing, where [were] the smelling?
New English Translation
If the whole body were an eye, what part would do the hearing? If the whole were an ear, what part would exercise the sense of smell?
New King James Version
If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling?
New Living Translation
If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?
New Life Bible
If the whole body were an eye how would it hear? If the whole body were an ear, how would it smell?
New Revised Standard
If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
If, the whole body, were, an eye, where were the hearing? If, the whole were, hearing, where were, the smelling?
Douay-Rheims Bible
If the whole body were the eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling?
Revised Standard Version
If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell?
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
If all the body were an eye where were then the eare? If all were hearynge: where were the smellynge?
Young's Literal Translation
If the whole body [were] an eye, where the hearing? if the whole hearing, where the smelling?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Yf all the body were an eye, where were then the hearinge? Yf all were hearinge, where then the smellinge?
Mace New Testament (1729)
if the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? if the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling?
Simplified Cowboy Version
If the whole body were an eye, how would you listen? If your whole body were an ear, how would you smell the steak cooking?

Contextual Overview

12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the membrs of that one body, being many, are one bodie: so also is Christ. 13 For by one spirit are we all baptized into one bodie, whether wee bee Iewes or Gentiles, whether wee bee bond or free: and haue beene all made to drinke into one spirit. 14 For the body is not one member, but many. 15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body: is it therefore not of the body? 16 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? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? 18 But now hath God set the members, euery one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. 19 And if they were all one member, where were the body? 20 But now are they many members, yet but one body. 21 And the eye cannot say vnto the hand, I haue no need of thee: nor againe, the head to the feete, I haue no neede of you.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

1 Corinthians 12:21, 1 Corinthians 12:29, 1 Samuel 9:9, Psalms 94:9, Psalms 139:13-16, Proverbs 20:12

Cross-References

Genesis 12:14
And it came to passe, that when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman, that shee was very faire.
Genesis 12:15
The Princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaohs house.
Genesis 20:18
For the LORD had fast closed vp all the wombes of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abrahams wife.
1 Chronicles 16:21
Hee suffered no man to doe them wrong: yea, hee reprooued kings for their sakes,
1 Chronicles 21:22
Then Dauid saide to Ornan, Grant mee the place of this threshing floore, that I may build an Altar therein vnto the Lord: thou shalt grant it mee for the full price, that the plague may be stayed from the people.
Job 34:19
How much lesse to him that accepteth not the persons of Princes, nor regardeth the rich more then the poore? for they all are the woorke of his hands.
Hebrews 13:4
Mariage is honorable in all, and the bed vndefiled: but whoremongers, and adulterers God will iudge.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

If the whole body were an eye,.... And nothing else,

where were the hearing? there would be no ear, and so no sense of hearing: and if the whole were hearing: or only consisted of a member capable of the sense of hearing,

where were the smelling? there would be no nose, the organ of smelling, and that sense would be wanting: thus if the church only consisted of ministers of the Gospel, of men of eminent light and knowledge, qualified for the preaching of the word to others, there would be no hearers; and on the other hand, if it only consisted of hearers, of such who only could hear the word to their own advantage, there would be none of a quick understanding, or of a quick smell to discern perverse things, to distinguish truth from error, to discern spirits, and direct the rest of the members to wholesome and savoury food, and preserve them from what would be hurtful and pernicious to them.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

If the whole body ... - The idea in this verse is, that all the parts of the body are useful in their proper place, and that it would be as absurd to require or expect that all the members of the church should have the same endowments, as it would be to attempt to make the body “all eye.” If all were the same; if all had the same endowments, important offices which are now secured by the other members would be unknown. All, therefore, are to be satisfied with their allotment; all are to be honored in their appropriate place.


 
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