GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
The wisdom of this world is nonsense in God's sight. That's why Scripture says, "God catches the wise in their cleverness."

King James Bible
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.

Douay-Rheims Bible
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written: I will catch the wise in their own craftiness.

Darby Bible Translation
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God; for it is written, He who takes the wise in their craftiness.

English Revised Version
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He that taketh the wise in their craftiness:

Webster's Bible Translation
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.

Weymouth New Testament
This world's wisdom is "foolishness" in God's sight; for it is written, "He snares the wise with their own cunning."

World English Bible
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, "He has taken the wise in their craftiness."

Young's Literal Translation
for the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God, for it hath been written, 'Who is taking the wise in their craftiness;'

Cross References

Job 5:13 "He captures the wise by their own shrewdness, And the advice of the cunning is quickly thwarted.

Proverbs 14:8 The wisdom of the sensible is to understand his way, But the foolishness of fools is deceit.

Proverbs 21:30 There is no wisdom and no understanding And no counsel against the LORD.

1 Corinthians 1:20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

1 Corinthians 4:6 Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that in us you may learn not to exceed what is written, so that no one of you will become arrogant in behalf of one against the other.

Ephesians 4:14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;

James 3:15 This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic.

Commentary

Matthew Henry's Whole Bible Commentary

Verses 18-20

Here he prescribes humility, and a modest opinion of themselves, for the remedy of the irregularities in the church of Corinth, the divisions and contests among them: "Let no man deceive himself, v. 18. Do not be led away from the truth and simplicity of the gospel by pretenders to science and eloquence, by a show of deep learning, or a flourish of words, by rabbis, orators, or philosophers." Note, We are in great danger of deceiving ourselves when we have too high an opinion of human wisdom and arts; plain and pure Christianity will be likely to be despised by those who can suit their doctrines to the corrupt taste of their hearers, and set them off with fine language, or support them with a show of deep and strong reasoning. But he who seems to be wise must become a fool that he may be wise. He must be sensible of his own ignorance, and lament it; he must distrust his own understanding, and not lean on it. To have a high opinion of our wisdom is but to flatter ourselves, and self-flattery is the very next step to self-deceit. The way to true wisdom is to sink our opinion of our own to a due level, and be willing to be taught of God. He must become a fool who would be truly and thoroughly wise. The person who resigns his own understanding, that he may follow the instruction of God, is in the way to true and everlasting wisdom. The meek will he guide in judgment, the meek will he teach his way, Ps. 25:9. He that has a low opinion of his own knowledge and powers will submit to better information; such a person may be informed and improved by revelation: but the proud man, conceited of his own wisdom and understanding, will undertake to correct even divine wisdom itself, and prefer his own shallow reasonings to the revelations of infallible truth and wisdom. Note, We must abase ourselves before God if we would be either truly wise or good: For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God, v. 19. The wisdom which worldly men esteem (policy, philosophy, oratory) is foolishness with God. It is so in a way of comparison with his wisdom. He chargeth his angels with folly (Job 4:18), and much more the wisest among the children of men. His understanding is infinite, Ps. 147:5. There can be no more comparison between his wisdom and ours than between his power and being and ours. There is no common measure by which to compare finite and infinite. And much more is the wisdom of man foolishness with God when set in competition with his. How justly does he despise, how easily can he baffle and confound it! He taketh the wise in their own craftiness (Job 5:13), he catches them in their own nets, and entangles them in their own snares: he turns their most studies, plausible, and promising schemes against themselves, and ruins them by their own contrivance. Nay, He knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain (v. 20), that they are vanity, Ps. 94:11. Note, God has a perfect knowledge of the thoughts of men, the deepest thoughts of the wisest men, their most secret counsels and purposes: nothing is hidden from him, but all things are naked and bare before him, Heb. 4:13. And he knows them to be vanity. The thoughts of the wisest men in the world have a great mixture of vanity, of weakness and folly, in them; and before God their wisest and best thoughts are very vanity, compared, I mean, with his thoughts of things. And should not all this teach us modesty, diffidence in ourselves, and a deference to the wisdom of God, make us thankful for his revelations, and willing to be taught of God, and not be led away by specious pretences to human wisdom and skill, from the simplicity of Christ, or a regard to his heavenly doctrine? Note, He who would be wise indeed must learn of God, and not set his own wisdom up in competition with God's.

Calvin's Commentary

16. Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

16. An nescitis, quod templum Dei estis et Spiritus Dei habitat in vobis?

17. If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

17. Si quis ternplum Dei corrumpit, [188] hunc perdet Deus. Templum enim Dei sanctum est, quod estis vos.

18. Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise,

18. Nemo se decipiat, si quis videtur sapiens esse inter vos: in saeculo hoc stultus fiat, [189] ut fiat sapiens.

19. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.

19. Sapientia enim mundi huius stultitia est apud Deum. Scriptum est enim (Job 5:13) Deprehendens sapientes in astutia sua.

20. And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.

Links

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