TRV
See on the biblical-era map
Study this verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers 1 Corinthians 9:3–14. His two-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Having asserted his apostolical authority, he proceeds to claim the rights belonging to his office, especially that of being maintained by it.
I.These he states, Co1 9:3-6.
"My answer to those that do examine me (that is, enquire into my authority, or the reasons of my conduct, if I am an apostle) is this: Have we not power to eat and drink (Co1 9:4), or a right to maintenance? Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas; and, not only to be maintained ourselves, but have them maintained also?" Though Paul was at that time single, he had a right to take a wife when he pleased, and to lead her about with him, and expect a maintenance for her, as well as himself, from the churches. Perhaps Barnabas had a wife, as the other apostles certainly had, and led them about with them. For that a wife is here to be understood by the sister - woman - adelphēn gunaika, is plain from this, that it would have been utterly unfit for the apostles to have carried about women with them unless they were wives. The word implies that they had power over them, and could require their attendance on them, which none could have over any but wives or servants. Now the apostles, who worked for their bread, do not seem to have been in a capacity to buy or have servants to carry with them. Not to observe that it would have raised suspicion to have carried about even women-servants, and much more other women to whom they were not married, for which the apostles would never give any occasion. The apostle therefore plainly asserts he had a right to marry as well as other apostles, and claim a maintenance for his wife, nay, and his children too, if he had any, from the churches, without labouring with his own hands to procure it. Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to for bear working? Co1 9:6. In short, the apostle here claims a maintenance from the churches, both for him and his. This was due from them, and what he might claim.
II.He proceeds, by several arguments, to prove his claim.
1.From the common practice and expectations of mankind. Those who addict and give themselves up to any way of business in the world expect to live out of it. Soldiers expect to be paid for their service. Husbandmen and shepherds expect to get a livelihood out of their labours. If they plant vineyards, and dress and cultivate them, it is with expectation of fruit; if they feed a flock, it is with the expectation of being fed and clothed by it! Who goeth a warfare at any time at his own charge? Who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not the fruit thereof? Who feedeth a flock, and eateth not the milk thereof? Co1 9:7-9. Note, It is very natural, and very reasonable, for ministers to expect a livelihood out of their labours.
2.He argues it out of the Jewish law: Say I these things as a man? Or saith not the law the same also? Co1 9:8. Is this merely a dictate of common reason and according to common usage only? No, it is also consonant to the old law. God had therein ordered that the ox should not be muzzled while he was treading out the corn, nor hindered from eating while he was preparing the corn for man's use, and treading it out of the ear. But this law was not chiefly given out of God's regard to oxen, or concern for them, but to teach mankind that all due encouragement should be given to those who are employed by us, or labouring for our good - that the labourers should taste of the fruit of their labours. Those who plough should plough in hope; and those who thresh in hope should be partakers of their hope, Co1 9:10. The law saith this about oxen for our sakes. Note, Those that lay themselves out to do our souls good should not have their mouths muzzled, but have food provided for them.
3.He argues from common equity: If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things? What they had sown was much better than they expected to reap. They had taught them the way to eternal life, and laboured heartily to put them in possession of it. It was no great matter, surely, while they were giving themselves up to this work, to expect a support of their own temporal life. They had been instruments of conveying to them the greater spiritual blessings; and had they no claim to as great a share in their carnal things as was necessary to subsist them? Note, Those who enjoy spiritual benefits by the ministry of the word should not grudge a maintenance to such as are employed in this work. If they have received a real benefit, one would think they could not grudge them this. What, get so much good by them, and yet grudge to do so little good to them! Is this grateful or equitable?
4.He argues from the maintenance they afforded others: "If others are partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? You allow others this maintenance, and confess their claim just; but who has so just a claim as I from the church of Corinth? Who has given greater evidence of the apostolic mission? Who had laboured so much for your good, or done like service among you?" Note, Ministers should be valued and provided for according to their worth. "Nevertheless," says the apostle, "we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ. We have not insisted on our right, but have rather been in straits to serve the interests of the gospel, and promote the salvation of souls." He renounced his right, rather than by claiming it he would hinder his success. He denied himself, for fear of giving offence; but asserted his right lest his self-denial should prove prejudicial to the ministry. Note, He is likely to plead most effectually for the rights of others who shows a generous disregard to his own. It is plain, in this case, that justice, and not self-love, is the principle by which he is actuated.
