1 Corinthians 11

Become imitators of me. The head of every man is Christ, of the woman the man, of Christ God — a man praying with something down over his head and a woman praying uncovered put their head to shame. The woman ought to have authority on her head — yet in the Lord neither woman without man nor man without woman. When you come together there are splits — each takes his own supper beforehand, so it is not the Lord’s supper. In the night he was handed over the Lord took bread — this is my body — and the cup — the new covenant in my blood. Whoever eats and drinks unworthily is liable for the body and blood — let a man test himself. Wait for one another.

μιμηταί μου γίνεσθε, καθὼς κἀγὼ Χριστοῦ.

Become imitators of me, as I also am of Christ.

first here Christ Χριστός Christos

Ἐπαινῶ δὲ ⸀ὑμᾶς ὅτι πάντα μου μέμνησθε καὶ καθὼς παρέδωκα ὑμῖν τὰς παραδόσεις κατέχετε.

Now I commend you because you remember me in all things and hold the traditions as I handed them over to you.

θέλω δὲ ὑμᾶς εἰδέναι ὅτι παντὸς ἀνδρὸς ἡ κεφαλὴ ὁ Χριστός ἐστιν, κεφαλὴ δὲ γυναικὸς ὁ ἀνήρ, κεφαλὴ δὲ ⸀τοῦ Χριστοῦ ὁ θεός.

But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of a woman is the man, and the head of Christ is God.

πᾶς ἀνὴρ προσευχόμενος ἢ προφητεύων κατὰ κεφαλῆς ἔχων καταισχύνει τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ·

Every man praying or prophesying with something down over his head puts his head to shame;

Why this rendering

1Cor.11.4 Observation

Syntactic observation

πᾶς ἀνὴρ προσευχόμενος ἢ προφητεύων κατὰ κεφαλῆς ἔχων καταισχύνει τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ· πᾶσα δὲ γυνὴ … ἀκατακαλύπτῳ τῇ κεφαλῇ καταισχύνει τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτῆς — every man praying or prophesying with something down over his head puts his head to shame; and every woman … with her head uncovered puts her head to shame. κεφαλή (head) comes nine times in vv.3-10 — in v.3 the ‘head’ is Christ, the man, God; in vv.4-7 it is the head on the neck. The text has one word and so does this edition — that ‘head’ carries both senses is the shape of the passage. κατὰ κεφαλῆς ἔχων in v.4 has no object — ‘having (something) down over the head’; this edition supplies no ‘veil’. ἀκατακάλυπτος (uncovered) in v.5 and κατακαλύπτομαι (cover one’s head) in vv.6-7 occur in the New Testament only in this passage, and κείρω (shear; Acts 18:18) and ξυράομαι (shave; Acts 21:24) in v.6 are the two verbs of the vows in Acts. ἐξουσίαν ἔχειν ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς in v.10 is ‘to have authority on her head’ — there is no ‘sign’ in the text. This edition leaves the sentence in which the woman has authority as it stands and does not paraphrase ‘a sign of authority’. περιβόλαιον (mantle) in v.15 is the noun of περιβάλλω (wrap around; Matt 6:29).

Rendering options · 2

Adopted

“ought to have authority on her head” — as the text stands

Basis The subject who has ἐξουσία is the woman; ‘sign’ is not in the text.

“ought to have a sign of authority on her head”

Basis The familiar gloss, reading the covering as a sign of authority.

Rejected It adds a noun the text lacks and changes who has the authority.

Lost in translation

κεφαλή one word — the ‘head’ of v.3 (Christ, the man, God) and the ‘head’ of vv.4-7 (on the neck) are one word.

Survives in · this edition — 2 of the nine carry it (this language among them)

The empty object of κατὰ κεφαλῆς ἔχων (v.4) — English must write ‘something’.

Survives in · this edition — 1 of the nine carry it (not this language)

πᾶσα δὲ γυνὴ προσευχομένη ἢ προφητεύουσα ἀκατακαλύπτῳ τῇ κεφαλῇ καταισχύνει τὴν κεφαλὴν ⸀αὐτῆς, ἓν γάρ ἐστιν καὶ τὸ αὐτὸ τῇ ἐξυρημένῃ.

and every woman praying or prophesying with her head uncovered puts her head to shame, for it is one and the same as the woman who is shaved.

