1 Corinthians 11:21
New International Version
for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers. As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk.

New Living Translation
For some of you hurry to eat your own meal without sharing with others. As a result, some go hungry while others get drunk.

English Standard Version
For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk.

Berean Standard Bible
For as you eat, each of you goes ahead without sharing his meal. While one remains hungry, another gets drunk.

Berean Literal Bible
For in eating, one takes first the own supper. And indeed this one is hungry, but that one is drunken.

King James Bible
For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.

New King James Version
For in eating, each one takes his own supper ahead of others; and one is hungry and another is drunk.

New American Standard Bible
for when you eat, each one takes his own supper first; and one goes hungry while another gets drunk.

NASB 1995
for in your eating each one takes his own supper first; and one is hungry and another is drunk.

NASB 1977
for in your eating each one takes his own supper first; and one is hungry and another is drunk.

Legacy Standard Bible
for in your eating each one takes his own supper first, and one is hungry and another is drunk.

Amplified Bible
for when you eat, each one hurries to get his own supper first [not waiting for others or the poor]. So one goes hungry while another gets drunk.

Christian Standard Bible
For at the meal, each one eats his own supper. So one person is hungry while another gets drunk!

Holman Christian Standard Bible
For at the meal, each one eats his own supper ahead of others. So one person is hungry while another gets drunk!

American Standard Version
for in your eating each one taketh before other his own supper; and one is hungry, and another is drunken.

Contemporary English Version
You even start eating before everyone gets to the meeting, and some of you go hungry, while others get drunk.

English Revised Version
for in your eating each one taketh before other his own supper; and one is hungry, and another is drunken.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Each of you eats his own supper [without waiting for each other]. So one person goes hungry and another gets drunk.

Good News Translation
For as you eat, you each go ahead with your own meal, so that some are hungry while others get drunk.

International Standard Version
For as you eat, each of you rushes to eat his own supper, and one person goes hungry while another gets drunk.

Majority Standard Bible
For as you eat, each of you goes ahead without sharing his meal. While one remains hungry, another gets drunk.

NET Bible
For when it is time to eat, everyone proceeds with his own supper. One is hungry and another becomes drunk.

New Heart English Bible
For in your eating each one takes his own supper first. One is hungry, and another is drunk.

Webster's Bible Translation
For in eating every one taketh before another his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.

Weymouth New Testament
for it is his own supper of which each of you is in a hurry to partake, and one eats like a hungry man, while another has already drunk to excess.

World English Bible
For in your eating each one takes his own supper first. One is hungry, and another is drunken.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
for each takes his own dinner before in the eating, and one is hungry, and another is drunk;

Berean Literal Bible
For in eating, one takes first the own supper. And indeed this one is hungry, but that one is drunken.

Young's Literal Translation
for each his own supper doth take before in the eating, and one is hungry, and another is drunk;

Smith's Literal Translation
For each takes his own supper in eating: and one is truly hungry, and one is intoxicated.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
For every one taketh before his own supper to eat. And one indeed is hungry and another is drunk.

Catholic Public Domain Version
For each one first takes his own supper to eat. And as a result, one person is hungry, while another is inebriated.

New American Bible
for in eating, each one goes ahead with his own supper, and one goes hungry while another gets drunk.

New Revised Standard Version
For when the time comes to eat, each of you goes ahead with your own supper, and one goes hungry and another becomes drunk.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
But some men eat their supper before others: and so it happens that one is hungry and another is drunken.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But one or another eats his supper beforehand by himself and one has been hungry and one has been drunk!
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
for each one, in eating, takes before another, his own supper; and one is hungry, and another is drunken.

Godbey New Testament
for each one takes his own supper in eating; and one is hungry, and another is drunken.

Haweis New Testament
For one in the eating it taketh before another his own supper: and one is hungry, and another drinks to excess.

Mace New Testament
for in eating every one strives to take his own supper first, and while one is hungry, another is surfeited.

Weymouth New Testament
for it is his own supper of which each of you is in a hurry to partake, and one eats like a hungry man, while another has already drunk to excess.

Worrell New Testament
for, in your eating, each one takes his own supper before others; and one is hungry, and another is drunken!

