1 Corinthians 12:23
in 1 Corinthians 12and the parts we consider less honorable, we treat with greater honor. And our unpresentable parts are treated with special modesty,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and those parts of the body, which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness;
KJV
And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.
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This verse in 1 Corinthians 12
Commentary
11 notes on this verseHe will love the flesh which is, so very closely and in so many ways, His neighbour-(He will love it), although infirm, since His strength is made perfect in weakness; although disordered, since "they that are whole need not the physician, but they that are sick; " although not honourable, since "we bestow more abundant honour upon the less honourable members; " although ruined, since He says, "I am come to save that which was lost; " although sinful, since He says, "I desire rather the salvation of the sinner than his death; " although condemned, for says He, "I shall wound, and also heal.
This site's exposition
And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee
on 1 Corinthians 12:21-24
And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you: the discontented member of the earlier verses gives way to the proud member, and both errors are answered by the same body. Verse 22 turns the argument over completely, the members that seem more feeble are necessary, and verse 23 names the further honor Corinth's own culture would have withheld, the uncomely parts clothed with more abundant comeliness by the church's own deliberate care. God himself set the pattern first, verse 24 says, tempering the body together and giving more abundant honor to the part which lacked, so that a congregation's care for its weaker members imitates a design God built into every human body before the church existed.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
Because our feet are lowly and lacking in dignity, we adorn them with shoes. It is clear that our private parts, which are thought to be shameful, cover themselves with respectability by avoiding public display, so as not to obtrude irreverently. Likewise, some of the …
Just as it is good to use evils well, so it is honest to use the unseemly well. Not because of the beauty of the divine work, but because of the ugliness of lust, the apostle calls these members of the body unseemly. The chaste are not bound by a necessity to depravity, for they resist lust lest it compel them to commit unseemly acts. Yet not even honorable procreation can exist without lust. In this way in chaste spouses there is both the voluntary, in the procreation of offspring, and the necessary, in lust. Honesty arises from unseemliness when chaste union accepts, but does not love, lust.
"Nay, much rather those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble are necessary: And those parts of the body which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness." In every clause adding the term "body," and thereby both consoling the one and checking the other. "For I affirm not this only," saith he, "that the greater have need of the less, but that they have also much need. Since if there be any thing weak in us, if any thing dishonorable, this is both necessary and enjoys greater honor." And he well said, "which seem," and, "which we think;" pointing out that the judgment arises not from the nature of the things, but from the opinion of the many. For nothing in us is dishonorable, seeing it is God's work. Thus what in us is esteemed less honorable than our genital members? Nevertheless, they enjoy greater honor. And the very poor, even if they have the rest of the body naked, cannot endure to exhibit those members naked. Yet surely this is not the condition of things dishonorable; but it was natural for them to be despised rather than the rest. For so in a house the servant who is dishonored, so far from enjoying greater attention, hath not even an equal share vouchsafed him. By the same rule likewise, if this member were dishonorable, instead of having greater privileges it ought not even to enjoy the same: whereas now it hath more honor for its portion: and this too the wisdom of God hath effected. For to some parts by their nature He hath given not to need it: but to others, not having granted it by their nature, He hath compelled us to yield it. Yet are they not therefore dishonorable. […]
The Medieval Church2 voices
Then when he says, and those parts of the body, he compares the members as far as external adornment is concerned: first, he mentions the different things applied to different members; secondly, he assigns the cause of the difference (v. 24b). The external adornment applied …
A commentator
Bernard of ClairvauxSermons on the Song of Songs, Sermon 50 · Written before 1153.
proposed
For actual charity prefers inferior things, affectual prefers superior things. For indeed in a well-affected mind there is no doubt, for example, that the love of God is set before the love of man; and among men themselves, the more perfect before the weaker, heaven …
4 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
Now he proves that the members considered lesser are both useful and necessary; for they only seem lesser, but are not so in reality. What then are these members that appear weaker and more dishonorable, yet are necessary? Some say these are the reproductive organs, …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And those members of the body,....
