Bible Strands
1 Corinthians 12:17
If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Paul addresses the Corinthian church to correct factionalism over spiritual gifts by extending a body metaphor. He responds to the ear’s claim of exclusion in the preceding verse by posing rhetorical questions about sensory loss.
The words — The Greek ὅλον σῶμα (holon sōma) translates literally to “whole body,” while ποῦ (pou) and ἀκοή (akoē) form the question “where would be the hearing?” Paul uses these terms to highlight the functional gap created if one organ monopolized the body.
The thread — This rhetorical pattern continues the argument in 1 Corinthians 12:16 and 18, while the theme of God’s intentional creation of physical faculties appears in Psalms 94:9 and Proverbs 20:12.
Why it lands — The text states that uniformity eliminates necessary functions and leaves the organism incomplete. It asks readers to accept their distinct roles without ranking them against others.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
Cross-references
- Psalms 139:13 For You formed my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb.
- Psalms 94:9 He who affixed the ear, can He not hear? He who formed the eye, can He not see?
- Proverbs 20:12 Ears that hear and eyes that see—the LORD has made them both.
- 1 Corinthians 12:21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I do not need you.” Nor can the head say to the feet, “I do not need you.”
- 1 Corinthians 12:29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles?
- 1 Samuel 9:9 (Formerly in Israel, a man on his way to inquire of God would say, “Come, let us go to the seer.” For the prophet of today was formerly called the seer.)