εἰ γὰρ οὐ κατακαλύπτεται γυνή, καὶ κειράσθω· εἰ δὲ αἰσχρὸν γυναικὶ τὸ κείρασθαι ἢ ξυρᾶσθαι, κατακαλυπτέσθω.

For if a woman does not cover her head, let her also be shorn; but if it is shameful for a woman to be shorn or shaved, let her cover her head.

ἀνὴρ μὲν γὰρ οὐκ ὀφείλει κατακαλύπτεσθαι τὴν κεφαλήν, εἰκὼν καὶ δόξα θεοῦ ὑπάρχων· ⸀ἡ γυνὴ δὲ δόξα ἀνδρός ἐστιν.

For a man ought not to cover his head, being the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of the man.

οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ἀνὴρ ἐκ γυναικός, ἀλλὰ γυνὴ ἐξ ἀνδρός·

For man is not from woman, but woman from man;

καὶ γὰρ οὐκ ἐκτίσθη ἀνὴρ διὰ τὴν γυναῖκα, ἀλλὰ γυνὴ διὰ τὸν ἄνδρα.

for indeed man was not created because of the woman, but woman because of the man.

διὰ τοῦτο ὀφείλει ἡ γυνὴ ἐξουσίαν ἔχειν ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς διὰ τοὺς ἀγγέλους.

Because of this the woman ought to have authority on her head, because of the angels.

πλὴν οὔτε ⸂γυνὴ χωρὶς ἀνδρὸς οὔτε ἀνὴρ χωρὶς γυναικὸς⸃ ἐν κυρίῳ·

But neither is woman apart from man nor man apart from woman, in the Lord;

ὥσπερ γὰρ ἡ γυνὴ ἐκ τοῦ ἀνδρός, οὕτως καὶ ὁ ἀνὴρ διὰ τῆς γυναικός· τὰ δὲ πάντα ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ.

for as the woman is from the man, so also the man is through the woman; but all things are from God.

ἐν ὑμῖν αὐτοῖς κρίνατε· πρέπον ἐστὶν γυναῖκα ἀκατακάλυπτον τῷ θεῷ προσεύχεσθαι;

Judge among yourselves: is it fitting for a woman to pray to God uncovered?

⸀οὐδὲ ⸂ἡ φύσις αὐτὴ⸃ διδάσκει ὑμᾶς ὅτι ἀνὴρ μὲν ἐὰν κομᾷ, ἀτιμία αὐτῷ ἐστιν,

Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a dishonour to him,

γυνὴ δὲ ἐὰν κομᾷ, δόξα αὐτῇ ἐστιν; ὅτι ἡ κόμη ἀντὶ περιβολαίου ⸀δέδοται.

but if a woman wears long hair it is a glory to her? Because the long hair has been given in place of a mantle.

εἰ δέ τις δοκεῖ φιλόνεικος εἶναι, ἡμεῖς τοιαύτην συνήθειαν οὐκ ἔχομεν, οὐδὲ αἱ ἐκκλησίαι τοῦ θεοῦ.

But if anyone thinks himself to be contentious — we have no such custom, nor do the assemblies of God.

Τοῦτο δὲ ⸂παραγγέλλων οὐκ ἐπαινῶ⸃ ὅτι οὐκ εἰς τὸ κρεῖσσον ἀλλὰ εἰς τὸ ἧσσον συνέρχεσθε.

Now in charging this I do not commend you, because you come together not for the better but for the worse.

πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ συνερχομένων ὑμῶν ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ ἀκούω σχίσματα ἐν ὑμῖν ὑπάρχειν, καὶ μέρος τι πιστεύω.

For first, when you come together in assembly, I hear that there are splits among you, and in part I believe it.

δεῖ γὰρ καὶ αἱρέσεις ἐν ὑμῖν εἶναι, ἵνα ⸀καὶ οἱ δόκιμοι φανεροὶ γένωνται ἐν ὑμῖν.

