The Meaning of 1 Corinthians 16:13 Explained

1 Corinthians 16:13

KJV: Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.

YLT: Watch ye, stand in the faith; be men, be strong;

Darby: Be vigilant; stand fast in the faith; quit yourselves like men; be strong.

ASV: Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Watch ye,  stand fast  in  the faith,  quit you like men,  be strong. 

What does 1 Corinthians 16:13 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Corinthians 16:13-24 - Exhortations And Salutations
The Apostle was careful to cultivate friendship, one of the priceless gifts of God; and he was very generous not only in his references to his friends, but also in his dealings with them. Because Timothy was deficient in virile strength, Paul was always contriving to make his way easier; and though Apollos had drawn away some of his converts, the Apostle was desirous for him to visit Corinth again. Nor could he forget the household which had yielded him the first fruits. His solitude had been greatly cheered by the advent of the Corinthian deputation. Human love is a revelation of the divine; an earthen pitcher which God fills with heavenly treasure; a chalice holding the wine of life.
Notice the flaming forth of Paul's passionate love for Christ. He felt that any who failed to love Him must be accursed in disposition and soul; and would be accursed at his coming, like the barren tree standing in the midst of an orchard of fruit trees, crowned with blossom or heavy with fruit. Maran atha!-our Lord cometh. He will put right the wrongs of time, and crown His faithful servants with honor and glory. Hallelujah [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Corinthians 16

1  He exhorts them to a collection for the brothers at Jerusalem
10  Commends Timothy;
13  and after friendly admonitions,
16  concludes his epistle with various salutations

Greek Commentary for 1 Corinthians 16:13

Watch ye [γρηγορειτε]
Stay awake. Late present from εγρηγορα — egrēgora second perfect of εγειρω — egeirō to awake. [source]
Quit you like men [ανδριζεστε]
Play the man. Middle voice, show yourselves men. From ανηρ — anēr a man. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for 1 Corinthians 16:13

John 1:26 Standeth [ἕστηκεν]
The best texts read στήκει , a verb which is kindred to ἕστηκεν , but with the added sense of firm, persistent standing. Thus, stand fast (1 Corinthians 16:13; Galatians 5:1: Philemon 1:27). The verb emphasizes the firm, dignified attitude of Christ. [source]
Galatians 5:1 Did Christ set us free [ημας Χριστος ηλευτερωσεν]
Effective aorist active indicative of ελευτεροω — eleutheroō (from ερχομαι — erchomai to go, go free). Stand fast therefore (στηκετε ουν — stēkete oun). See Mark 3:31; 1 Corinthians 16:13 for this late word from perfect stem of ιστημι — histēmi “keep on standing therefore,” “stay free since Christ set you free.” Be not entangled again “Stop being held in by a yoke of bondage.” Common word for ensnare by trap. The Judaizers were trying to lasso the Galatians for the old yoke of Judaism. [source]
Galatians 5:1 Stand fast therefore [στηκετε ουν]
See Mark 3:31; 1 Corinthians 16:13 for this late word from perfect stem of ιστημι — histēmi “keep on standing therefore,” “stay free since Christ set you free.” [source]
Colossians 4:12 In all the will [ἐν παντὶ θελήματι]
Lit., in every will. Will means the thing willed, as Luke 12:47; 1Thessalonians href="/desk/?q=1th+5:18&sr=1">1 Thessalonians 5:18. Hence used sometimes in the plural, as Acts 13:22, shall do all my will ( θελήματα ), i.e., perform all the things willed by me. Ephesians 2:3, desires, strictly willings. So here the sense is, everything willed by God. The connection is apparently with σταθῆτε yemay stand. For a similar construction see John 8:44; Romans 5:2; 1 Corinthians 15:1; 1 Corinthians 16:13. As Meyer observes, this connection gives stand both a modal definition (perfect and fully assured) and a local definition (in all the will). [source]
1 Timothy 1:2 My own son in the faith [γνησίῳ τέκνῳ ἐν πίστει]
More correctly, “my true child in faith.” Comp. Titus 1:4. With these two exceptions, τέκνον or υἱός ἐν πίστει does not occur in N.T. Ἑν πίστει or τῇ πίστει is not come on Paul; see 1 Corinthians 16:13; 2 Corinthians 8:7; 2 Corinthians 13:5; Galatians 2:20; 2 Thessalonians 2:13. In the Pastorals, nine times. In Paul joined with ζῇν tolive, εἶναι tobe, στήκειν tostand, βεβαιοῦσθαι tobe established. For γνήσιος truesee 2 Corinthians 8:8; Philemon 2:20; Philemon 4:3. It means natural by birth-relation, therefore true or genuine. [source]

What do the individual words in 1 Corinthians 16:13 mean?

Watch you stand firm in the faith act like men be strong
Γρηγορεῖτε στήκετε ἐν τῇ πίστει ἀνδρίζεσθε κραταιοῦσθε

Γρηγορεῖτε  Watch  you 
Parse: Verb, Present Imperative Active, 2nd Person Plural
Root: γρηγορέω  
Sense: to watch.
στήκετε  stand  firm 
Parse: Verb, Present Imperative Active, 2nd Person Plural
Root: στήκω  
Sense: to stand firm.
πίστει  faith 
Parse: Noun, Dative Feminine Singular
Root: πίστις  
Sense: conviction of the truth of anything, belief; in the NT of a conviction or belief respecting man’s relationship to God and divine things, generally with the included idea of trust and holy fervour born of faith and joined with it.
ἀνδρίζεσθε  act  like  men 
Parse: Verb, Present Imperative Middle or Passive, 2nd Person Plural
Root: ἀνδρίζομαι  
Sense: to make a man of or make brave.
κραταιοῦσθε  be  strong 
Parse: Verb, Present Imperative Middle or Passive, 2nd Person Plural
Root: κραταιόω  
Sense: to strengthen, make strong.