1 Corinthians 16:21
in 1 Corinthians 16This greeting is in my own hand—Paul.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
The salutation of me Paul with mine own hand.
KJV
The salutation of me Paul with mine own hand.
⋯
This verse in 1 Corinthians 16
Commentary
11 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The salutation of me, Paul, with mine own hand - It is evident that Paul was accustomed to employ an amanuensis (copyist) in penning his epistles (see the note on Rom 16:22), though he signed his own name, and expressed his Christian salutation in every epistle, 2Th 3:17; compare Col 4:18. This gave a sanction to what was written; was a proof that it was his own, and was a valuable token of affectionate regard. It was a proof that there was no fraud or imposition. Why he employed an amanuensis is not known.
This site's exposition
The churches in the province
on 1 Corinthians 16:19-21
Aquila and Prisca, who hosted Paul at Corinth, now host the church that meets at their house. Then Paul takes the pen from the scribe, and the greeting in his own hand authenticates the letter, as 2 Thessalonians 3:17 explains.
This site's exposition
This greeting is in my own hand
Paul dictated his letters, and Romans 16:22 names one of his scribes, Tertius. Galatians 6:11 draws attention to the large letters of his own hand. The last lines here carry his signature.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
Paul makes it clear that he has written the subscript with his own hand.
A commentator
Didymus the BlindPAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH · Written before 398.
proposed
To avoid any suspicion of forgery, Paul signs the letter with his own hand.
"The salutation of me Paul with mine own hand;" intimates that the Epistle was composed with great seriousness...
The Medieval Church2 voices
He made a greeting in his own hand, in order to show that he attaches great importance to the epistle.
He adds his greeting, and concerning this he does two things. First, he puts down a title of the greeting, saying, my greeting, namely is written, by my own hand, by Paul. And he did this in his letters on account of some who wrote …
3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
His amanuensis, it is reasonable to think, wrote the rest of his epistle from his mouth, but at the close it was fit that himself should sign it, that they might know it to be genuine; and therefore it is added ( 2 Thess. iii.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
The salutation of me Paul with mine own hand. The apostle had an "amanuensis", that wrote the epistle for him; but to prevent counterfeits, and that the church to whom he wrote might be assured of the genuineness of the epistle, that it was truly his own, he wrote with his own hand his common salutation; see 2Th 3:17, and which is not in the following words, but what is expressed in 1Co 16:23.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
The salutation of me Paul with mine own hand - This should be rendered: “The salutation is written by the hand of me Paul;” γεγραπται, is written, being understood. It is very likely that the apostle wrote this and the following verses with his own hand. The rest, though dictated by him, was written by an amanuensis.
The words behind it
6 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ὁ | ho | The | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀσπασμὸς | aspasmos | greeting | G783 → | |
| τῇ | tea | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἐμῇ | emea | by my own | G1473 → | 839 times |
| χειρὶ | cheiri | hand | G5495 → | 175 times |
| Παύλου· | paulou | of Paul; | G3972 → | 158 times |
ὉThe
hoG3588 →19766 times
ἀσπασμὸςgreeting
aspasmosG783 →
τῇ<the>
teaG3588 →19766 times
ἐμῇby my own
emeaG1473 →839 times
χειρὶhand
cheiriG5495 →175 times
Παύλου·of Paul;
paulouG3972 →158 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Philemon 1:19I, Paul, write this with my own hand. I will repay it—not to mention that you owe me your very self.
it leads to
- Galatians 6:11
See what large letters I am using to write to you with my own hand!
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Galatians 6:11
Through
Colossians 4:18This greeting is in my own hand—Paul. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.
it leads to
- Hebrews 13:3
Remember those in prison as if you were bound with them, and those who are mistreated as if you were suffering with them.
- 2 Timothy 4:22
The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you all.
- 1 Timothy 6:21
which some have professed and thus swerved away from the faith. Grace be with you all.
- Hebrews 13:25
Grace be with all of you.
- Hebrews 13:3
Through
Galatians 6:11See what large letters I am using to write to you with my own hand!
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 16:21–23
This greeting is in my own hand—Paul.
- 1 Corinthians 16:21–23
Through
2 Thessalonians 3:17This greeting is in my own hand—Paul. This is my mark in every letter; it is the way I write.
it leads to
- Colossians 4:18
This greeting is in my own hand—Paul. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.
- 2 Thessalonians 1:5
All this is clear evidence of God’s righteous judgment. And so you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering.
- Colossians 4:18
Where this verse is studied
About 1 Corinthians
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the First Epistle to the Corinthians; Ambrosiaster, COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES; Didymus the Blind, PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on 1 Corinthians 44; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 1 Corinthians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on 1 Corinthians.