1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 9:6–12

⁶Or are Barnabas and I the only apostles who must work for a living?^c

⁷Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Who tends a flock and does not drink of its milk?

⁸Do I say this from a human perspective? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing? ⁹For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.”^d Is it about oxen that God is concerned? ¹⁰Isn’t He actually speaking on our behalf? Indeed, this was written for us, because when the plowman plows and the thresher threshes , they should also expect to share in the harvest.

¹¹If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much for us to reap a material harvest from you? ¹²If others have this right to your support, shouldn’t we have it all the more? But we did not exercise this right. Instead, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ.

Footnotes

c 9:6 Literally Or is it only Barnabas and I who do not have authority not to work?
d 9:9 Deuteronomy 25:4|DEU 25:4

Read all of 1 Corinthians 9

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Greek it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

1 Corinthians 9:6

English	Greek	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Or	ἢ	ē	Conjunction	G2228 or, than
Barnabas	Βαρνάβας	Barnabas	Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular	G921 Barnabas
and	καὶ	kai	Conjunction	G2532 and, even, also, namely
I	ἐγὼ	egō	Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person Singular	G1473 I
the only	μόνος	monos	Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular	G3441 only, solitary, desolate
who must	οὐκ	ouk	Adverb	G3756 no, not
work for a living	ἐργάζεσθαι	ergazesthai	Verb - Present Infinitive Middle or Passive	G2038 I word, trade, do

1 Corinthians 9:7

English	Greek	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Who	Τίς	Tis	Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular	G5101 who, which, what
serves as a soldier	στρατεύεται	strateuetai	Verb - Present Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular	G4754 I wage war, fight
at his own	ἰδίοις	idiois	Adjective - Dative Neuter Plural	G2398 one's own, private, personal
expense	ὀψωνίοις	opsōniois	Noun - Dative Neuter Plural	G3800 pay, wages
Who	τίς	tis	Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular	G5101 who, which, what
plants	φυτεύει	phyteuei	Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular	G5452 I plant
a vineyard	ἀμπελῶνα	ampelōna	Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular	G290 a vineyard
and	καὶ	kai	Conjunction	G2532 and, even, also, namely
does not eat of	ἐσθίει	esthiei	Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular	G2068 I eat
its	αὐτοῦ	autou	Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular	G846 he, she, it, they, them, same
fruit	καρπὸν	karpon	Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular	G2590 fruit, result, gain
Who	τίς	tis	Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular	G5101 who, which, what
tends	ποιμαίνει	poimainei	Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular	G4165 I shepherd, tend
a flock	ποίμνην	poimnēn	Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular	G4167 a flock
and	καὶ	kai	Conjunction	G2532 and, even, also, namely
does not drink	ἐσθίει	esthiei	Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular	G2068 I eat
of	ἐκ	ek	Preposition	G1537 from out, out from among, from
milk	γάλακτος	galaktos	Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular	G1051 milk

1 Corinthians 9:8

English	Greek	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Do I say	λαλῶ	lalō	Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular	G2980 I speak, say
this	ταῦτα	tauta	Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Plural	G3778 this, he, she, it
from a human perspective	κατὰ	kata	Preposition	G2596 down from, against, according to, throughout, during
Doesn’t	οὐ	ou	Adverb	G3756 no, not
Law	νόμος	nomos	Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular	G3551 a law, the Mosaic Law
say	λέγει	legei	Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular	G3004 I say, speak
the same thing	ταῦτα	tauta	Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Plural	G3778 this, he, she, it

1 Corinthians 9:9

English	Greek	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
For	γὰρ	gar	Conjunction	G1063 for
it is written	γέγραπται	gegraptai	Verb - Perfect Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular	G1125 I write
in	ἐν	en	Preposition	G1722 in, on, among
the	τῷ	tō	Article - Dative Masculine Singular	G3588 the
Law	νόμῳ	nomō	Noun - Dative Masculine Singular	G3551 a law, the Mosaic Law
of Moses	Μωϋσέως	Mōuseōs	Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular	G3475 Moses
Do not muzzle	κημώσεις	kēmōseis	Verb - Future Indicative Active - 2nd Person Singular	G5392 I muzzle, silence
an ox	βοῦν	boun	Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular	G1016 an ox
treading out the grain	ἀλοῶντα	aloōnta	Verb - Present Participle Active - Accusative Masculine Singular	G248 I thresh
about	τῶν	tōn	Article - Genitive Masculine Plural	G3588 the
oxen	βοῶν	boōn	Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural	G1016 an ox
God	Θεῷ	Theō	Noun - Dative Masculine Singular	G2316 God, a god
is concerned	μέλει	melei	Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular	G3199 it is a care, it concerns

