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Quotes in 1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians quotes from the Old Testament 16 times, and a Greek poet once.

1 Corinthians 1:19 quoting Isaiah 29:14

1 Corinthians 1:19

‘I’ll destroy the wisdom of their wise,
And the understanding of their discerning, I’ll hide.’

Isaiah 29:14

Greek Septuagint (our translation):

‘[…] The wisdom of their wise, I’ll destroy,
And the understanding of their discerning, I’ll hide.’

✅ Match

Hebrew Masoretic Text (JPS):

‘[…] And the wisdom of their wise men shall perish,
And the prudence of their prudent men shall be hid.’

✅ Match

Dead Sea Scrolls (WEB):

‘[…] the wisdom of their wise men will perish, and the understanding of their prudent men will be hidden.’ — Scroll 1Q Isaiah A

✅ Match

Our comments:

Matches well with all sources.

1 Corinthians 1:31 quoting Jeremiah 9:24

1 Corinthians 1:31

‘Whoever boasts; let him boast about [Jehovah]!’

Jeremiah 9:24

Greek Septuagint (our translation):

‘For when they boast, let them brag about this: That they perceive Me and know Me […]‘

✅ Matches as a paraphrase

Hebrew Masoretic Text (JPS):

‘But let him that glorieth glory in this, That he understandeth, and knoweth Me, […]‘

✅ Matches as a paraphrase

Dead Sea Scrolls (WEB):

‘…in his wisdom. Don’t let… glory…’ — Scroll 4Q71 Jeremiah B

❓ Unknown

Our comments:

Paul quotes a significantly shortened and paraphrased version of Jeremiah 9:24. Both the LXX and MT contain the core idea of boasting in the knowledge of God, which Paul distills into a very concise statement.

The DSS fragment is too incomplete to determine a match.

1 Corinthians 2:9 quoting Isaiah 64:4

1 Corinthians 2:9

‘Eyes haven’t seen and ears haven’t heard…’

Nor have the hearts of men even thought of the things that God has prepared for those who love Him.’

Isaiah 64:4

Greek Septuagint (our translation):

‘Throughout the ages, no one has ever heard,
Nor have their eyes seen a god who’s like You…
None that have done the deeds You’ve done’
On behalf of those seeking Your mercy.’

✅ Match

Hebrew Masoretic Text (JPS):

‘For from of old men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen a God besides you, who works for him who waits for him.’

✅ Match

Dead Sea Scrolls (WEB):

‘For from of old men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen a God besides you, who works for him who waits for him.’ — Scroll 1Q Isaiah A

✅ Match

Our comments:

It seems Paul is playing with the words rather than quoting, and using much less of Isaiah 64:4 than usually implied by quotation marks and indentations in most Bible translations.

The original verse is talking about how nobody has ever seen or heard a god like Yahweh, nor any of the things He has done in the past… But Paul takes those same expressions and applies them to what God has prepared for the future.

Therefore, this is not a full, direct quote, but a playful transformation of the same expressions to make a new point about what is to come. He’s stating that there are things coming that will be just as amazing as what was seen in the past; and so amazing are they, that we can’t even imagine them now.

1 Corinthians 2:16 quoting Isaiah 40:13

1 Corinthians 2:16

‘Who can know the mind of [Jehovah]
And who’s become His advisor?’

Isaiah 40:13

Greek Septuagint (our translation):

‘Who knows the mind of [Jehovah]…
Who has become His advisor […]?’

✅ Match

Hebrew Masoretic Text (JPS):

‘Who hath meted out the spirit of the LORD?
Or who was His counsellor […]?’

✅ Match

Dead Sea Scrolls (WEB):

‘Who has directed Yahweh’s Spirit, or has taught him as his counselor?’ — Scroll 1Q Isaiah A

✅ Match

Our comments:

All sources match well. The New Testament quote is a slightly shortened version of the Septuagint.

1 Corinthians 3:19 quoting Job 5:13

1 Corinthians 3:19

‘He catches the wise in their cunning deeds.’

Job 5:13

Greek Septuagint (our translation):

‘He conquers the wisdom of the wise,
And surprises the plans of the crafty.’

✅ Matches as a paraphrase

Hebrew Masoretic Text (JPS):

‘He taketh the wise in their own craftiness;
And the counsel of the wily is carried headlong.’

✅ Matches as a paraphrase

Dead Sea Scrolls (WEB):

(None of the surviving Dead Sea Scrolls contain this verse.)

Our comments:

All sources match as a paraphrase.