Worsley New Testament
for in eating every one takes his own supper first; and one is hungry, and another is glutted.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Sharing in the Lord's Supper
20Now then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat. 21For as you eat, each of you goes ahead without sharing his meal. While one remains hungry, another gets drunk. 22Don’t you have your own homes in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What can I say to you? Shall I praise you for this? No, I will not!…

Cross References
Acts 2:44-46
All the believers were together and had everything in common. / Selling their possessions and goods, they shared with anyone who was in need. / With one accord they continued to meet daily in the temple courts and to break bread from house to house, sharing their meals with gladness and sincerity of heart,

James 2:15-16
Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. / If one of you tells him, “Go in peace; stay warm and well fed,” but does not provide for his physical needs, what good is that?

Galatians 2:12-13
For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself, for fear of those in the circumcision group. / The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray.

Romans 14:21
It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything to cause your brother to stumble.

Philippians 2:3-4
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves. / Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

1 Corinthians 10:17
Because there is one loaf, we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one loaf.

1 Corinthians 8:9-13
Be careful, however, that your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. / For if someone with a weak conscience sees you who are well informed eating in an idol’s temple, will he not be encouraged to eat food sacrificed to idols? / So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. ...

Luke 14:12-14
Then Jesus said to the man who had invited Him, “When you host a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or brothers or relatives or rich neighbors. Otherwise, they may invite you in return, and you will be repaid. / But when you host a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind, / and you will be blessed. Since they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

Matthew 25:35-40
For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you took Me in, / I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you visited Me.’ / Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? ...

1 John 3:17-18
If anyone with earthly possessions sees his brother in need, but withholds his compassion from him, how can the love of God abide in him? / Little children, let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth.

Proverbs 22:9
A generous man will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor.

Isaiah 58:7
Isn’t it to share your bread with the hungry, to bring the poor and homeless into your home, to clothe the naked when you see him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

Ezekiel 18:7
He does not oppress another, but restores the pledge to the debtor. He does not commit robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing.

Deuteronomy 15:7-11
If there is a poor man among your brothers within any of the gates in the land that the LORD your God is giving you, then you are not to harden your heart or shut your hand from your poor brother. / Instead, you are to open your hand to him and freely loan him whatever he needs. / Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought in your heart: “The seventh year, the year of release, is near,” so that you look upon your poor brother begrudgingly and give him nothing. He will cry out to the LORD against you, and you will be guilty of sin. ...

Leviticus 19:9-10
When you reap the harvest of your land, you are not to reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. / You must not strip your vineyard bare or gather its fallen grapes. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the LORD your God.


Treasury of Scripture

For in eating every one takes before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.

in.

1 Corinthians 11:23-25
For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: …

1 Corinthians 10:16-18
The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? …

and one.

2 Peter 2:13
And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;

Jude 1:12
These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;

Jump to Previous
Ahead Already Anybody Drink Drunk Drunken Eat Eating Eats Enough Excess First Food Gets Goes Hungry Hurry Meal Partake Supper Waiting Worse
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Ahead Already Anybody Drink Drunk Drunken Eat Eating Eats Enough Excess First Food Gets Goes Hungry Hurry Meal Partake Supper Waiting Worse
1 Corinthians 11
1. He reproves them, because in holy assemblies,
4. their men prayed with their heads covered,
6. and women with their heads uncovered;
17. and because generally their meetings were not for the better, but for the worse;
21. as, namely, in profaning with their own feast the Lord's supper.
25. Lastly, he calls them to the first institution thereof.














For as you eat
This phrase sets the context for the communal meal, which in the early church often included the Lord's Supper. The Greek word for "eat" (ἐσθίω, esthió) implies a regular, habitual action. Historically, the early Christians gathered for agape feasts, which were meant to be a time of fellowship and unity. However, Paul is addressing a deviation from this ideal, where the act of eating has become self-centered rather than communal.

each of you goes ahead
The phrase "goes ahead" (προλαμβάνω, prolambanó) suggests a premature action, indicating that individuals were starting the meal without waiting for others. This behavior reflects a lack of consideration and respect for fellow believers. In the cultural context of Corinth, a city known for its social stratification, this action could exacerbate divisions within the church, contradicting the unity that the Lord's Supper symbolizes.

without sharing his meal
The absence of sharing (ἴδιον δεῖπνον, idion deipnon) highlights a selfish attitude. The term "meal" (δεῖπνον, deipnon) refers to the main meal of the day, which in the context of the early church, was meant to be a communal event. The failure to share contradicts the essence of Christian fellowship and the teachings of Christ, who emphasized love and selflessness.