For there must also be sects among you, so that the approved may become manifest among you.

συνερχομένων οὖν ὑμῶν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ οὐκ ἔστιν κυριακὸν δεῖπνον φαγεῖν,

So when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord’s supper;

Why this rendering

1Cor.11.20 Observation

Syntactic observation

οὐκ εἰς τὸ κρεῖσσον ἀλλὰ εἰς τὸ ἧσσον συνέρχεσθε … ἀκούω σχίσματα ἐν ὑμῖν ὑπάρχειν … δεῖ γὰρ καὶ αἱρέσεις ἐν ὑμῖν εἶναι … οὐκ ἔστιν κυριακὸν δεῖπνον φαγεῖν, ἕκαστος γὰρ τὸ ἴδιον δεῖπνον προλαμβάνει — you come together not for the better but for the worse … I hear that there are splits among you … for there must also be sects among you … it is not to eat the Lord’s supper; for each one takes his own supper beforehand. συνέρχομαι (come together) comes five times, in vv.17, 18, 20, 33, 34 — the frame of the passage. σχίσμα (split; 1:10) and αἵρεσις (sect; Acts 5:17, the sect of the Sadducees) stand side by side — the first is the word for cloth tearing (Mark 2:21), the second the word for choosing a party. κυριακὸν δεῖπνον is ‘the Lord’s supper’ — δεῖπνον is the word of Matt 23:6 (‘suppers’) and Mark 6:21 (Herod ‘made a supper’), and the same word as ‘his own supper’ in v.21. This edition does not write ‘banquet’ or ‘communion’: the point is that ‘the Lord’s supper’ in v.20 and ‘his own supper’ in v.21 are one word set against each other. κυριακός (the Lord’s) has two New Testament sites (Rev 1:10, ‘the Lord’s day’). προλαμβάνω is the verb of Mark 14:8, ‘anointed beforehand’. κρεῖσσον/ἧσσον in v.17 (better/worse) is a comparative pair.

Rendering options · 2

Adopted

“the Lord’s supper / his own supper” — δεῖπνον one word

Basis As fixed in Matt 23:6 and Mark 6:21; vv.20 and 21 are set against each other in one word.

“the Lord’s Supper / his own meal”

Basis The familiar liturgical term.

Rejected One word becomes two and the contrast of ‘the Lord’s’ with ‘his own’ disappears.

Lost in translation

δεῖπνον (vv.20, 21) — ‘the Lord’s supper / his own supper’ keep one word.

Survives in · this edition — 2 of the nine carry it (this language among them)

σχίσμα ↔ αἵρεσις (vv.18-19) — ‘splits / sects’ keeps the two words apart.

Survives in · this edition — 2 of the nine carry it (this language among them)

ἕκαστος γὰρ τὸ ἴδιον δεῖπνον προλαμβάνει ἐν τῷ φαγεῖν, καὶ ὃς μὲν πεινᾷ, ὃς δὲ μεθύει.

for in the eating each one takes his own supper beforehand, and one is hungry and another is drunk.

μὴ γὰρ οἰκίας οὐκ ἔχετε εἰς τὸ ἐσθίειν καὶ πίνειν; ἢ τῆς ἐκκλησίας τοῦ θεοῦ καταφρονεῖτε, καὶ καταισχύνετε τοὺς μὴ ἔχοντας; τί ⸂εἴπω ὑμῖν⸃; ἐπαινέσω ὑμᾶς; ἐν τούτῳ οὐκ ἐπαινῶ.

Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the assembly of God, and put to shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I commend you? In this I do not commend you.

