1 Corinthians 10:19

Literal Standard Version

What do I say then? That an idol is anything? Or that a sacrifice offered to an idol is anything?

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
What am I saying then? That food sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything?

King James Version (1611)
What say I then? that the idole is any thing? or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing?

King James Version
What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing?

English Standard Version
What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything?

New American Standard Bible
What do I mean then? That food sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything?

New Century Version
I do not mean that the food sacrificed to an idol is important. I do not mean that an idol is anything at all.

Amplified Bible
What do I mean then? That a thing offered to idols is anything [special or changed simply because it is offered], or that an idol is anything?

New American Standard Bible (1995)
What do I mean then? That a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything?

Legacy Standard Bible
What do I mean then? That a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything?

Berean Standard Bible
Am I suggesting, then, that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything?

Contemporary English Version
Am I saying that either the idols or the food sacrificed to them is anything at all?

Complete Jewish Bible
So, what am I saying? That food sacrificed to idols has any significance in itself? or that an idol has significance in itself?

Darby Translation
What then do I say? that what is sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything?

Easy-to-Read Version
So, am I saying that sacrifices to idols are the same as those Jewish sacrifices? No, because an idol is nothing, and the things offered to idols are worth nothing.

Geneva Bible (1587)
What say I then? that the idole is any thing? or that that which is sacrificed to idoles, is any thing?

George Lamsa Translation
What do I say then? that the idol is anything, or that the sacrifice to idols is anything? No.

Good News Translation
Do I imply, then, that an idol or the food offered to it really amounts to anything?

Lexham English Bible
Therefore, what am I saying? That food sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything?

Literal Translation
What then do I say, that an idol is anything, or that an idolatrous sacrifice is anything?

American Standard Version
What say I then? that a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything?

Bible in Basic English
Do I say, then, that what is offered to images is anything, or that the image is anything?

Hebrew Names Version
What am I saying then? That a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything?

International Standard Version
Am I suggesting that an offering made to idols means anything, or that an idol itself means anything?1 Corinthians 8:4;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
What then do I say ? that an idol is any thing, or (that) the sacrifice of an idol is any thing?

Murdock Translation
What then do I say? That an idol is any thing? Or, that an idol's sacrifice is any thing? No.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
What say I then? that the idol is any thyng? Or that it which is offered to idols is any thyng?

English Revised Version
What say I then? that a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything?

World English Bible
What am I saying then? That a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything?

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
What say I then? That a thing sacrificed to idols is any thing? or that an idol is any thing?

Weymouth's New Testament
Do I mean that a thing sacrificed to an idol is what it claims to be, or that an idol is a real thing?

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
What therfor seie Y, that a thing that is offrid to idols is ony thing, or that the idol is ony thing?

Update Bible Version
What do I say then? that a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything?

Webster's Bible Translation
What then do I say? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing?

New English Translation
Am I saying that idols or food sacrificed to them amount to anything?

New King James Version
What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything?

New Living Translation
What am I trying to say? Am I saying that food offered to idols has some significance, or that idols are real gods?

New Life Bible
What do I mean? Am I saying that a false god or the food brought to it in worship is worth anything?

New Revised Standard
What do I imply then? That food sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything?

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
What, then, am I saying? - that, an idol-sacrifice, is anything? or that, an idol, is anything?

Douay-Rheims Bible
What then? Do I say that what is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing? Or that the idol is any thing?

Revised Standard Version
What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything?

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
What saye I then? that the ymage is eny thinge? or that it which is offered to ymages is eny thinge?

Young's Literal Translation
what then do I say? that an idol is anything? or that a sacrifice offered to an idol is anything? --

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
What shal I now saye then? Shal I saye that the Idoll is enythinge? Or that it which is offred vnto the Idoll is eny thinge?

Mace New Testament (1729)
that the idol, or that what is offered in sacrifice to the idol, is a matter of consequence?

THE MESSAGE
Do you see the difference? Sacrifices offered to idols are offered to nothing, for what's the idol but a nothing? Or worse than nothing, a minus, a demon! I don't want you to become part of something that reduces you to less than yourself. And you can't have it both ways, banqueting with the Master one day and slumming with demons the next. Besides, the Master won't put up with it. He wants us—all or nothing. Do you think you can get off with anything less?

Simplified Cowboy Version
Am I saying that food sacrificed on the altar at the main church is the same as food sacrificed to idols? No! An idol is a stick or a rock or a demon, not God.