While one remains hungry
This phrase underscores the inequality present during the gatherings. The Greek word for "hungry" (πεινάω, peinaó) indicates a lack of basic sustenance. In the socio-economic context of Corinth, this could reflect the disparity between the wealthy and the poor within the church. Paul's concern is that the church should be a place where such disparities are addressed, not ignored.

another gets drunk
The word "drunk" (μεθύω, methuó) implies excessive indulgence. This behavior is not only inappropriate for a sacred gathering but also highlights a disregard for the spiritual significance of the Lord's Supper. In the broader scriptural context, drunkenness is often associated with a lack of self-control and moral decay, which are contrary to the fruits of the Spirit.

(21) For.--Here follows a description of the conduct and mode of proceeding at this feast, which renders it impossible, as stated in 1Corinthians 11:20, for it to be a Lord's Supper. Every one greedily seizes (takes before distribution is made) what he has brought with him, and appropriates it to his own individual use, instead of making it a contribution to the general and common supply. Every one comes to eat his own supper, and not the Lord's Supper. And the result is that while some poor man, who has not been able to bring enough for himself, remains unfed, some rich man, drinking the wine which he brought, and which he has not shared with others, is drunken. (See Note on 1Corinthians 11:34.)

Verse 21. - For in eating; rather, in your eating. Every one. All who have themselves contributed a share to the common meal. Taketh before other his own supper. It is as if they had come together only to eat, not to partake of a holy sacrament. The abuse rose from the connection of the Lord's Supper with the agape, or love feast, a social gathering of Christian brothers, to which each, as in the Greek eranoi, or "club feasts," contributed his share. The abuse led to the separation of the agape from the Holy Communion, and ultimately to the entire disuse of the former at religious gatherings. One is hungry. The poor man, who has been unable to contribute to the meal which was intended to be an exhibition of Christian love, looked on with grudging eyes and craving appetite, while the rich had more than enough. Is drunken. "St. Paul draws the picture in strong colours, and who can say that the reality was less strong?" (Meyer). Calvin says, "It is portentous that Satan should have accomplished so much in so short a time." But the remark was, perhaps, dictated by the wholly mistaken fancy that the Church of the apostolic days was exceptionally pure. On the contrary, many of the heathen converts were unable at once to break the spell of their old habits, and few modern Churches present a spectacle so deplorable as that which we here find in the apostolic Church of Corinth. It is quite obvious that Church discipline must have been almost in abeyance if such grave scandals could exist uncorrected and apparently unreproved.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
For
γὰρ (gar)
Conjunction
Strong's 1063: For. A primary particle; properly, assigning a reason.

as
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

you eat,
φαγεῖν (phagein)
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active
Strong's 5315: A primary verb; to eat.

many [of you]
ἕκαστος (hekastos)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1538: Each (of more than two), every one. As if a superlative of hekas; each or every.

proceed with
προλαμβάνει (prolambanei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 4301: From pro and lambano; to take in advance, i.e. eat before others have an opportunity; to anticipate, surprise.

[your]
τὸ (to)
Article - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

own
ἴδιον (idion)
Adjective - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 2398: Pertaining to self, i.e. One's own; by implication, private or separate.

meal {to the exclusion of others}.
δεῖπνον (deipnon)
Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 1173: A dinner, an afternoon or evening meal. From the same as dapane; dinner, i.e. The chief meal.

While
μὲν (men)
Conjunction
Strong's 3303: A primary particle; properly, indicative of affirmation or concession; usually followed by a contrasted clause with de.

[one]
ὃς (hos)
Personal / Relative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3739: Who, which, what, that.

remains hungry,
πεινᾷ (peina)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 3983: To be hungry, needy, desire earnestly. From the same as penes; to famish; figuratively, to crave.

[another]
ὃς (hos)
Personal / Relative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3739: Who, which, what, that.

gets drunk.
μεθύει (methyei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 3184: To be intoxicated with wine, be drunk. From another form of methe; to drink to intoxication, i.e. Get drunk.


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NT Letters: 1 Corinthians 11:21 For in your eating each one takes (1 Cor. 1C iC 1Cor i cor icor)
1 Corinthians 11:20
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