1 Corinthians 10:26
in 1 Corinthians 10for, “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
for the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof.
KJV
For the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof.
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This verse in 1 Corinthians 10
Commentary
14 notes on this verseAnd, "Let no one seek his own advantage, but also that of his neighbour," so as to be able at once to do and to teach, building and building up. For that "the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof," is admitted; but the conscience of the weak is supported. "Conscience, I say, not his own, but that of the other; for why is my liberty judged of by another conscience? For if I by grace am partaker, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks?
This site's exposition
Eat anything sold in the
on 1 Corinthians 10:25-27
Paul writes, Eat anything sold in the meat market, and grounds it in Psalm 24:1, The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof. Market meat is free of suspicion whatever its temple history, since creation belongs to God.
This site's exposition
and the fullness thereof
Paul grounds the freedom of 10:25 in a psalm. Chrysostom and Theophylact reason that if the earth and its fruits and beasts belong to the Lord, nothing is unclean by nature.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
But he who culls what is useful for the advantage of the catechumens, and especially when they are Greeks (and "the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof"), must not abstain from erudition, like irrational animals; but he must collect as many aids as possible for his hearers. But he must by no means linger over these studies, except solely for the advantage accruing from them; so that, on grasping and obtaining this, he may be able to take his departure home to the true philosophy, which is a strong cable for the soul, providing security from everything.
One does not sin who afterward unwittingly eats food which he had previously refused as belonging to idols. Vegetables and any kind of fruit grown in any field are God's who created them.
"For to the Lord belongeth the earth and the fulness thereof." Not to the devils. Now if the earth and the fruits and the beasts be all His, nothing is unclean: but it becomes unclean otherwise, from our intention and our disobedience. Wherefore he not only gave permission, but also...
But "the earth is God's, and the fulness thereof," says the Scripture, teaching that good things come from God to men; it being through divine power and might that the distribution of them comes to the help of man.
The Medieval Church1 voice
The earth is the Lord's, and not of demons. And if the earth is the Lord's, then the fruits, and the trees, and the animals are also the Lord's; and if all things are the Lord's, then by nature nothing is unclean, but everything depends …
6 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer, 1 Tim. iv. To the pure all things are pure, Tit. i. Note, Though it is sinful to use any food in an idolatrous manner, it is no sin, after such abuse, to apply it, in a holy manner, to its common use.
For God, who is the Creator, Proprietor, and Disposer of the earth and all that is therein, hath given the produce of it to the children of men, to be used without scruple.
For the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
The ground on which such eating without questioning is justified is, the earth and all its contents ("the fulness thereof," Ps 20:1; 50:12), including all meats, belong to the Lord, and are appointed for our use; and where conscience suggests no scruple, all are to be eaten (Ro 14:14, 20;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
For the earth is the Lord’s - And because God made the earth and its fullness, all animals, plants, and vegetables, there can be nothing in it or them impure or unholy; because all are the creatures of God.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
For the earth is the Lord’s - This is quoted from Psa 24:1. The same sentiment is also found in Psa 50:11, and in Deu 10:14. It is here urged as a reason why it; is right to partake of the meat offered in the market. It all belongs to the Lord. It does not really belong to the idol, even though it has been offered to it. It may, therefore, be partaken of as his gift, and should be received with gratitude. And the fulness thereof - All that the earth produces belongs to Him. He causes if to grow; and He has given it to be food for man; and though it may have been devoted to an idol, yet its nature is not changed. It is still the gift of God; still the production of His hand; still the fruit of His goodness and love.
The words behind it
9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| τοῦ | tou | The | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| κυρίου | kuriou | Lord’s | G2962 → | 711 times |
| γὰρ | gar | for | G1063 → | 1039 times |
| ἡ | he | [is] the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| γῆ | ge | earth | G1093 → | 248 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| τὸ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πλήρωμα | pleroma | fullness | G4138 → | |
| αὐτῆς.¶ | autes | of it. | G846 → | 5565 times |
τοῦThe
touG3588 →19766 times
κυρίουLord’s
kuriouG2962 →711 times
γὰρfor
garG1063 →1039 times
ἡ[is] the
heG3588 →19766 times
γῆearth
geG1093 →248 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
τὸthe
toG3588 →19766 times
πλήρωμαfullness
pleromaG4138 →
αὐτῆς.¶of it.
autesG846 →5565 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
Psalms 24:1The earth is the LORD’s, and the fullness thereof, the world and all who dwell therein.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 10:14
Behold, to the LORD your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, and the earth and everything in it.
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- Job 41:11
Who has given to Me that I should repay him? Everything under heaven is Mine.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 89:11
The heavens are Yours, and also the earth. The earth and its fullness You founded.
- 1 Chronicles 29:11
Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the splendor and the majesty, for everything in heaven and on earth belongs to You. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom,…
- Exodus 9:29
Moses said to him, “When I have left the city, I will spread out my hands to the LORD. The thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, so that you may…
- Deuteronomy 10:14
Through
Exodus 19:5Now if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you will be My treasured possession out of all the nations—for the whole earth is Mine.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 14:2
for you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD has chosen you to be a people for His prized possession out of all the peoples on the face of the…
- Deuteronomy 7:6
For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His prized possession out of all peoples on the face of…
- Deuteronomy 26:18
And today the LORD has proclaimed that you are His people and treasured possession as He promised, that you are to keep all His commandments,
- Deuteronomy 14:2
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies36
Show the next 6 titles
- Food Offered to Idols
- Grace Before Meals
- Grumbling, the Opposite of Thanks
- Infant Baptism and Believers' Baptism
- Love Is Patient
- Manna
Show the next 6 titles
- Moses Strikes the Rock
- Passover
- The Covenant of Phinehas
- Redemption
- I Discipline My Body
- Joseph and Potiphar's Wife
Show the next 6 titles
About 1 Corinthians
This page draws on 12 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); Augustine of Hippo, Commentary (church-history corpus); Charles Hodge, An Exposition of the First Epistle to the Corinthians; Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata Book 4; Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata Book 6; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on 1 Corinthians 25; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 1 Corinthians.