5.He argues from the old Jewish establishment: "Do you not know that those who minister about holy things live of the things of the temple, and those who wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? Co1 9:13. And, if the Jewish priesthood was maintained out of the holy things that were then offered, shall not Christ's ministers have a maintenance out of their ministry? Is there not as much reason that we should be maintained as they?" He asserts it to be the institution of Christ: "Even so hath the Lord ordained that those who preach the gospel should live of the gospel (Co1 9:14), should have a right to a maintenance, though not bound to demand it, and insist upon it." It is the people's duty to maintain their minister, by Christ's appointment, though it be not a duty bound on every minister to call for or accept it. He may waive his right, as Paul did, without being a sinner; but those transgress an appointment of Christ who deny or withhold it. Those who preach the gospel have a right to live by it; and those who attend on their ministry, and yet take no thought about their subsistence, fail very much in their duty to Christ, and respect owing to them.
Historical interpretation
Three Centuries of Reception
7 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
What was the use, however, of adducing the Creator's, which he was destroying? It was vain to do so; for his god had no such authority! (The apostle) says: "Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn," and adds: "Doth God take care of oxen? "Yes, of oxen, for the sake of men! For, says he, "it is written for our sakes.
But why enlarge on such a subject? When the very apostle whom our heretics adopt, interprets the law which allows an unmuzzled mouth to the oxen that tread out the corn, not of cattle, but of ourselves; and also alleges that the rock which followed (the Israelites) and supplied them with drink was Christ; teaching the Galatians, moreover, that the two narratives of the sons of Abraham had an allegorical meaning in their course; and to the Ephesians giving an intimation that, when it was declared in the beginning that a man should leave his father and mother and become one flesh with his wife, he applied this to Christ and the church.
But the new law's wont was to point to clemency, and to convert to tranquillity the pristine ferocity of "glaives" and "lances," and to remodel the pristine execution of "war" upon the rivals and foes of the law into the pacific actions of "ploughing" and "tilling" the land. Therefore as we have shown above that the coming cessation of the old law and of the carnal circumcision was declared, so, too, the observance of the new law and the spiritual circumcision has shone out into the voluntary obediences of peace.
God’s care was not only for the oxen but moreso for the apostles, for whose sake he uttered these words.
Let him use those tenths and first-fruits, which are given according to the command of God, as a man of God; as also let him dispense in a right manner the free-will offerings which are brought in on account of the poor, to the orphans, the widows, the afflicted, and strangers in distress, as having that God for the examiner of his accounts who has committed the disposition to him. Distribute to all those in want with righteousness, and yourselves use the things which belong to the Lord, but do not abuse them; eating of them, but not eating them all up by yourselves: communicate with those that are in want, and thereby show yourselves unblameable before God. For if you shall consume them by yourselves, you will be reproached by God, who says to such unsatiable people, who alone devour all, "You eat up the milk, and clothe yourselves with the wool;" [Ezekiel 34:3] and in another passage, "Must you alone live upon the earth"? [Isaiah 5:8] Upon which account you are commanded in the law, "You shall love your neighbour as yourself." [Leviticus 19:18] Now we say these things, not as if you might not partake of the fruits of your labours; for it is written, "You shall not muzzle the mouth of the ox which treads out the grain;" [Deuteronomy 25:4; 1 Corinthians 9:9] but that you should do it with moderation and righteousness. As, therefore, the ox that labours in the threshing-floor without a muzzle eats indeed, but does not eat all up; so do you who labour in the threshing-floor, that is, in the Church of God, eat of the Church: which was also the case of the Levites, who served in the tabernacle of the testimony, which was in all things a type of the Church.
"For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn."