1 Corinthians 3:20 quoting Psalm 94:11

1 Corinthians 3:20

‘[Jehovah] knows what wise men think,
And their thoughts are useless.’

Psalm 94:11

Greek Septuagint (our translation):

‘[Jehovah] knows what men think,
[And their thoughts] are useless [or vain].’

✅ Matches as a paraphrase

Hebrew Masoretic Text (JPS):

‘The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man,
That they are vanity.’

✅ Matches as a paraphrase

Dead Sea Scrolls (WEB):

‘Yahweh knows the thoughts of man, that they are futile.’ — Scroll 4Q84 Psalms B

✅ Matches as a paraphrase

Our comments:

All sources match well as a paraphrase. What doesn’t make it an exact match is that Paul specifies it as thoughts of ‘the wise’ (‘wise men’), but the sources just say ‘men’.

1 Corinthians 6:16 quoting Genesis 2:24

1 Corinthians 6:16

‘The two will become one flesh.’

Genesis 2:24

Greek Septuagint (our translation):

‘[…] and the two will become one flesh.’

✅ Match

Hebrew Masoretic Text (JPS):

‘[…] and they shall be one flesh.’

✅ Match

Dead Sea Scrolls (WEB):

(None of the surviving Dead Sea Scrolls contain this verse.)

Our comments:

Both sources match well.

1 Corinthians 9:9 quoting Deuteronomy 25:4

1 Corinthians 9:9

‘You must not muzzle a bull when it’s threshing [grain].’

Deuteronomy 25:4

Greek Septuagint (our translation):

‘You must not muzzle the ox that’s threshing [grain].’

✅ Match

Hebrew Masoretic Text (JPS):

‘Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out [the corn].’

✅ Match

Dead Sea Scrolls (WEB):

(None of the surviving Dead Sea Scrolls contain this verse.)

Our comments:

Matches well with both sources.

1 Corinthians 10:7 quoting Exodus 32:6

1 Corinthians 10:7

‘The people sat down to eat and drink, and then they got up to play.’

Exodus 32:6

Greek Septuagint (our translation):

‘[…] Then the people sat down to eat and drink, and thereafter they got up to play.’

✅ Match

Hebrew Masoretic Text (JPS):

‘[…] And the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to make merry.’

✅ Match

Dead Sea Scrolls (WEB):

‘…and to drink, and rose up…’ — Scroll 4Q22 PaleoExodus M

❓ Unknown

Our comments:

Both the LXX and MT match well. The DSS fragment is too incomplete to determine a match.

1 Corinthians 10:26 quoting Psalm 24:1

1 Corinthians 10:26

‘for the earth and everything in it belongs to the Lord.’

Psalm 24:1

Greek Septuagint (our translation):

‘The land and its goodness belongs to [Jehovah]…
The world and all that live in it.’

✅ Matches as a paraphrase

Hebrew Masoretic Text (JPS):

‘The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof;
The world, and they that dwell therein.’

✅ Matches as a paraphrase

Dead Sea Scrolls (WEB):

‘…Yahweh’s…’ — Scroll: Nahal Hever Psalms

❓ Unknown

Our comments:

Both the LXX and MT match well in meaning. The DSS fragment is too incomplete to determine a match.

1 Corinthians 14:21 quoting Isaiah 28:11-12 (MT and DSS)

1 Corinthians 14:21

‘Even though I speak to these people in other tongues and with other lips…
They still won’t listen to me,’ says [Jehovah].’

Isaiah 28:11-12

Greek Septuagint (our translation):

‘For in foreign tongues, they’ll speak these foul words:
[…]
‘But they didn’t want to hear it!’

❌ Differs

Hebrew Masoretic Text (JPS):

‘For with stammering lips and with a strange tongue
Shall it be spoken to this people;’
[…]
Yet they would not hear.’

✅ Matches as a paraphrase

Dead Sea Scrolls (WEB):

‘But he will speak to this nation with stammering lips and in another language; […] yet they would not hear.’ — Scroll 1Q Isaiah A

✅ Matches as a paraphrase

‘But … with stammering… ‘This…’ … hear.’ — Scroll 4Q57 Isaiah C

❓ Unknown

Our comments:

Paul’s quote aligns very well with the Masoretic Text and DSS (1Q Isaiah A), directly reflecting the idea of God speaking to the people with ‘stammering lips’ or ‘another language’ and their subsequent refusal to listen.

The LXX, however, differs in that it says that someone else (’they’) will speak the words, and states that the words are ‘foul’ (literally, ‘through contempt’).

