Grammar Analysis: 1 Corinthians 10:14-22
Focus: Cup of blessing vs cup of demons — why believers cannot drink both.
Text
Greek (NA28 base):
- v14: Διόπερ, ἀγαπητοί μου, φεύγετε ἀπὸ τῆς εἰδωλολατρείας.
- v15: ὡς φρονίμοις λέγω· κρίνατε ὑμεῖς ὅ φημι.
- v16: Τὸ ποτήριον τῆς εὐλογίας ὃ εὐλογοῦμεν, οὐχὶ κοινωνία ἐστὶν τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ; τὸν ἄρτον ὃν κλῶμεν, οὐχὶ κοινωνία τοῦ σώματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐστιν;
- v17: ὅτι εἷς ἄρτος, ἓν σῶμα οἱ πολλοί ἐσμεν· οἱ γὰρ πάντες ἐκ τοῦ ἑνὸς ἄρτου μετέχομεν.
- v18: βλέπετε τὸν Ἰσραὴλ κατὰ σάρκα· οὐχ οἱ ἐσθίοντες τὰς θυσίας κοινωνοὶ τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου εἰσίν;
- v19: τί οὖν φημι; ὅτι εἰδωλόθυτόν τί ἐστιν; ἢ ὅτι εἴδωλόν τί ἐστιν;
- v20: ἀλλ' ὅτι ἃ θύουσιν, δαιμονίοις καὶ οὐ Θεῷ θύουσιν· οὐ θέλω δὲ ὑμᾶς κοινωνοὺς τῶν δαιμονίων γίνεσθαι.
- v21: οὐ δύνασθε ποτήριον Κυρίου πίνειν καὶ ποτήριον δαιμονίων· οὐ δύνασθε τραπέζης Κυρίου μετέχειν καὶ τραπέζης δαιμονίων.
- v22: ἢ παραζηλοῦμεν τὸν Κύριον; μὴ ἰσχυρότεροι αὐτοῦ ἐσμεν;
KJV:
- v14: Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.
- v15: I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say.
- v16: The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?
- v17: For we [being] many are one bread, [and] one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.
- v18: Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?
- v19: What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing?
- v20: But [I say], that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.
- v21: Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils.
- v22: Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?
Word-by-Word Parsing
Verse 14
| # |
Word |
Lemma |
Strong's |
Parsing |
| 1 |
Διόπερ |
διόπερ |
G1355 |
Conjunction (intensive "wherefore") |
| 2 |
ἀγαπητοί |
ἀγαπητός |
G27 |
A-VPM Voc Pl M |
| 3 |
μου |
ἐγώ |
G1473 |
P-1GS Gen Sg |
| 4 |
φεύγετε |
φεύγω |
G5343 |
V-PAM-2P Pres Act Impv 2Pl |
| 5 |
ἀπὸ |
ἀπό |
G575 |
Preposition |
| 6 |
τῆς |
ὁ |
G3588 |
T-GSF |
| 7 |
εἰδωλολατρείας |
εἰδωλολατρία |
G1495 |
N-GSF Gen Sg F |
Verse 15
| # |
Word |
Lemma |
Strong's |
Parsing |
| 1 |
ὡς |
ὡς |
G5613 |
Adverb |
| 2 |
φρονίμοις |
φρόνιμος |
G5429 |
A-DPM Dat Pl M |
| 3 |
λέγω |
λέγω |
G3004 |
V-PAI-1S Pres Act Ind 1Sg |
| 4 |
κρίνατε |
κρίνω |
G2919 |
V-AAM-2P Aor Act Impv 2Pl |
| 5 |
ὑμεῖς |
σύ |
G4771 |
P-2NP Nom Pl |
| 6 |
ὅ |
ὅς |
G3739 |
R-ASN Acc Sg N |
| 7 |
φημι |
φημί |
G5346 |
V-PAI-1S Pres Act Ind 1Sg |
Verse 16
| # |
Word |
Lemma |
Strong's |
Parsing |
| 1 |
Τὸ |
ὁ |
G3588 |
T-NSN |
| 2 |