And on what account hath he mentioned this, having the example of the priests? Wishing to establish it far beyond what the case required. Further, lest any should say, "And what have we to do with the saying about the oxen?" he works it out more exactly, saying, "Is it for the oxen that God careth;" Doth God then, tell me, take no care for oxen? Well, He doth take care of them, but not so as to make a law concerning such a thing as this. So that had he not been hinting at something important, training the Jews to mercy in the case of the brutes, and through these, discoursing with them of the teachers also; he would not have taken so much interest as even to make a law to forbid the muzzling of oxen.
Wherein he points out another thing likewise, that the labor of teachers both is and ought to be great.
And again another thing. What then is this? That whatever is said by the Old Testament respecting care for brutes, in its principal meaning bears on the instruction of human beings: as in fact do all the rest: the precepts, for example, concerning various garments; and those concerning vineyards and seeds and not making the ground bear divers crops, and those concerning leprosy; and, in a word, all the rest: for they being of a duller sort He was discoursing with them from these topics, advancing them by little and little.
And see how in what follows he doth not even confirm it, as being clear and self-evident. For having said, "Is it for the oxen that God careth?" he added, "or saith he it altogether for our sake?" Not adding even the "altogether" at random, but that he might not leave the hearer any thing whatever to reply.
And he dwells upon the metaphor, saying and declaring, "Yea for our sakes it was written, because he who ploweth ought to plow in hope;" i.e., the teacher ought to enjoy the returns of his labors; "and he that thresheth ought to thresh in hope of partaking." And observe his wisdom in that from the seed he transferred the matter to the threshing floor; herein also again manifesting the many toils of the teachers, that they in their own persons both plough and tread the floor. And of the ploughing, because there was nothing to reap, but labor only, he used the word, "hope;" but of treading the floor he presently allows the fruit, saying, "He that thresheth is a partaker of his hope."
Further, lest any should say, "Is this then the return for so many toils," he adds, "in hope," i.e., "which is to come." No other thing therefore doth the mouth of this animal being unmuzzled declare than this; that the teachers who labor ought also to enjoy some return.
These animals accomplish their life and purpose in this world according to the incomprehensible will of the Creator. They render no account of their deeds because they are not rational. “Is God concerned about oxen?” Human beings, however, because they have been made rational, will render an account to God for themselves and for all the things which they have received for use in this present life.
Continue studying 1 Corinthians 9:9 across the web’s major study libraries — every link below opens this exact verse, chapter, or book on the destination site.
Read & Compare
BibleGatewayThis verse in more than 200 translations and 70 languages.
Bible.comThe YouVersion reader — hundreds of translations, reading plans, and highlights.
ESV.orgCrossway's official English Standard Version reader.
NET BibleThe NET translation with 60,000+ translators' notes on every rendering decision.
STEP BibleTyndale House's free study tool — original text, vocabulary, and scholarly resources.
BibliaLogos Bible Software's free web reader.
USCCBThe New American Bible (Revised Edition) with the U.S. bishops' study notes.
Commentaries
BibleHub CommentariesDozens of classic commentaries on this verse, gathered on one page.
StudyLightMore than 100 commentary sets — the largest collection on the web.
BibleRefPlain-English commentary on what this verse means, verse by verse.
Enduring WordDavid Guzik's free commentary on this chapter, widely used by Bible teachers.
Bible Study ToolsVerse commentary alongside Greek and Hebrew study aids.
Original Language & Research
- BibleHub InterlinearThe verse word by word — original language, transliteration, and English.
- BibleHub LexiconEvery word's original-language definition and Strong's entry.
Blue Letter BibleDeep-study tools — Strong's numbers, concordance, and word studies.
CNTR CollationThe earliest Greek manuscripts of this verse, collated letter by letter.
Sermons, Hymns & Audio
TrulyRandomVerse is not affiliated with these sites and doesn’t control their content. They’re linked because they’re genuinely useful.
Summary
In 1 Corinthians 9:9, the Apostle Paul strategically quotes from Deuteronomy 25:4, the Mosaic Law concerning not muzzling an ox while it threshes grain, to bolster his argument for the legitimate right of gospel workers to receive financial support from those they serve. This verse serves as a powerful rhetorical question, challenging the Corinthians to consider whether God's primary concern in such a law was merely for animals, or if it pointed to a deeper, universal principle of justice and fair compensation for labor, particularly spiritual labor.
