1 Corinthians 11:21

Verse

For as you eat, each of you goes ahead without sharing his meal. While one remains hungry, another gets drunk.

American Standard Version (1901)

for in your eating each one taketh before other his own supper; and one is hungry, and another is drunken.

For when you take your food, everyone takes his meal before the other; and one has not enough food, and another is the worse for drink.

Douay-Rheims 1899

For every one taketh before his own supper to eat. And one indeed is hungry and another is drunk.

Free Bible Version

Some want to eat first before everyone else, leaving others hungry. Still others get drunk.

Geneva Bible 1599

For euery man when they should eate, taketh his owne supper afore, and one is hungry, and another is drunken.

King James (Authorized) Version

For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.

Plain English Version

You bring your own food and drink, but nobody shares their food with anybody else. And none of you waits for anyone else. So some of you go hungry, while others get drunk.

Translation for Translators

But what happens when you eat is that each person eats his own meal before he thinks about sharing his food with anyone else. As a result, when the meal is over, some people are still hungry and others are drunk! So it is not a meal that honors the Lord.

Unlocked Literal Bible

When you eat, each one eats his own food before the others have their meal. One is hungry, and another becomes drunk.

Noah Webster Bible

For in eating every one taketh before another his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.

World English Bible

For in your eating each one takes his own supper first. One is hungry, and another is drunken.

Young's Literal Translation

for each his own supper doth take before in the eating, and one is hungry, and another is drunk;

Context

Sharing in the Lord’s Supper

²⁰Now then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat. ²¹For as you eat, each of you goes ahead without sharing his meal. While one remains hungry, another gets drunk.²²Don’t you have your own homes in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What can I say to you? Shall I praise you for this? No, I will not!

Sermons

Colossians 2:16-19

St. John Chrysostom

On Head Coverings

John Calvin

Summary

In this verse, Paul rebukes the Corinthian church for their behavior during the Lord's Supper, where some were eating their own meals and getting drunk while others went hungry. Paul is addressing the lack of reverence and unity during this sacred meal, emphasizing the need for self-examination and consideration of others. He reminds them that the purpose of the Lord's Supper is to remember and proclaim the sacrifice of Jesus Christ until He comes again. This verse serves as a call to repentance and a reminder to approach the Lord's Supper with reverence, unity, and a proper understanding of its significance.

Commentary

Adam Clarke
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
John Gill

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

Every one taketh before - his own supper - They had a grand feast, though the different sects kept in parties by themselves; but all took as ample a supper as they could provide, (each bringing his own provisions with him), before they took what was called the Lord's Supper. See on Co1 11:17 (note).

John Gill Bible Commentary

What? have ye not houses to eat and drink in?.... This shows that one taking his supper before another, was not in their own houses, before they came to the place of divine worship, but in the house of God; and the apostle suggests, that if they must have their ante-suppers, and were disposed to eat and drink freely, before they partook of the Lord's supper, it was more decent and orderly, and less reflected upon the honour of religion and the ordinances of Christ, to eat and drink in their own houses; in which they were not only more private and retired, but which they had for such purposes; whereas the house of God was not for any such use, nor should they meet together there on such an account; at least, such disorderly, unequal, and intemperate feasts there, were very scandalous and reproachful: and it was contrary to a Jewish canon to eat and drink in the synagogues, which runs thus (o), "in the synagogues they do not use a light behaviour, nor do they eat and drink in them;'' though they sometimes speak of travellers eating and drinking and lodging in the synagogues (p), yet they interpret these of places adjoining to them: or despise ye the church of God; that is, expose it to contempt and scorn; meaning either the community, the people of God gathered together in a Gospel church state; or the place where they met for public worship, which the Ethiopic version calls, "the house of God"; which was rendered very contemptible by such disorderly practices; and shame them that have not; no houses to eat in, or supper to eat, or any of this world's goods, or money to purchase food for themselves; who must be confounded and put to shame, when, coming in expectation of being fed, the provisions were eaten up by the rich before they came, or, however, were not allowed to partake when they did come; this was such a respecting of persons, as was justly culpable in them by the apostle. (o) T. Hieros. Megilia, fol. 74. 1. & T. Bab. Megilla, fol. 28. 1. (p) Gloss. in T. Bab. Bava Bathra, & Pesachim, fol. 101. 1. & Gloss. in ib. Maimon. Hilch. Sabbat, c. 29. sect. 8. & Maggid Misna in ib.