ποτήριον |
ποτήριον |
G4221 |
N-NSN Nom Sg N |
| 3 |
τῆς |
ὁ |
G3588 |
T-GSF |
| 4 |
εὐλογίας |
εὐλογία |
G2129 |
N-GSF Gen Sg F |
| 5 |
ὃ |
ὅς |
G3739 |
R-ASN Acc Sg N |
| 6 |
εὐλογοῦμεν |
εὐλογέω |
G2127 |
V-PAI-1P Pres Act Ind 1Pl |
| 7 |
οὐχὶ |
οὐχί |
G3780 |
Interrogative neg. particle |
| 8 |
κοινωνία |
κοινωνία |
G2842 |
N-NSF Nom Sg F |
| 9 |
ἐστὶν |
εἰμί |
G1510 |
V-PAI-3S Pres Act Ind 3Sg |
| 10 |
τοῦ |
ὁ |
G3588 |
T-GSN |
| 11 |
αἵματος |
αἷμα |
G129 |
N-GSN Gen Sg N |
| 12 |
τοῦ Χριστοῦ |
Χριστός |
G5547 |
N-GSM Gen Sg M |
| 13 |
τὸν ἄρτον |
ἄρτος |
G740 |
N-ASM Acc Sg M |
| 14 |
ὃν |
ὅς |
G3739 |
R-ASM Acc Sg M |
| 15 |
κλῶμεν |
κλάω |
G2806 |
V-PAI-1P Pres Act Ind 1Pl |
| 16 |
οὐχὶ κοινωνία |
κοινωνία |
G2842 |
N-NSF |
| 17 |
τοῦ σώματος |
σῶμα |
G4983 |
N-GSN Gen Sg N |
| 18 |
τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐστιν |
Χριστός / εἰμί |
G5547 / G1510 |
N-GSM / V-PAI-3S |
Verse 17
| # |
Word |
Lemma |
Strong's |
Parsing |
| 1 |
ὅτι |
ὅτι |
G3754 |
Conj "because" |
| 2 |
εἷς |
εἷς |
G1520 |
A-NSM Nom Sg M |
| 3 |
ἄρτος |
ἄρτος |
G740 |
N-NSM Nom Sg M |
| 4 |
ἓν |
εἷς |
G1520 |
A-NSN Nom Sg N |
| 5 |
σῶμα |
σῶμα |
G4983 |
N-NSN Nom Sg N |
| 6 |
οἱ πολλοί |
πολύς |
G4183 |
A-NPM Nom Pl M (the many) |
| 7 |
ἐσμεν |
εἰμί |
G1510 |
V-PAI-1P Pres Act Ind 1Pl |
| 8 |
οἱ γὰρ πάντες |
πᾶς |
G3956 |
A-NPM "for all" |
| 9 |
ἐκ |
ἐκ |
G1537 |
Preposition |
| 10 |
τοῦ ἑνὸς ἄρτου |
εἷς / ἄρτος |
G1520 / G740 |
A-GSM / N-GSM |
| 11 |
μετέχομεν |
μετέχω |
G3348 |
V-PAI-1P Pres Act Ind 1Pl |
Verse 18
| # |
Word |
Lemma |
Strong's |
Parsing |
| 1 |
βλέπετε |
βλέπω |
G991 |
V-PAM-2P Pres Act Impv 2Pl |
| 2 |
τὸν Ἰσραὴλ |
Ἰσραήλ |
G2474 |
N-PRI Acc Sg M |
| 3 |
κατὰ σάρκα |
κατά / σάρξ |
G2596 / G4561 |
"according to flesh" |
| 4 |
οὐχ |
οὐ |
G3756 |
Neg. particle (interrogative force) |
| 5 |
οἱ ἐσθίοντες |
ἐσθίω |
G2068 |
V-PAP-NPM Pres Act Ptcp Nom Pl M |
| 6 |
τὰς θυσίας |
θυσία |
G2378 |
N-APF Acc Pl F |
| 7 |
κοινωνοὶ |
κοινωνός |
G2844 |
N-NPM Nom Pl M |
| 8 |
τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου |
θυσιαστήριον |
G2379 |
N-GSN Gen Sg N |
| 9 |
εἰσίν |
εἰμί |
G1510 |
V-PAI-3P Pres Act Ind 3Pl |
Verse 19
| # |
Word |
Lemma |
Strong's |
Parsing |
| 1 |
τί οὖν φημι |
τίς / οὖν / φημί |
G5101 / G3767 / G5346 |
"What then am I saying?" |
| 2 |
ὅτι εἰδωλόθυτόν τί ἐστιν |
εἰδωλόθυτος / τὶς |
G1494 / G5100 |
"that something offered to an idol is anything?" |
| 3 |
ἢ ὅτι εἴδωλόν τί ἐστιν |
εἴδωλον / τὶς |
G1497 / G5100 |
"or that an idol is anything?" |
Verse 20
| # |
Word |
Lemma |
Strong's |
Parsing |
| 1 |
ἀλλ' ὅτι |
ἀλλά / ὅτι |
G235 / G3754 |