Context
Literary Context
This verse is embedded within Paul's extensive defense of his apostolic authority and rights in 1 Corinthians 9. Throughout the chapter, Paul asserts his legitimate claims as an apostle, including the right to financial support, to marry, and to be accompanied by a believing wife, similar to other apostles and the Lord's brothers (1 Corinthians 9:1-5). While he consistently chose not to exercise these rights to avoid hindering the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:12), he vehemently defends the principle that those who minister the spiritual blessings of the gospel are entitled to receive material support (1 Corinthians 9:11). The immediate context shows Paul using a series of analogies—a soldier, a planter, a shepherd—before appealing to the Old Testament Law, which he considers the highest authority.
Historical & Cultural Context
The practice of "treading out the corn" (or threshing) was a common and laborious agricultural method in the ancient Near East, including Israel. After harvest, grain stalks were spread on a threshing floor, and oxen would walk over them, often dragging a heavy sledge, to separate the grain from the chaff. This was vital work, and the law in Deuteronomy 25:4 explicitly forbade muzzling the ox during this process, allowing the animal to eat some of the grain as it worked. This was not merely a humane regulation, though it certainly was that; it also reflected a broader principle of justice and fair compensation for labor, ensuring that the worker (even an animal) could partake in the fruit of its toil. Paul leverages this well-understood cultural and legal norm to bridge a seemingly mundane agricultural practice to a profound theological principle.
Key Themes
Paul's use of this Old Testament law contributes to several key themes within 1 Corinthians and his broader theology. Firstly, it underscores the right to support for laborers in the gospel, establishing a divine precedent for fair compensation for spiritual service. Secondly, it highlights God's character of justice and care, demonstrating that divine law, even in its seemingly minor details, reflects God's concern for equitable treatment and the well-being of all who labor. The rhetorical question, "Doth God take care for oxen?", is not to deny God's general providence over creation (Matthew 6:26), but to emphasize that this specific law has a higher, human-centric application. Lastly, it exemplifies Paul's method of spiritual application of Old Testament Law, showing how principles embedded in the Mosaic covenant, even those pertaining to animals, are not merely literal commands but vehicles for profound spiritual and ethical truths applicable to the New Covenant community, revealing God's enduring moral order.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This primary particle, translated "For," functions to assign a reason or provide an explanation. Here, it introduces Paul's justification for the right of ministers to support, signaling that what follows is a foundational argument drawn from scripture. It connects the preceding discussion of apostolic rights to the divine principle about the ox.
Meaning "to muzzle" or "to gag," this verb directly refers to the act of preventing an animal from eating while it works. In the context of the law, it's about withholding the immediate fruit of labor from the laborer. Paul's choice of this word emphasizes the injustice of denying sustenance to one who is actively producing.
This verb, translated "treadeth out grain" or "thresh," describes the specific agricultural activity where oxen separate kernels from stalks. It vividly portrays the laborious nature of the work, which, by divine command, entitled the working animal to partake of the very produce it was processing.
Verse Breakdown
"For it is written in the law of Moses,"
Paul introduces the quotation by establishing its authoritative source: the Torah, specifically Deuteronomy 25:4. This immediately lends divine weight and irrefutable authority to his subsequent argument, grounding his defense of ministerial support in God's own revealed will.
"Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn."
This is a direct citation of the Old Testament command. It describes a practical agricultural regulation designed to ensure that an animal performing arduous labor is permitted to eat from the very crop it is helping to process. This seemingly simple command embodies a profound principle of justice: those who labor should benefit from their labor.
"Doth God take care for oxen?"
This is a rhetorical question, not meant to deny God's general care for all creation, but to highlight that the primary intent of this specific law was not solely about animal welfare. Paul implies that God's laws often have a deeper, higher application, especially concerning human beings and their labor. The question forces the listener to consider that if God cares enough to legislate for an animal's just compensation, how much more does He care for His human servants who labor in the spiritual harvest?