This indicates that Paul was not quoting the LXX. He was quoting the Hebrew text, or an earlier Septuagint version, or a different translation that usually reads like the LXX, but just not here. We don’t know which.

1 Corinthians 15:27 quoting Psalm 8:6

1 Corinthians 15:27

‘He has put everything under his feet!’

Psalm 8:6

Greek Septuagint (our translation):

‘You put it all under his feet.’

✅ Match

Hebrew Masoretic Text (JPS):

‘Thou hast put all things under His feet:’

✅ Match

Dead Sea Scrolls (WEB):

‘…under his feet’ — Scroll Nahal Hever Psalms

✅ Match

Our comments:

All sources match well.

1 Corinthians 15:32 quoting Isaiah 22:13

1 Corinthians 15:32

‘Why not rather say:
‘Let’s eat and drink, for tomorrow we’ll die?’’

Isaiah 22:13

Greek Septuagint (our translation):

‘We should all eat and drink,
For tomorrow we’re going to die!’

✅ Match

Hebrew Masoretic Text (JPS):

‘[…] Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we shall die!’

✅ Match

Dead Sea Scrolls (WEB):

‘[…] Let’s eat and drink, for tomorrow we will die.’ — Scroll 1Q Isaiah A

✅ Match

‘…and drink…’ — Scroll 4Q55 Isaiah A

❓ Unknown

‘and behold, … meat and drinking wine: ‘Let’s eat…’ — Scroll 4Q57 Isaiah C

❓ Unknown

Our comments:

All sources match the core phrase well.

1 Corinthians 15:33 quoting a Greek poet

1 Corinthians 15:33

‘Evil communications corrupt good morals.’

Greek poets Menander and Euripides

(No surviving fragments of these poets’ works exist. We only know that Paul was likely quoting one (or both) of them thanks to early Christian writers.)

❓ Unknown

Our comments:

See our translator note for exhaustive details.

1 Corinthians 15:45 quoting Genesis 2:7

1 Corinthians 15:45

‘became a living soul.’

Genesis 2:7

Greek Septuagint (our translation):

‘he became a living creature.’

✅ Match

Hebrew Masoretic Text (JPS):

‘…and man became a living soul.’

✅ Match

Dead Sea Scrolls (WEB):

‘Yahweh… formed…’ — Scroll 4Q7 Genesis G

❓ Unknown

Our comments:

Both the LXX and MT match well in meaning. The DSS fragment is too incomplete to determine a match.

1 Corinthians 15:54 quoting Isaiah 25:8

1 Corinthians 15:54

‘Death, which prevails, is swallowed up.’

Isaiah 25:8

Greek Septuagint (our translation):

‘Then death, which prevails, is swallowed up […]‘

✅ Match

Hebrew Masoretic Text (JPS):

‘He will swallow up death for ever; […]‘

✅ Match

Dead Sea Scrolls (WEB):

‘He has swallowed up death forever! […]‘ — Scroll 1Q Isaiah A

✅ Match

Our comments:

All sources match well, using an aorist tense for ‘swallowed up’ (variously translated as is, was, or will be).

1 Corinthians 15:55 quoting Hosea 13:14 (none)

1 Corinthians 15:55

‘Where is your victory, O death… Yes, where is your sting, O death?’

Hosea 13:14

Greek Septuagint (our translation):

‘Where is your punishment, O death,
And where is your sting, O place of the dead?’

❌ Differs

Hebrew Masoretic Text (JPS):

‘Ho, thy plagues, O death!
Ho, thy destruction, O netherworld!’

❌ Differs

Dead Sea Scrolls (WEB):

(None of the surviving Dead Sea Scrolls contain this verse.)

Our comments:

Paul’s quote significantly alters the wording of Hosea 13:14 from both the LXX and MT.

  • The LXX uses ‘punishment, O death’ for the first part, while Paul uses ‘victory, O death’. The second part, ‘sting, O death’ is closer to the LXX’s ‘sting, O place of the dead’.

  • The Masoretic Text is even more distinct, containing different rhetorical questions and exclamations that do not directly align with Paul’s phrasing.

Therefore, Paul could be:

  • Rephrasing or interpreting Hosea 13:14, rather than quoting it directly from either tradition.
  • It’s possible that he was quoting a now-lost version of the verse.
  • He could be quoting a midrash of the verse, or a song that paraphrases it.

We just don’t know. Whatever the case, the core point is that death is defeated, and that’s what Paul is trying to convey.

Quotes Index

Or return to the introduction to this series.