"but rather that" |
| 2 |
ἃ θύουσιν |
ὅς / θύω |
G3739 / G2380 |
R-APN / V-PAI-3P "what they sacrifice" |
| 3 |
δαιμονίοις |
δαιμόνιον |
G1140 |
N-DPN Dat Pl N (indirect object: "to demons") |
| 4 |
καὶ οὐ Θεῷ |
θεός |
G2316 |
N-DSM Dat Sg M |
| 5 |
θύουσιν |
θύω |
G2380 |
V-PAI-3P Pres Act Ind 3Pl |
| 6 |
οὐ θέλω |
θέλω |
G2309 |
V-PAI-1S Pres Act Ind 1Sg |
| 7 |
ὑμᾶς |
σύ |
G4771 |
P-2AP (subject of infinitive) |
| 8 |
κοινωνοὺς τῶν δαιμονίων |
κοινωνός / δαιμόνιον |
G2844 / G1140 |
Acc Pl M / Gen Pl N |
| 9 |
γίνεσθαι |
γίνομαι |
G1096 |
V-PNN Pres M/P Inf |
Verse 21
| # |
Word |
Lemma |
Strong's |
Parsing |
| 1 |
οὐ δύνασθε |
δύναμαι |
G1410 |
V-PNI-2P Pres M/P Ind 2Pl |
| 2 |
ποτήριον Κυρίου |
ποτήριον / κύριος |
G4221 / G2962 |
N-ASN / N-GSM |
| 3 |
πίνειν |
πίνω |
G4095 |
V-PAN Pres Act Inf |
| 4 |
καὶ ποτήριον δαιμονίων |
ποτήριον / δαιμόνιον |
G4221 / G1140 |
N-ASN / N-GPN |
| 5 |
οὐ δύνασθε |
δύναμαι |
G1410 |
V-PNI-2P |
| 6 |
τραπέζης Κυρίου |
τράπεζα / κύριος |
G5132 / G2962 |
N-GSF / N-GSM |
| 7 |
μετέχειν |
μετέχω |
G3348 |
V-PAN Pres Act Inf |
| 8 |
καὶ τραπέζης δαιμονίων |
τράπεζα / δαιμόνιον |
G5132 / G1140 |
N-GSF / N-GPN |
Verse 22
| # |
Word |
Lemma |
Strong's |
Parsing |
| 1 |
ἢ |
ἤ |
G2228 |
Particle (disjunctive, rhetorical) |
| 2 |
παραζηλοῦμεν |
παραζηλόω |
G3863 |
V-PAI-1P Pres Act Ind 1Pl |
| 3 |
τὸν Κύριον |
κύριος |
G2962 |
N-ASM Acc Sg M |
| 4 |
μὴ |
μή |
G3361 |
Neg. particle (expects "no" answer) |
| 5 |
ἰσχυρότεροι |
ἰσχυρός |
G2478 |
A-NPM-C Nom Pl M Comparative |
| 6 |
αὐτοῦ |
αὐτός |
G846 |
P-GSM (genitive of comparison) |
| 7 |
ἐσμεν |
εἰμί |
G1510 |
V-PAI-1P |
Key Grammatical Features
1. φεύγετε (v14) — Present Active Imperative, 2nd Plural
- Form: Pres Act Impv 2Pl of φεύγω, "flee."
- Significance: The present imperative commands ongoing, habitual action — not a one-time decision but a continuing pattern: "keep on fleeing." Paul does not say "stop committing" (which would use μή + present) but rather demands a continuing withdrawal. Contrast with v15's κρίνατε (aorist imperative: "render a single, decisive judgment on what I say").
- Grammar reference:
greek/mood-aorist-imperative.md (for the aorist contrast)
2. κρίνατε (v15) — Aorist Active Imperative, 2nd Plural
- Form: Aor Act Impv 2Pl of κρίνω.
- Significance: Aorist imperative calls for a discrete, complete act of judgment. Paul is not commanding ongoing deliberation but asking the Corinthians to reach a single verdict on his argument. The aorist-present contrast within vv14-15 frames the whole unit: one act of judgment (v15) that leads to a continuous lifestyle of fleeing (v14).