Ἐγὼ γὰρ παρέλαβον ἀπὸ τοῦ κυρίου, ὃ καὶ παρέδωκα ὑμῖν, ὅτι ὁ κύριος Ἰησοῦς ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ ᾗ ⸀παρεδίδετο ἔλαβεν ἄρτον

For I received from the Lord what I also handed over to you, that the Lord Jesus, in the night in which he was being handed over, took bread,

first here Jesus Ἰησοῦς Iēsous

καὶ εὐχαριστήσας ἔκλασεν καὶ ⸀εἶπεν· Τοῦτό μού ἐστιν τὸ σῶμα τὸ ὑπὲρ ⸀ὑμῶν· τοῦτο ποιεῖτε εἰς τὴν ἐμὴν ἀνάμνησιν.

and having given thanks he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

ὡσαύτως καὶ τὸ ποτήριον μετὰ τὸ δειπνῆσαι, λέγων· Τοῦτο τὸ ποτήριον ἡ καινὴ διαθήκη ἐστὶν ἐν τῷ ἐμῷ αἵματι· τοῦτο ποιεῖτε, ὁσάκις ⸀ἐὰν πίνητε, εἰς τὴν ἐμὴν ἀνάμνησιν.

Likewise also the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

Why this rendering

1Cor.11.25 Observation

Syntactic observation

Ἐγὼ γὰρ παρέλαβον ἀπὸ τοῦ κυρίου, ὃ καὶ παρέδωκα ὑμῖν, ὅτι ὁ κύριος Ἰησοῦς ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ ᾗ παρεδίδετο ἔλαβεν ἄρτον … Τοῦτο τὸ ποτήριον ἡ καινὴ διαθήκη ἐστὶν ἐν τῷ ἐμῷ αἵματι — for I received from the Lord what I also handed over to you, that the Lord Jesus, in the night in which he was being handed over, took bread … this cup is the new covenant in my blood. Verse 23 has παραλαμβάνω (receive), παραδίδωμι (hand over) and παραδίδωμι passive (be handed over) in one verse — handing over a tradition and handing over Jesus (Matt 26:15, Judas’ verb) are one word. This edition does not write ‘betrayed’ — ‘the night in which he was being handed over’. The words of vv.24-25 are almost those of Luke 22:19-20 — ‘do this in remembrance of me’ (εἰς τὴν ἐμὴν ἀνάμνησιν) stands in both and not in Matthew or Mark. ἡ καινὴ διαθήκη ἐν τῷ ἐμῷ αἵματι in v.25 is ‘the new covenant in my blood’ — there is no verb such as ‘established’ in the text. The base text marks a variant after ⸀ὑμῶν in v.24 — some manuscripts add ‘broken’. καταγγέλλω in v.26 (announce) is the verb of Acts 3:24 and 1 Cor 9:14 — ‘you announce the death of the Lord … until he comes’. ὁσάκις (as often as) comes twice, in vv.25 and 26.

Rendering options · 2

Adopted

“the night in which he was being handed over” — παραδίδωμι as in Judas’ verb

Basis As fixed in Matt 26:15 and Rom 4:25; the same word as ‘handed over’ (the tradition) in the same verse stays visible.

“the night in which he was betrayed”

Basis The familiar rendering.

Rejected The text’s word is ‘hand over’; ‘betray’ is a gloss and cuts the link to ‘handed over’ earlier in v.23.

Lost in translation

παρέλαβον ↔ παρέδωκα ↔ παρεδίδετο (v.23) — all three carry the same prefix; ‘received / handed over / handed over’ joins only the last two.

this edition — none of the nine carries it (measured)

εἰς τὴν ἐμὴν ἀνάμνησιν — the same phrase as Luke 22:19, ‘in remembrance of me’.

Survives in · this edition — 2 of the nine carry it (this language among them)

ὁσάκις γὰρ ⸀ἐὰν ἐσθίητε τὸν ἄρτον τοῦτον καὶ τὸ ⸀ποτήριον πίνητε, τὸν θάνατον τοῦ κυρίου καταγγέλλετε, ἄχρι ⸀οὗ ἔλθῃ.

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you announce the death of the Lord — until he comes.

Ὥστε ὃς ἂν ἐσθίῃ τὸν ⸀ἄρτον ἢ πίνῃ τὸ ποτήριον τοῦ κυρίου ⸀ἀναξίως, ἔνοχος ἔσται τοῦ σώματος καὶ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ κυρίου.

So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will be liable for the body and the blood of the Lord.