1 Corinthians 9:10

English	Greek	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Isn’t	ἢ	ē	Conjunction	G2228 or, than
He actually speaking	λέγει	legei	Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular	G3004 I say, speak
on our behalf	δι’	di’	Preposition	G1223 through, on account of
Indeed	γὰρ	gar	Conjunction	G1063 for
this was written	ἐγράφη	egraphē	Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular	G1125 I write
for	δι’	di’	Preposition	G1223 through, on account of
us	ἡμᾶς	hēmas	Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 1st Person Plural	G1473 I
because	ὅτι	hoti	Conjunction	G3754 that, since, because
the	ὁ	ho	Article - Nominative Masculine Singular	G3588 the
plowman	ἀροτριῶν	arotriōn	Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular	G722 I plow
plows	ἀροτριᾶν	arotrian	Verb - Present Infinitive Active	G722 I plow
and	καὶ	kai	Conjunction	G2532 and, even, also, namely
the	ὁ	ho	Article - Nominative Masculine Singular	G3588 the
thresher	ἀλοῶν	aloōn	Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular	G248 I thresh
should	ὀφείλει	opheilei	Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular	G3784 I owe, ought
expect	ἐλπίδι	elpidi	Noun - Dative Feminine Singular	G1680 hope, expectation
to share in the harvest	μετέχειν	metechein	Verb - Present Infinitive Active	G3348 I participate in, share

1 Corinthians 9:11

English	Greek	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
If	Εἰ	Ei	Conjunction	G1487 if
we	ἡμεῖς	hēmeis	Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person Plural	G1473 I
have sown	ἐσπείραμεν	espeiramen	Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural	G4687 I sow, spread, scatter
spiritual	πνευματικὰ	pneumatika	Adjective - Accusative Neuter Plural	G4152 spiritual
among you	ὑμῖν	hymin	Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person Plural	G4771 you
too much	μέγα	mega	Adjective - Nominative Neuter Singular	G3173 large, great
for us	ἡμεῖς	hēmeis	Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person Plural	G1473 I
to reap	θερίσομεν	therisomen	Verb - Future Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural	G2325 I reap, gather
a material	σαρκικὰ	sarkika	Adjective - Accusative Neuter Plural	G4559 fleshly, carnal
from you	ὑμῶν	hymōn	Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Plural	G4771 you

1 Corinthians 9:12

English	Greek	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
If	εἰ	ei	Conjunction	G1487 if
others	ἄλλοι	alloi	Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural	G243 other, another, different
have	μετέχουσιν	metechousin	Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural	G3348 I participate in, share
right	ἐξουσίας	exousias	Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular	G1849 power, authority, weight
to your	ὑμῶν	hymōn	Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Plural	G4771 you
shouldn’t	οὐ	ou	Adverb	G3756 no, not
we	ἡμεῖς	hēmeis	Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person Plural	G1473 I
all the more	μᾶλλον	mallon	Adverb	G3123 more, rather
But	ἀλλ’	all’	Conjunction	G235 but, except
we did not exercise	ἐχρησάμεθα	echrēsametha	Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 1st Person Plural	G5530 I use, make use of, deal with
this	ταύτῃ	tautē	Demonstrative Pronoun - Dative Feminine Singular	G3778 this, he, she, it
right	ἐξουσίᾳ	exousia	Noun - Dative Feminine Singular	G1849 power, authority, weight
Instead	ἀλλὰ	alla	Conjunction	G235 but, except
we put up with	στέγομεν	stegomen	Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural	G4722 I cover, conceal, bear with
anything	πάντα	panta	Adjective - Accusative Neuter Plural	G3956 all, the whole, every kind of
rather than	ἵνα	hina	Conjunction	G2443 in order that, so that
hinder	δῶμεν	dōmen	Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 1st Person Plural	G1325 I offer, give
the	τῷ	tō	Article - Dative Neuter Singular	G3588 the
gospel	εὐαγγελίῳ	euangeliō	Noun - Dative Neuter Singular	G2098 the good news, the gospel
of	τοῦ	tou	Article - Genitive Masculine Singular	G3588 the
Christ	Χριστοῦ	Christou	Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular	G5547 anointed, the Messiah, the Christ