- Grammar reference:
greek/mood-aorist-imperative.md
3. κοινωνία + Genitive (vv16, 18, 20) — Genitive of Participation/Sharing
- Form: κοινωνία (G2842, N-NSF) governing objective/partitive genitives: τοῦ αἵματος, τοῦ σώματος, τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου (v18 uses cognate κοινωνοί + gen.), τῶν δαιμονίων (v20).
- Significance: κοινωνία with the genitive denotes real participation in a shared reality, not mere symbolic association. The structure is repeated in parallel — blood of Christ / body of Christ / altar (Israel) / demons — forcing readers to see the table-fellowship as ontologically parallel. The choice of genitive (partitive/objective) makes the participants share in that very thing. This is the load-bearing grammar for the whole argument: the same construction applied to Christ's blood and to demons implies that idol-meals are not neutral.
- Grammar reference: (new entry candidate — no existing canonical entry)
- Word study: (candidate G2842-koinonia — not yet in library)
4. οὐχὶ ... ἐστιν; (v16) and οὐχ ... εἰσίν; (v18) — Rhetorical Questions Expecting "Yes"
- Form: οὐχί (G3780, strengthened form of οὐ) and οὐχ with the indicative of εἰμί, in interrogative function.
- Significance: Negative particles with a question mark expect an affirmative answer. Paul is not asking whether the cup is communion — he is compelling the Corinthians to affirm that it is. The strengthened οὐχί in v16 is emphatic ("is it not indeed ...?"). This rhetorical grammar drives assent step by step: communion with Christ's blood (yes), communion with Christ's body (yes), partakers of the altar (yes) — therefore the parallel claim about demons in v20 must also be accepted.
5. ἐκ τοῦ ἑνὸς ἄρτου μετέχομεν (v17) — ἐκ + Genitive of Source/Partition
- Form: ἐκ (G1537) + genitive τοῦ ἑνὸς ἄρτου ("out of the one loaf") governing μετέχομεν (Pres Act Ind 1Pl of μετέχω, G3348).
- Significance: μετέχω ("share in, partake") ordinarily takes the genitive directly (as in v21 — τραπέζης ... μετέχειν). Here Paul inserts ἐκ to emphasize the single source: the one bread is the ground from which the many share. The grammar itself images the unity argument: ἓν σῶμα οἱ πολλοί (one body, the many) because ἐκ τοῦ ἑνὸς (out of the one). The repeated εἷς/ἓν/ἑνὸς across cases is a rhetorical refrain.
6. δαιμονίοις ... οὐ Θεῷ θύουσιν (v20) — Dative of Indirect Object + Negated Dative in Parallel
- Form: δαιμονίοις (Dat Pl N) / Θεῷ (Dat Sg M) as datives of indirect object ("to whom") with θύουσιν (Pres Act Ind 3Pl of θύω, G2380).
- Significance: The parallel datives set up a binary: pagans sacrifice to demons, not to God. Paul does not say the idol exists (v19) — he says the direction of the act is toward real demonic beings. The dative flags the recipient, and the οὐ between the two datives is absolute: the two destinations are mutually exclusive. This sets up the "you cannot" of v21.
7. οὐ δύνασθε ... πίνειν / μετέχειν (v21) — Impossibility + Complementary Present Infinitives
- Form: δύνασθε (V-PNI-2P of δύναμαι, G1410 — present middle/passive indicative) + complementary present active infinitives πίνειν (G4095) and μετέχειν (G3348).
- Significance: δύναμαι + infinitive normally denotes capacity. οὐ δύνασθε is not "you may not" (permission) but "you are not able" (ontological/spiritual impossibility). The present infinitives πίνειν and μετέχειν mark ongoing participation — Paul is not banning a single act but declaring the two patterns of life incompatible. The double καὶ ("and also") linking cup-of-Lord to cup-of-demons shows the impossibility lies in the combination, not in either drink alone. This is the grammatical climax: the two κοινωνία relationships (Christ / demons) cannot coexist because they are the same kind of participation aimed at opposite realities.
- Grammar reference: (candidate — δύναμαι + complementary infinitive entry)
8. ποτήριον Κυρίου / ποτήριον δαιμονίων — Objective vs Possessive Genitive in Parallel
- Form: Both phrases are bare anarthrous genitives modifying ποτήριον. Κυρίου and δαιμονίων are unmarked — no article, no preposition.