δοκιμαζέτω δὲ ἄνθρωπος ἑαυτόν, καὶ οὕτως ἐκ τοῦ ἄρτου ἐσθιέτω καὶ ἐκ τοῦ ποτηρίου πινέτω·

But let a man test himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup;

ὁ γὰρ ἐσθίων καὶ ⸀πίνων κρίμα ἑαυτῷ ἐσθίει καὶ πίνει μὴ διακρίνων τὸ ⸀σῶμα.

for the one who eats and drinks eats and drinks judgement to himself if he does not distinguish the body.

διὰ τοῦτο ἐν ὑμῖν πολλοὶ ἀσθενεῖς καὶ ἄρρωστοι καὶ κοιμῶνται ἱκανοί.

Because of this many among you are weak and sick, and a good many are falling asleep.

εἰ ⸀δὲ ἑαυτοὺς διεκρίνομεν, οὐκ ἂν ἐκρινόμεθα·

But if we distinguished ourselves, we would not be judged;

Why this rendering

1Cor.11.31 Observation

Syntactic observation

κρίμα ἑαυτῷ ἐσθίει καὶ πίνει μὴ διακρίνων τὸ σῶμα … εἰ δὲ ἑαυτοὺς διεκρίνομεν, οὐκ ἂν ἐκρινόμεθα· κρινόμενοι δὲ ὑπὸ κυρίου παιδευόμεθα, ἵνα μὴ σὺν τῷ κόσμῳ κατακριθῶμεν — eats and drinks judgement to himself if he does not distinguish the body … if we distinguished ourselves, we would not be judged; but being judged by the Lord we are chastised, so that we may not be condemned with the world. Verses 29-34 are woven from one root, that of κρίνω: κρίμα (judgement; vv.29, 34), διακρίνω (distinguish; vv.29, 31), κρίνω (be judged; vv.31, 32), κατακρίνω (be condemned; v.32). The text raises four words by changing only the prefix; English judgement / distinguish / judged / condemned cannot keep the root through all four — a recorded loss. κρίνω here is the Lord’s act, so it takes the ‘judge’ of Rom 2:16, apart from ‘you judge’ (people) in 10:15. ἀναξίως in v.27 (unworthily) is the adverb of ἀνάξιος in 6:2. ἔνοχος in v.27 is the word of Mark 3:29, ‘held in an eternal sin’ — ‘liable for the body and the blood of the Lord’. κοιμῶνται in v.30 is the ‘fall asleep’ of John 11:11 and 1 Cor 7:39 — not advanced to ‘die’. παιδεύω in v.32 is Pilate’s ‘chastise’ in Luke 23:16.

Rendering options · 2

Adopted

“are falling asleep” — κοιμῶνται as fixed in John 11:11

Basis One word, one rendering; the text speaks of death as sleep.

“have died”

Basis The familiar rendering that advances the meaning.

Rejected Not the text’s word, and it erases the grain that John 11:11-13 makes visible.

Lost in translation

κρίμα · διακρίνω · κρίνω · κατακρίνω (vv.29-34) — one root, four words; ‘judgement / distinguish / judged / condemned’ cannot keep the root through all four.

this edition — none of the nine carries it (measured)

κοιμῶνται (v.30) — ‘fall asleep’ stands as one word with John 11:11 and 7:39.

Survives in · this edition — 2 of the nine carry it (this language among them)

κρινόμενοι δὲ ⸀ὑπὸ κυρίου παιδευόμεθα, ἵνα μὴ σὺν τῷ κόσμῳ κατακριθῶμεν.

but being judged by the Lord we are chastised, so that we may not be condemned with the world.

Ὥστε, ἀδελφοί μου, συνερχόμενοι εἰς τὸ φαγεῖν ἀλλήλους ἐκδέχεσθε.

So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another.

⸀εἴ τις πεινᾷ, ἐν οἴκῳ ἐσθιέτω, ἵνα μὴ εἰς κρίμα συνέρχησθε. Τὰ δὲ λοιπὰ ὡς ἂν ἔλθω διατάξομαι.

If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, so that you may not come together for judgement. And the rest I will direct when I come.