He tells us that the church is the body of Christ, and the members are variously gifted for the benefit of the whole body, and each particular member,
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
We bestow more abundant honour - Margin, “Put on.” The words rendered “abundant honor” here, refer to clothing. We bestow upon them more attention and honor then we do on the face that is deemed comely, and that is not covered and adorned as the other parts of the body are. More abundant comeliness - We adorn and decorate the body with frivilous apparel. Those parts which decency requires us to conceal we not only cover, but we endeavor as far as we can to adorn them. The face in the mean time we leave uncovered.
The words behind it
18 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 | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἃ | ha | those which | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| δοκοῦμεν | dokoumen | we think | G1380 → | 62 times |
| ἀτιμότερα | atimotera | less honorable | G820 → | |
| εἶναι | einai | to be | G1511 → | 123 times |
| τοῦ | tou | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| σώματος, | somatos | body, | G4983 → | 142 times |
| τούτοις | toutois | these | G3778 → | 1381 times |
| τιμὴν | timen | honor | G5092 → | 41 times |
| περισσοτέραν | perissoteran | more excessive | G4055 → | 9 times |
| περιτίθεμεν, | peritithemen | we bestow, | G4060 → | |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| τὰ | ta | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀσχήμονα | aschemona | unpresentable [parts] | G809 → | |
| ἡμῶν | hemon | of us | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| εὐσχημοσύνην | euschemosunen | decorum | G2157 → | |
| περισσοτέραν | perissoteran | more excessive | G4055 → | 9 times |
| ἔχει· | echei | have; | G2192 → | 707 times |
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἃthose which
haG3739 →1405 times
δοκοῦμενwe think
dokoumenG1380 →62 times
ἀτιμότεραless honorable
atimoteraG820 →
εἶναιto be
einaiG1511 →123 times
τοῦof the
touG3588 →19766 times
σώματος,body,
somatosG4983 →142 times
τούτοιςthese
toutoisG3778 →1381 times
τιμὴνhonor
timenG5092 →41 times
περισσοτέρανmore excessive
perissoteranG4055 →9 times
περιτίθεμεν,we bestow,
peritithemenG4060 →
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
τὰthe
taG3588 →19766 times
ἀσχήμοναunpresentable [parts]
aschemonaG809 →
ἡμῶνof us
hemonG3165 →1936 times
εὐσχημοσύνηνdecorum
euschemosunenG2157 →
περισσοτέρανmore excessive
perissoteranG4055 →9 times
ἔχει·have;
echeiG2192 →707 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
Genesis 3:21And the LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and He clothed them.
it leads to
- Isaiah 61:10
I will rejoice greatly in the LORD, my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with garments of salvation and wrapped me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom…
- 2 Corinthians 5:21
God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.
- 2 Corinthians 5:2–3
For in this tent we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling,
- Genesis 3:7
And the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; so they sewed together fig leaves and made coverings for themselves.
- Isaiah 61:10
Through
Genesis 3:7And the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; so they sewed together fig leaves and made coverings for themselves.
it leads to
- Genesis 2:25
And the man and his wife were both naked, and they were not ashamed.
- Isaiah 59:6
Their cobwebs cannot be made into clothing, and they cannot cover themselves with their works. Their deeds are sinful deeds, and acts of violence are in their hands.
- Genesis 3:5
“For God knows that in the day you eat of it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
- Job 9:29–31
Since I am already found guilty, why should I labor in vain?
- Genesis 2:25
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 1 Corinthians
This page draws on 12 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrosiaster, COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES; Augustine of Hippo, AGAINST JULIAN 5.9.37; Bernard of Clairvaux, Sermons on the Song of Songs, Sermon 50; Charles Hodge, An Exposition of the First Epistle to the Corinthians; Frederic Godet, Commentary on First Corinthians; John Chrysostom, Homily on 1 Corinthians 31; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Tertullian, On the Resurrection of the Flesh; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 1 Corinthians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on 1 Corinthians.