- Significance: The genitives are deliberately ambiguous between possessive ("the Lord's cup / the demons' cup") and objective ("the cup for/dedicated to the Lord / demons"). By using the same syntactic form for both, Paul enforces a symmetry: whatever the Lord's cup is to the Lord, the demons' cup is to the demons. The lack of article heightens the categorical force (cup-of-Lord vs cup-of-demons as two identifiable realities). Same syntax is used with τραπέζης Κυρίου / τραπέζης δαιμονίων — tables likewise set in genitive parallel.
9. γίνεσθαι (v20) — Present Middle/Passive Infinitive after θέλω
- Form: γίνεσθαι (V-PNN) of γίνομαι, G1096, as complementary infinitive to οὐ θέλω.
- Significance: γίνομαι ("become") rather than εἶναι ("be") — Paul's concern is the process of becoming κοινωνοὺς τῶν δαιμονίων. The present tense marks ongoing state; the middle/passive voice hints at something the Corinthians undergo, not simply choose. ὑμᾶς is accusative subject of the infinitive; κοινωνούς is accusative predicate (double-accusative construction with γίνομαι). This grammar reveals what Paul fears: not an act but a transformation — they would become partners with demons.
10. παραζηλοῦμεν ... ἰσχυρότεροι αὐτοῦ (v22) — Rhetorical Questions with μή + Comparative + Genitive of Comparison
- Form: παραζηλοῦμεν (Pres Act Ind 1Pl of παραζηλόω, G3863, "provoke to jealousy") — indicative used as rhetorical question. Then μή + ἐσμεν (indicative) — μή in a question expects "no." ἰσχυρότεροι is the comparative of ἰσχυρός (G2478, A-NPM-Comparative), with αὐτοῦ as genitive of comparison ("than he").
- Significance: The μή question is not asking for information; it presupposes the answer "no, of course not." The comparative form with genitive of comparison is classical Greek for "stronger than X." Paul is not speculating — he is stunning the Corinthians with the absurdity: if you share the demons' table, you are challenging the Lord to a contest of strength. The allusion is to Deuteronomy 32:16, 21 (LXX), where Israel provoked God by sacrificing to demons (δαιμονίοις, exactly the word Paul uses in v20). The grammar thus links 1 Cor 10:20-22 directly to the Song of Moses: the same verb (παραζηλόω / הִקְנִיא hiphil) and the same direct object (δαιμονίοις) bind the two texts.
Clause Structure Notes
- vv14-15 form a chiastic command-pair: continuous flight (pres impv) bracketing decisive judgment (aor impv).
- v16 is structured as two parallel rhetorical questions (cup | bread), each following subject-relative clause-negative particle-predicate-genitive modifier order. The chiasm cup-blood // bread-body mirrors the Last Supper institution.
- v17 gives the ὅτι ("because") ground: one bread ⇒ one body ⇒ unity through shared participation (ἐκ τοῦ ἑνὸς).
- v18 introduces an analogy from Israel (κατὰ σάρκα — "ethnic Israel"): sacrifice-eaters are κοινωνοὶ of the altar.
- vv19-20 use a diatribe structure (τί οὖν φημι; — self-questioning) to preempt objection: Paul is not conceding that idols exist, but he is asserting that the demonic is real behind pagan sacrifice.
- v21 draws the conclusion with double οὐ δύνασθε — the grammatical climax of the unit.
- v22 closes with a pair of rhetorical questions (ἤ / μή) that assume negative answers and push the Corinthians to recognize the gravity of their position.
Cross-References
Grammar library
greek/mood-aorist-imperative.md — aorist vs present imperative contrast (relevant to v14 φεύγετε vs v15 κρίνατε)greek/participle-legon-discourse.md — discourse-introducing participles (general reference for v18 ἐσθίοντες)
Word studies
word-studies/G4221-poterion.md — ποτήριον ("cup"), central to vv16, 21word-studies/G4983-soma.md — σῶμα ("body"), central to vv16-17word-studies/G5547-christos.md — Χριστός, vv16 (x2)
Gaps (candidates for new entries)
- G2842 κοινωνία — the pivotal noun of the passage, appearing in vv16 (x2), and cognate κοινωνοί in vv18, 20
- G1140 δαιμόνιον — "demon," vv20 (x2), 21 (x2)
- G3348 μετέχω — "partake," vv17, 21
- G2127 εὐλογέω / G2129 εὐλογία — "bless / blessing," v16
- G3863 παραζηλόω — "provoke to jealousy," v22 (Deut 32 linkage)
- Grammar concept: δύναμαι + complementary infinitive — expressing ontological impossibility
- Grammar concept: κοινωνία + genitive of participation — the load-bearing construction of the passage