1 Corinthians 11:9
in 1 Corinthians 11Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
for neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man:
KJV
Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.
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This verse in 1 Corinthians 11
Commentary
11 notes on this verseHe sets forth the reasons why the husband has preeminence over the wife, namely: the wife was created from his rib, and he was not created for her, but she for him. For it is said: "Let us make him a helper" (Gen. 2:18). How …
This site's exposition
he is the image and glory of God
on 1 Corinthians 11:7-9
For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man: Paul grounds the practice in Genesis 1:27 and 2:18-23 rather than in Corinth's fashions alone, man and woman both bearing God's image while standing in a created order Paul reads as significant for worship's outward form. For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man: neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man: the appeal to the order and manner of creation, Eve formed from Adam and for his companionship, is the passage's own stated reason, offered without disparagement of the woman's equal standing before God, which verse 11 will state directly. The bench notes that Paul argues from creation precisely because the practice he commends is meant to reflect something more permanent than local custom, whatever view is taken of how far the covering itself is bound to that culture.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
Since then he is the image of the Creator (for He, when looking on Christ His Word, who was to become man, said, "Let us make man in our own image, after our likeness" ), how can I possibly have another head but Him whose image I am?
Then, having affirmed his point, he states again other reasons and causes also, leading thee to the first creation, and saying thus: "For the man is not of the woman, but the woman of the man." But if to be of any one, is a glory to him of whom one is, much more the being an image of him. "For neither was the man created for the woman, but the woman for the man." This is again a second superiority, nay, rather also a third, and a fourth, the first being, that Christ is the head of us, and we of the woman; a second, that we are the glory of God, but the woman of us; a third, that we are not of the woman, but she of us; a fourth, that we are not for her, but she for us.
A commentator
Theodoret of CyrusCOMMENTARY ON THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS 234 · Written before 458.
proposed
This is all that is needed to demonstrate the primacy of the man, for the woman was created to serve him, not the other way round.
The Medieval Church1 voice
Then when he says, Neither, he assigns the reason for what he had said. To understand this it should be noted that the order of the perfect and of the imperfect is such that in one and the same subject the imperfect precedes the perfect …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Neither was the man created for the woman,....
4 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Neither was the man created for the woman ... - This is a simple statement of what is expressed in Genesis. The woman was made for the comfort and happiness of the man. Not to be a slave, but a help-meet; not to be the minister of his pleasures, but to be his aid and comforter in life; not to be regarded as of inferior nature and rank, but to be his friend, to divide his sorrows, and to multiply and extend his joys; yet still to be in a station subordinate to him.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Just as the Church, the bride, is made for Christ; and yet in both the natural and the spiritual creations, the bride, while made for the bridegroom, in fulfilling that end, attains her own true "glory," and brings "shame" and "dishonor" on herself by any departure from it (1Co 11:4, 6).
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
"Express image," Greek, "the impress." The Divine Son is not merely "like" God, He is God of God, "being of one substance (essence) with the Father." [Nicene Creed]. woman . . . glory of . . . man--He does not say, also, "the image of the man." For the sexes differ: moreover, the woman is created in the image of God, as well as the man (Ge 1:26, 27).
Neither was the man created, etc. - Και γαρ ουκ εκτισθη· for the man was not created upon the woman’s account. The reason is plain from what is mentioned above; and from the original creation of woman she was made for the man, to be his proper or suitable helper.
The words behind it
13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| καὶ | kai | Truly | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| γὰρ | gar | for | G1063 → | 1039 times |
| οὐκ | ouk | not | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| ἐκτίσθη | ektisthe | was created | G2936 → | |
| ἀνὴρ | aner | man | G435 → | 216 times |
| διὰ | dia | on account of | G1223 → | 664 times |
| τὴν | ten | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| γυναῖκα | gunaika | woman | G1135 → | 211 times |
| ἀλλὰ | alla | but | G235 → | 635 times |
| γυνὴ | gune | woman | G1135 → | 211 times |
| διὰ | dia | on account of | G1223 → | 664 times |
| τὸν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἄνδρα· | andra | man; | G435 → | 216 times |
καὶTruly
kaiG2532 →9120 times
γὰρfor
garG1063 →1039 times
οὐκnot
oukG3756 →1664 times
ἐκτίσθηwas created
ektistheG2936 →
ἀνὴρman
anerG435 →216 times
διὰon account of
diaG1223 →664 times
τὴνthe
tenG3588 →19766 times
γυναῖκαwoman
gunaikaG1135 →211 times
ἀλλὰbut
allaG235 →635 times
γυνὴwoman
guneG1135 →211 times
διὰon account of
diaG1223 →664 times
τὸνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
ἄνδρα·man;
andraG435 →216 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
6 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
Genesis 2:18The LORD God also said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make for him a suitable helper.”
it leads to
- Ecclesiastes 4:9–12
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor.
- Proverbs 18:22
He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the LORD.
- 1 Corinthians 11:7–12
A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man.
- 1 Peter 3:7
Husbands, in the same way, treat your wives with consideration as a delicate vessel, and with honor as fellow heirs of the gracious gift of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.
- Ruth 3:1
One day Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi said to her, “My daughter, should I not seek a resting place for you, that it may be well with you?
- Ecclesiastes 4:9–12
Through
Genesis 2:20The man gave names to all the livestock, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam no suitable helper was found.
it leads to
- Genesis 2:18
The LORD God also said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make for him a suitable helper.”
- Genesis 2:18
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 1 Corinthians
This page draws on 10 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); 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); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Tertullian, Against Marcion Book V; Theodoret of Cyrus, COMMENTARY ON THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS 234; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 1 Corinthians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on 1 Corinthians.