Literary Devices
Paul employs several significant literary devices in this verse. The most prominent is Allusion/Quotation, as he directly quotes Deuteronomy 25:4, grounding his argument in the authoritative Mosaic Law. Following this, he uses a powerful Rhetorical Question, "Doth God take care for oxen?", which is designed not to elicit a literal "yes" or "no" answer regarding God's care for animals, but to provoke deeper thought and lead the audience to the obvious conclusion: if God cares for oxen in this way, He certainly cares for human laborers, especially those who minister His Word. This rhetorical question also functions as an Argument from Lesser to Greater (A Fortiori), implying that if God's justice extends even to animals in their labor, it must apply with even greater force and certainty to human beings, particularly those engaged in the vital spiritual work of the gospel.
Theological and Thematic Connections
This verse profoundly illustrates God's character as a God of justice and equity, who ensures that labor is rewarded and that those who serve are sustained. It reveals that God's laws, even those seemingly mundane or focused on animals, are imbued with universal principles that transcend their immediate context, pointing to a divine concern for fairness in all forms of work and service. The principle that "the laborer deserves his wages" is deeply embedded in God's moral order, extending from the physical realm of agriculture to the spiritual realm of ministry. Paul masterfully demonstrates how the Old Testament, rightly interpreted, provides foundational wisdom for the New Covenant community, affirming that those who sow spiritual things have a right to reap material things.
Reflection and Application
1 Corinthians 9:9 offers timeless wisdom for both those who minister and those who are ministered to. For those engaged in Christian service, it affirms the divine legitimacy of receiving support, freeing them from guilt or shame in accepting it, while simultaneously challenging them to consider Paul's example of self-sacrifice when circumstances demand it. For the church community, it lays a clear biblical foundation for the responsibility to honor and financially support those who dedicate their lives to teaching, preaching, and leading. This principle extends beyond formal ministry, reminding all believers that God values hard work and expects fair compensation in all vocations. It calls us to reflect on how we value and support those who labor for our spiritual growth, and how we ourselves, as laborers in various fields, uphold principles of justice and equity in our own work and interactions. Ultimately, it encourages a deeper, Spirit-led understanding of Scripture, discerning the eternal principles woven into God's commands.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Was God only concerned about animal welfare in Deuteronomy 25:4?
While the law in Deuteronomy 25:4 certainly reflects God's compassionate concern for animals and their humane treatment, Paul's rhetorical question, "Doth God take care for oxen?", indicates that the law's primary purpose or deeper principle extends beyond mere animal welfare. Paul argues that God's intention was to establish a universal principle of justice: that those who labor should be allowed to partake in the fruit of their labor. If this principle applies to an animal, it applies with even greater force to human beings, especially those who labor in the spiritual harvest of the gospel. God uses a tangible, everyday example to teach a profound truth about fairness and compensation for work.
Does this verse only apply to pastors or full-time ministers?
While Paul specifically applies this principle to those who minister the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:11), the underlying principle of "the laborer deserves his wages" is a broader biblical truth. It is reiterated elsewhere in the New Testament concerning elders who rule well (1 Timothy 5:17-18) and those who teach the Word (Galatians 6:6). Therefore, while its immediate application in this context is to gospel workers, the principle reflects God's general concern for justice and fair compensation in all forms of labor. It teaches that anyone who works hard, especially for the benefit of others, should be justly sustained by their work.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
The principle articulated in 1 Corinthians 9:9, derived from the Mosaic Law, finds its ultimate fulfillment and deepest meaning in Christ. Jesus Himself, the ultimate laborer in God's harvest, embodied the principle of self-sacrifice while also affirming the right of His disciples to be supported in their ministry, declaring that "the laborer is worthy of his wages" (Luke 10:7). More profoundly, Christ is the One who, like the ox treading out the grain, labored tirelessly, not for His own sustenance, but for the spiritual nourishment of humanity. He "muzzled" Himself, not by being denied sustenance, but by willingly emptying Himself and taking the form of a servant (Philippians 2:7), enduring the cross for our sake (Hebrews 12:2). His work on the cross, the ultimate act of labor for our spiritual benefit, yields the harvest of salvation, from which we freely partake. Thus, the law concerning the ox foreshadows Christ's just and generous provision, not merely for His workers, but for all who believe, demonstrating God's ultimate care and justice in securing our eternal well-being through His Son.