1 Corinthians 10:24

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

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(24) But every man another’s wealth.—Better, but each one another’s good. The English word “wealth” has, in process of time, come to bear a limited significance, such as did not originally belong to it. By “wealth” we now mean temporal possessions or advantage; it originally meant “good,” including more especially “moral welfare,” as in the collect for the Queen in the Prayer Book, “Grant her in health and wealth long to live.”

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

10:23-33 There were cases wherein Christians might eat what had been offered to idols, without sin. Such as when the flesh was sold in the market as common food, for the priest to whom it had been given. But a Christian must not merely consider what is lawful, but what is expedient, and to edify others. Christianity by no means forbids the common offices of kindness, or allows uncourteous behaviour to any, however they may differ from us in religious sentiments or practices. But this is not to be understood of religious festivals, partaking in idolatrous worship. According to this advice of the apostle, Christians should take care not to use their liberty to the hurt of others, or to their own reproach. In eating and drinking, and in all we do, we should aim at the glory of God, at pleasing and honouring him. This is the great end of all religion, and directs us where express rules are wanting. A holy, peaceable, and benevolent spirit, will disarm the greatest enemies.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Let no man seek his own - This should be properly interpreted of the matter under discussion, though the direction assumes the form of a general principle. Originally it meant, "Let no man, in regard to the question about partaking of the meat offered in sacrifice to idols, consult his own pleasure, happiness, or convenience; but let him, as the leading rule on the subject, ask what will be for the welfare of others. Let him not gratify his own taste and inclinations, regardless of their feelings, comfort, and salvation; but let him in these things have a primary reference to their welfare." He may dispense with these things without danger or injury; He cannot indulge in them without endangering the happiness or purity of others. His duty therefore requires him to abstain. The injunction, however, has a general form, and is applicable to all Christians, and to all cases "of a similar kind." It does not mean that a man is not in any instance to regard his own welfare, happiness, or salvation; it does not mean that a man owes no duty to himself or family; or that he should neglect all these to advance the welfare of others; but the precept means, that "in cases like that under consideration," when there is no positive law, and when a man's example would have a great influence, he should be guided in his conduct, not by a reference to his own ease, comfort or gratification, but by a reference to the purity and salvation of others. And the observance of this simple rule would make a prodigious change in the church and the world.

But every man another's wealth - The word "wealth" is not in the Greek. Literally, "that which is of another;" the word τὸ to referring to anything and everything that pertains to his comfort, usefulness, happiness, or salvation - The sentiment of the whole is, "when a man is bound and directed by no positive law, his grand rule should be the comfort and salvation of others." This is a simple rule; it might be easily applied; and this would be a sort of balance-wheel in the various actions and plans of the world. If every man would adopt this rule, he could not be in much danger of going wrong; he would be certain that he would not live in vain.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

24. (1Co 10:33; 1Co 13:5; Ro 15:1, 2).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

It is the duty of every one who is a disciple of Christ, not merely to look at his own pleasure or profit, but the profit and advantage of others.

Charity seeketh not her own, ( saith the apostle, 1 Corinthians 13:5), that is, it seeketh not its own with the prejudice of another. So as admit that in this practice there were nothing looked like idolatry and impiety towards God, yet charity or love to your brethren ought to deter you.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Let no man seek his own,.... His carnal pleasure and private advantage in eating things sacrificed to "idols", to the hurt and disadvantage of his brethren; otherwise it is lawful for a man to seek his own good, temporal, spiritual, and eternal, to seek for the necessaries of life, his spiritual peace and comfort, and his everlasting welfare and happiness; but then he should not only seek his own,

but every man another's wealth, or "that which is another's"; for the word "wealth" is not in the original text. The apostle's meaning is, that a man, in the use of things indifferent, should not seek the gratifying of his sensual appetite or other passions, what may be pleasing or profitable to himself; but should consult the profit and edification of others.

Geneva Study Bible

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

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Meyer's NT Commentary

1 Corinthians 10:24. Let no one be striving to satisfy his own interest, but, etc. Comp 1 Corinthians 10:33. We must not impair the ideal, to which this rule gives absolute expression (otherwise in Php 2:4), by supplying μόνον and καί, as Grotius and others do. See rather Romans 15:1 f. Even the limitation to the question in hand about sacrificial feasts (Pott), or to the adiaphora in general (Billroth, de Wette, Osiander), is unwarranted; for the special duty of the οἰκοδομεῖν is included under this quite general rule, the application of which to the matter in dispute is not to come till afterwards.

After ἀλλά we are mentally to supply ἕκαστος from the preceding μηδείς. See Bernhardy, p. 458; Stallbaum, a[1700] Plat. Symp. p. 192 E, Rep. p. 366 C; Buttmann, neut. Gr. p. 336 [E. T. 392].

[1700] d refers to the note of the commentator or editor named on the particular passage.

Expositor's Greek Testament

1 Corinthians 10:24. With μηδεὶς τ. ἑαυτοῦ κ.τ.λ. cf. 1 Corinthians 13:5, Romans 14:7; Romans 15:2, Galatians 6:2, Php 2:1 ff. After ἀλλὰ understand ἕκαστος, from the previous μηδείς: cf. the ellipsis in 1 Corinthians 3:1; 1 Corinthians 3:7, 1 Corinthians 7:19 (Bm[1544], p. 392). For ὁ ἕτερος (= ὁ πλησίον, Romans 15:2), wider than ὁ ἀδελφός (1 Corinthians 8:11; cf. 1Co 8:27 f.)—“the other” in contrast with oneself—see parls.; Gr[1545] idiom prefers “the other” where we say “others“.—τὸ ἑαυτοῦ, τὸ τοῦ ἑτέρου implies some definite good—“his own, the other’s interest”: a N.T. h. l.; the pl[1546] elsewhere in such connexion (cf. Matthew 22:21).

[1544] A. Buttmann’s Grammar of the N.T. Greek (Eng. Trans., 1873).

[1545] Greek, or Grotius’ Annotationes in N.T.

[1546] plural.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

24. Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth] Rather, the profit of his neighbour. Cf. Romans 15:1-3; Php 2:4. The conclusion is moral, not positive. No rule is laid down about eating or not eating any kind of food as a matter of importance in itself. With such things the Gospel has no concern. What St Paul does prescribe, relates to the effect of our conduct upon others. See Romans 14 throughout It will thus happen in our case, as in that of the Apostle, that what may be quite wrong under one set of circumstances may be quite right in another, as in Galatians 2:3 and Acts 16:1. See also notes on ch. 8. It may be interesting to remark how these questions were treated by the theologians of later times. Estius gives several examples of the casuistry of the Latin Fathers. St Augustine decides the case of those who, pressed by hunger, might be tempted to eat of food in an idol temple when quite alone, by saying that if they know it to have been offered to idols, they must refuse it. St Jerome decides that the invocation of idols and dæmons makes such food unclean. St Gregory commends the virtue of some unlettered Christians who preferred rather to be slain than to eat meats offered to idols which their Lombard captors endeavoured to force upon them. The Greek Father St Chrysostom, however, remarks that St Paul does not suffer the Christian to question what it is he buys, but simply to eat whatever comes from the market

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 24. - But every man another's wealth. The addition of the word "wealth" is very infelicitous. Rather, as in the Revised Version, but each his neighbour's good (comp. ver. 33 and Romans 15:2). 1 Corinthians 10:24

Vincent's Word Studies

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.