1 Corinthians 11:12
in 1 Corinthians 11For just as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For as the woman is of the man, so is the man also by the woman; but all things are of God.
KJV
For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God.
⋯
This verse in 1 Corinthians 11
Commentary
14 notes on this verseSecondly, he assigns the reason, saying: For as in the first condition of things, woman was formed from the man, so in subsequent generations man was produced through woman, as Job says: "Man born of a woman" (Jb 14:1). For the first production of man …
This site's exposition
In the Lord, however, woman
on 1 Corinthians 11:11-12
Paul balances creation's order at once: in the Lord, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. Since Adam, every man is born of woman, so the derivation runs both ways, and everything comes from God.
This site's exposition
man is born of woman
Paul sets the first woman's origin from Adam beside every later man's birth from a mother. The closing clause, everything comes from God, echoes 8:6, where all things come from the one God the Father. Both sexes trace their existence to him.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
Paul adds that all things are from God so that the woman will not be upset because of her dependent condition nor will the man be proud of his responsible position.
Concerning the male and female sexes, what has the son of perdition to say? That the two sexes are not from God but from the devil? What has the vessel of election to say about this? "For as the woman is from the man, so also is the man through the woman— but all things are from God." What does the devil say through the mouths of the Manichaeans about the flesh? That it is an evil substance, a creature not of God but of the enemy.
"Nevertheless, neither is the man without the woman, nor the woman without the man, in the Lord." Thus, because he had given great superiority to the man, having said that the woman is of him and for him and under him; that he might neither lift up the men more than was due nor depress the women, see how he brings in the correction, saying, "Howbeit neither is the man without the woman, nor the woman without the man, in the Lord." "Examine not, I pray," saith he, "the first things only, and that creation. Since if thou enquire into what comes after, each one of the two is the cause of the other; or rather not even thus each of the other, but God of all." Wherefore he saith, "neither is the man without the woman, nor the woman without the man, in the Lord." "For as the woman is of the man, so is the man also by the woman." He said not, "of the woman," but he repeats the expression, "of the man." For still this particular prerogative remains entire with the man. Yet are not these excellencies the property of the man, but of God. Wherefore also he adds, "but all things of God." If therefore all things belong to God, and he commands these things, do thou obey and gainsay not.
The Medieval Church1 voice
The wife, he says, is from the husband. For until now the husband retains that distinction, that the wife is from him. And "the husband through the wife," that is, the wife serves in the bearing of a person, but the greater action lies in …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
), all by the divine wisdom and power of the First Cause so ordaining it. The authority and subjection should be no greater than are suitable to two in such near relation and close union to each other. Note, As it is the will of God that the woman know her place, so it is his will also that the man abuse not his power.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
6 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
24 ), and this for the propagation of a race of mankind. They are reciprocal instruments of each other's production. As the woman was first formed out of the man, the man is ever since propagated by the woman (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-citation-number
And as the woman was at first taken out of the man, so also the man is now, in the ordinary course of nature, by the woman; but all things are of God - The man, the woman, and their dependence on each other.
For as the woman is of the man,.... Originally; so Eve was of Adam, made out of one of his ribs: even so is the man also by the woman; now man is born of a woman, he is conceived of one, and brought into the world by one.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
For as the woman is of the man - For as the woman was first formed out of the side of man, man has ever since been formed out of the womb of the woman; but they, as all other created things, are of God.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
As the woman was formed out of (from) the man, even so is man born by means of woman; but all things (including both man and woman) are from God as their source (Ro 11:36;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
As the woman is of the man - In the original creation, she was formed from the man. So is the man also by the woman - Is born of the woman, or descended from her. The sexes are dependent on each other, and should therefore cultivate an indissoluble union. But all things of God - All things were created and arranged by him. This expression seems designed to suppress any spirit of complaint or dissatisfaction with this arrangement; to make the woman contented in her subordinate station, and to make the man humble by the consideration that it is all owing to the appointment of God. The woman should therefore be contented, and the man should not assume any improper superiority, since the whole arrangement and appointment is of God.
The words behind it
20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ὥσπερ | hosper | Just as | G5618 → | 36 times |
| γὰρ | gar | for | G1063 → | 1039 times |
| ἡ | he | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| γυνὴ | gune | woman | G1135 → | 211 times |
| ἐκ | ek | of | G1537 → | 911 times |
| τοῦ | tou | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀνδρὸς | andros | man [is] | G435 → | 216 times |
| οὕτως | houtos | so | G3779 → | 208 times |
| καὶ | kai | also | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ὁ | ho | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀνὴρ | aner | man | G435 → | 216 times |
| διὰ | dia | through | G1223 → | 664 times |
| τῆς | tes | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| γυναικός, | gunaikos | woman [is], | G1135 → | 211 times |
| τὰ | ta | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δὲ | de | however | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| πάντα | panta | all things | G3956 → | 1235 times |
| ἐκ | ek | of | G1537 → | 911 times |
| τοῦ | tou | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θεοῦ. | theou | God. | G2316 → | 1312 times |
ὥσπερJust as
hosperG5618 →36 times
γὰρfor
garG1063 →1039 times
ἡthe
heG3588 →19766 times
γυνὴwoman
guneG1135 →211 times
ἐκof
ekG1537 →911 times
τοῦthe
touG3588 →19766 times
ἀνδρὸςman [is]
androsG435 →216 times
οὕτωςso
houtosG3779 →208 times
καὶalso
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ὁthe
hoG3588 →19766 times
ἀνὴρman
anerG435 →216 times
διὰthrough
diaG1223 →664 times
τῆςthe
tesG3588 →19766 times
γυναικός,woman [is],
gunaikosG1135 →211 times
τὰthe
taG3588 →19766 times
δὲhowever
deG1161 →2765 times
πάνταall things
pantaG3956 →1235 times
ἐκof
ekG1537 →911 times
τοῦ<the>
touG3588 →19766 times
θεοῦ.God.
theouG2316 →1312 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
Romans 11:36For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen.
it leads to
- Colossians 1:15–17
The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
- 1 Corinthians 8:6
yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we exist. And there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and…
- Hebrews 2:10
In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting for God, for whom and through whom all things exist, to make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering.
- 1 Timothy 1:17
Now to the King eternal, immortal, and invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
- Colossians 1:15–17
Through
1 Corinthians 8:6yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we exist. And there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and…
it leads to
- Romans 11:36
For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen.
- John 1:3
Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made.
- Malachi 2:10
Do we not all have one Father? Did not one God create us? Why then do we break faith with one another so as to profane the covenant of our fathers?
- Romans 11:36
Through
Proverbs 16:4The LORD has made everything for His purpose—even the wicked for the day of disaster.
it leads to
- Isaiah 43:21
The people I formed for Myself will declare My praise.
- Isaiah 43:21
Where this verse is studied
About 1 Corinthians
This page draws on 13 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); Ambrosiaster, COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES; Augustine of Hippo, Commentary (church-history corpus); Charles Hodge, An Exposition of the First Epistle to the Corinthians; Frederic Godet, Commentary on First Corinthians; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on 1 Corinthians 26; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 1 Corinthians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on 1 Corinthians.