1 Corinthians 3:19
New International Version
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness";

New Living Translation
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As the Scriptures say, “He traps the wise in the snare of their own cleverness.”

English Standard Version
For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,”

Berean Standard Bible
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness.”

Berean Literal Bible
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it has been written: "He is the One catching the wise in their craftiness."

King James Bible
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.

New King James Version
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their own craftiness”;

New American Standard Bible
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the sight of God. For it is written: “He is THE ONE WHO CATCHES THE WISE BY THEIR CRAFTINESS”;

NASB 1995
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, “He is THE ONE WHO CATCHES THE WISE IN THEIR CRAFTINESS";

NASB 1977
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, “He is THE ONE WHO CATCHES THE WISE IN THEIR CRAFTINESS”;

Legacy Standard Bible
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, “He is THE ONE WHO CATCHES THE WISE IN THEIR CRAFTINESS”;

Amplified Bible
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness (absurdity, stupidity) before God; for it is written [in Scripture], “[He is] THE ONE WHO CATCHES THE WISE and CLEVER IN THEIR CRAFTINESS;”

Christian Standard Bible
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God, since it is written, He catches the wise in their craftiness;

Holman Christian Standard Bible
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God, since it is written: He catches the wise in their craftiness;

American Standard Version
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He that taketh the wise in their craftiness:

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
For the wisdom of this world is nonsense to God, for it is written: “He has seized the wise in their craftiness.”

Contemporary English Version
This is because God considers the wisdom of this world to be foolish. It is just as the Scriptures say, "God catches the wise when they try to outsmart him."

Douay-Rheims Bible
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written: I will catch the wise in their own craftiness.

English Revised Version
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He that taketh the wise in their craftiness:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The wisdom of this world is nonsense in God's sight. That's why Scripture says, "God catches the wise in their cleverness."

Good News Translation
For what this world considers to be wisdom is nonsense in God's sight. As the scripture says, "God traps the wise in their cleverness";

International Standard Version
For the wisdom of this world is nonsense in God's sight. For it is written, "He catches the wise with their own trickery,"

Literal Standard Version
for the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God, for it has been written: “Who is taking the wise in their craftiness”;

Majority Standard Bible
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness.”

New American Bible
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God, for it is written: “He catches the wise in their own ruses,”

NET Bible
For the wisdom of this age is foolishness with God. As it is written, "He catches the wise in their craftiness."

New Revised Standard Version
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,”

New Heart English Bible
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, "He traps the wise in their craftiness."

Webster's Bible Translation
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.

Weymouth New Testament
This world's wisdom is "foolishness" in God's sight; for it is written, "He snares the wise with their own cunning."

World English Bible
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He has taken the wise in their craftiness.”

Young's Literal Translation
for the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God, for it hath been written, 'Who is taking the wise in their craftiness;'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Worldly Wisdom
18Let no one deceive himself. If any of you thinks he is wise in this age, he should become a fool, so that he may become wise. 19For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness.” 20And again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.”…

Cross References
Job 5:13
He catches the wise in their craftiness, and sweeps away the plans of the cunning.

Proverbs 14:8
The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way, but the folly of fools deceives them.

Proverbs 21:30
There is no wisdom, no understanding, no counsel that can prevail against the LORD.

1 Corinthians 1:20
Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

1 Corinthians 4:6
Brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us not to go beyond what is written. Then you will not take pride in one man over another.

Ephesians 4:14
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed about by the waves and carried around by every wind of teaching and by the clever cunning of men in their deceitful scheming.

James 3:15
Such wisdom does not come from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.


Treasury of Scripture

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He takes the wise in their own craftiness.

the wisdom.

1 Corinthians 1:19,20
For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent…

1 Corinthians 2:6
Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:

Isaiah 19:11-14
Surely the princes of Zoan are fools, the counsel of the wise counsellers of Pharaoh is become brutish: how say ye unto Pharaoh, I am the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings? …

For.

Job 5:13
He taketh the wise in their own craftiness: and the counsel of the froward is carried headlong.

He.

Exodus 1:10
Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land.

Exodus 18:11
Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them.

2 Samuel 15:31
And one told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O LORD, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.

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Catches Craftiness Cunning Designs Folly Foolish Foolishness God's Holy Secret Sight Snares Wisdom Wise World World's Writings Written
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Catches Craftiness Cunning Designs Folly Foolish Foolishness God's Holy Secret Sight Snares Wisdom Wise World World's Writings Written
1 Corinthians 3
1. Milk is fit for children.
3. Strife and division, arguments of a fleshly mind.
7. He who plants and He who waters are nothing.
9. The ministers are God's fellow workmen.
11. Christ the only foundation.
16. You are the temples of God, which must be kept holy.
19. The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.














(19) With God.--Better, in the sight of God (Romans 2:13).

For it is written.--By two passages, one from Job, and the other from the Psalms, St. Paul proves the truth of his previous assertion regarding God's estimate of mere "worldly wisdom." It may be noticed that with the exception of the reference in James 5:11 to the "proverbial patience" of Job, of which the writer says "ye have heard" (not read), this is the only allusion to the book of Job or to Job in the New Testament.

Verse 19. - The wisdom of this world. Here the word for "world" is kosmos, in the last verse it was alert. Kosmos is the world regarded objectively; aion the world regarded in its moral and intellectual aspect. He that taketh the wise in their craftiness. This is one of the few references to the Book of Job in the New Testament. It comes from the speech of Eliphaz in Job 5:13, but St. Paul substitutes the words "clutching" (drassomenos) and "craftiness" (panourgia) for the milder katalabon and phronesei of the LXX.

Parallel Commentaries ...


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

the
(hē)
Article - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

wisdom
σοφία (sophia)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 4678: Wisdom, insight, skill (human or divine), intelligence. From sophos; wisdom.

of this
τούτου (toutou)
Demonstrative Pronoun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 3778: This; he, she, it.

world
κόσμου (kosmou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2889: Probably from the base of komizo; orderly arrangement, i.e. Decoration; by implication, the world (morally).

is
ἐστιν (estin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

foolishness
μωρία (mōria)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3472: Folly, absurdity, foolishness. From moros; silliness, i.e. Absurdity.

in God’s sight.
παρὰ (para)
Preposition
Strong's 3844: Gen: from; dat: beside, in the presence of; acc: alongside of.

[As]
γάρ (gar)
Conjunction
Strong's 1063: For. A primary particle; properly, assigning a reason.

it is written:
γέγραπται (gegraptai)
Verb - Perfect Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1125: A primary verb; to 'grave', especially to write; figuratively, to describe.

“He
(Ho)
Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

catches
δρασσόμενος (drassomenos)
Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1405: To take hold of, grasp, catch. Perhaps akin to the base of drakon; to grasp, i.e. entrap.

the
τοὺς (tous)
Article - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

wise
σοφοὺς (sophous)
Adjective - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 4680: Wise, learned, cultivated, skilled, clever. Akin to saphes; wise.

in
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.

their
αὐτῶν (autōn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

craftiness.”
πανουργίᾳ (panourgia)
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3834: Shrewdness, skill; hence: cunning, craftiness. From panougos; adroitness, i.e. trickery or sophistry.


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NT Letters: 1 Corinthians 3:19 For the wisdom of this world is (1 Cor. 1C iC 1Cor i cor icor)
1 Corinthians 3:18
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