Contextual Overview

¹⁵as to wise men I speak—judge what I say. ¹⁶The cup of the blessing that we bless—is it not the fellowship of the blood of the Christ? The bread that we break—is it not the fellowship of the body of the Christ? ¹⁷Because one bread, one body, are we the many—for we all partake of the one bread. ¹⁸See Israel according to the flesh! Are those not eating the sacrifices in the fellowship of the altar? ¹⁹What do I say then? That an idol is anything? Or that a sacrifice offered to an idol is anything?²⁰[No,] but that the things that the nations sacrifice—they sacrifice to demons and not to God; and I do not wish you to come into the fellowship of the demons. ²¹You are not able to drink the cup of the LORD and the cup of demons; you are not able to partake of the table of the LORD and of the table of demons; ²²do we arouse the LORD to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

that the: 1 Corinthians 1:28, 1 Corinthians 3:7, 1 Corinthians 8:4, 1 Corinthians 13:2, Deuteronomy 32:21, Isaiah 40:17, Isaiah 41:29, 2 Corinthians 12:11

Reciprocal: Leviticus 26:1 - Ye shall Deuteronomy 32:17 - not to God Joshua 24:23 - put away 1 Kings 16:13 - vanities 1 Kings 18:26 - no voice Psalms 106:28 - of the dead Psalms 115:4 - Their idols Zechariah 11:17 - idol Acts 19:26 - that they Romans 3:9 - what then Romans 10:19 - I say Romans 11:7 - What then Romans 15:8 - I say 1 Corinthians 8:1 - touching 1 Corinthians 14:15 - What Galatians 3:17 - this Galatians 4:8 - ye did Ephesians 2:12 - without Philippians 1:18 - What

Cross-References

Genesis 10:1
And these [are] the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and sons are born to them after the flood.

Genesis 10:2
Sons of Japheth [are] Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras.

Genesis 10:7
And sons of Cush [are] Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabtechah; and sons of Raamah [are] Sheba and Dedan.

Genesis 10:8
And Cush has begotten Nimrod;

Genesis 10:10
And the first part of his kingdom is Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar;

Genesis 10:15
And Canaan has begotten Sidon his firstborn, and Heth,

Genesis 10:17
and the Hivite, and the Arkite, and the Sinite,

Genesis 10:18
and the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite; and afterward the families of the Canaanite have been scattered.

Genesis 10:21
As for Shem, father of all sons of Eber, the older brother of Japheth, he has also begotten.

Genesis 10:24
And Arphaxad has begotten Salah, and Salah has begotten Eber.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

What say I then?.... Or may be objected to, or inferred from, what I say;

that an idol is anything, or that which is sacrificed to idols is anything? to which must be answered, as the Syriac version reads,

לא, "no", by no means; by running the parallel between Christians having communion with the body and blood of Christ, in the Lord's supper, through eating the bread and drinking the wine, the Israelites partaking of the altar, by eating of the sacrifices of it, and men's joining with idols and idolaters, by eating things sacrificed to idols; it follows not that an idol has anything of deity in it, and is to be set upon a level with God, when, as he had said before, an idol was nothing, and what he now said did not at all contradict that; or that things offered to idols are to be had in the same account, or to be equalled to, or be thought to have any thing in them, as the elements of the bread and wine in the Lord's supper, or the sacrifices that were offered by the Israelites on the altar, according to the divine command; he meant no such thing, but only argued from the greater to the lesser, and his sense is more fully declared in the next words.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

What say I then? - This is in the present tense; τί οὖν φημι ti oun phēmi, what do I say? What is my meaning? What follows from this? Do I mean to say that an idol is anything; that it has a real existence? Does my reasoning lead to that conclusion; and am I to be understood as affirming that an idol is of itself of any consequence? It must be recollected that the Corinthian Christians are introduced by Paul 1 Corinthians 8:4 as saying that they knew that an idol was nothing in the world. Paul did not directly contradict that; but his reasoning had led him to the necessity of calling the propriety of their attending on the feasts of idols in question; and he introduces the matter now by asking these questions, thus leading the mind to it rather than directly affirming it at once. “Am I in this reasoning to be understood as affirming that an idol is anything, or that the meat there offered differs from other meat? No; you know, says Paul, that this is not my meaning. I admit that an idol in itself is nothing; but I do not admit, therefore, that it is right for you to attend in their temples; for though the “idol” itself - the block of wood or stone - is nothing, yet the offerings are really made to devils; and I would not have you engage in such a service;” 1 Corinthians 10:20-21.

That the idol is anything? - That the block of wood or stone is a real living object of worship, to be dreaded or loved? See the note at 1 Corinthians 8:4.

Or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is anything? - Or that the meat which is offered “differs” from that which is not offered; that the mere act of offering it changes its qualities? I do not admit or suppose this.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 19. What say I then? — A Jewish phrase for, I conclude; and this is his conclusion: that although an idol is nothing, has neither power nor influence, nor are things offered to idols any thing the worse for being thus offered; yet, as the things sacrificed by the Gentiles are sacrificed to demons and not to God, those who partake of them have fellowship with demons: those who profess Christianity cannot have fellowship both with Christ and the devil.