The Meaning of 1 Corinthians 10:24 Explained

1 Corinthians 10:24

KJV: Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth.

YLT: let no one seek his own -- but each another's.

Darby: Let no one seek his own advantage, but that of the other.

ASV: Let no man seek his own, but each his neighbor's good .

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Let  no man  seek  his own,  but  every man  another's  [wealth]. 

What does 1 Corinthians 10:24 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The well-being of one"s neighbor is of primary importance. The exercise of all one"s liberties is of secondary importance (cf. Romans 15:2; Philippians 2:4). The Corinthians viewed their freedom as an opportunity to pursue their own interests. Paul viewed it as an opportunity to benefit and build up another person.

Context Summary

1 Corinthians 10:23-33 - "do All To The Glory Of God"
There seems to be a, clear distinction in the Apostle's directions between feasting in an idol temple on the one hand, and the acceptance of an invitation to a private house, as in 1 Corinthians 10:25; 1 Corinthians 10:27, on the other. The believer in Christ knew that an idol was nothing in itself, and the fact of food having been offered before a shrine did not make it better or worse. It was a common practice, and meant nothing so far as Christian disciples were concerned. But if an unbeliever were to make the meal a test of faith, by reminding believers that in partaking of such food they were implicitly partners in heathen rites, then there was no course but to refuse and abstain.
In every meal and act we must so conduct ourselves that praise and honor may redound to God. The thankful enjoyment of God's gifts of food, which constitutes the essence of a Christian meal, must always be subordinated to our consideration of the religious scruples of others; and we must avoid doing anything which would blunt and injure their faith. Though our intelligence may give us a wide liberty in regard to personal conduct, we must allow a check to be placed on it by the thoughtfulness of Christian love. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Corinthians 10

1  The sacraments of the Jews are types of ours;
7  and their punishments,
11  examples for us
13  We must flee from idolatry
21  We must not make the Lord's table the table of demons;
24  and in all things we must have regard for our brothers

Greek Commentary for 1 Corinthians 10:24

Let no man seek his own [μηδεις το εαυτου ζητειτω]
This is Paul‘s rule for social relations (1 Corinthians 13:5; Galatians 6:2; Romans 14:7; Romans 15:2; Philemon 2:1.) and is the way to do what is expedient and what builds up. [source]
His neighbour‘s good [το του ετερου]
Literally, “the affair of the other man.” Cf. τον ετερον — ton heteron in Romans 13:8 for this idea of ετερος — heteros like ο πλησιον — ho plēsion (the nigh man, the neighbour) in Romans 15:2. This is loving your neighbour as yourself by preferring your neighbour‘s welfare to your own (Philemon 2:4). [source]
Another's wealth [τὸ τοῦ ἑτέρου]
Lit., that which is the other's. Wealth, inserted by A.V. is used in the older English sense of well-being. See on Acts 19:25. The A.V. also ignores the force of the article, the other. Rev., much better, his neighbor's good. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for 1 Corinthians 10:24

1 Corinthians 13:5 Seeketh not its own [ου ζητει τα εαυτης]
Its own interests (1 Corinthians 10:24, 1 Corinthians 10:33). Is not provoked (ου παροχυνεται — ou paroxunetai). Old word. In N.T. only here and Acts 17:16 which see. Irritation or sharpness of spirit. And yet Paul felt it in Athens (exasperation) and he and Barnabas had παροχυσμος — paroxusmos (paroxysm) in Antioch (Acts 15:39). See good sense of παροχυσμος — paroxusmos in Hebrews 10:24. Taketh not account of evil Old verb from λογος — logos to count up, to take account of as in a ledger or notebook, “the evil” (το κακον — to kakon) done to love with a view to settling the account. [source]
1 Corinthians 6:1 Having a matter against his neighbour [πραγμα εχων προς τον ετερον]
Forensic sense of πραγμα — pragma (from πρασσω — prassō to do, to exact, to extort as in Luke 3:13), a case, a suit (Demosthenes 1020, 26), with the other or the neighbour as in 1 Corinthians 10:24; 1 Corinthians 14:17; Galatians 6:4; Romans 2:1. Go to law (κρινεσται — krinesthai). Present middle or passive (ch. Romans 3:4) in the same forensic sense as κριτηναι — krithēnai in Matthew 5:40. Κριτης — Kritēs judge, is from this verb. Before the unrighteous This use of επι — epi with the genitive for “in the presence of” is idiomatic as in 2 Corinthians 7:14, επι Τιτου — epi Titou in the case of Titus. The Jews held that to bring a lawsuit before a court of idolaters was blasphemy against the law. But the Greeks were fond of disputatious lawsuits with each other. Probably the Greek Christians brought cases before pagan judges. [source]

What do the individual words in 1 Corinthians 10:24 mean?

No one the [good] of himself let seek but that of the other
μηδεὶς τὸ ἑαυτοῦ ζητείτω ἀλλὰ τὸ τοῦ ἑτέρου

μηδεὶς  No  one 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: μηδείς 
Sense: nobody, no one, nothing.
τὸ  the  [good] 
Parse: Article, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἑαυτοῦ  of  himself 
Parse: Reflexive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἑαυτοῦ  
Sense: himself, herself, itself, themselves.
ζητείτω  let  seek 
Parse: Verb, Present Imperative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ζητέω  
Sense: to seek in order to find.
τὸ  that 
Parse: Article, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
τοῦ  of  the 
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἑτέρου  other 
Parse: Adjective, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: ἀλλοιόω 
Sense: the other, another, other.