Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
What does 1 Corinthians 13:7 mean?
Some of the effects of charity are stated, that we may know whether we have this grace; and that if we have not, we may not rest till we have it.
Key themes
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Keep this verse inside 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on 1 Corinthians 13:7
Beareth all things - Compare the note at 1 Corinthians 9:12 . Doddridge renders this, "covers all things." The word used here (στεγει stegei) properly means to "cover" (from στεγη stege, a covering, roof; Matthew 8:8 ; Luke 7:6 ); and then to "hide," "conceal," not to make known. If this be the sense here, then it means that love is disposed to hide or conceal the faults and imperfections of others; not to promulgate or blazon them abroad, or to give any undue publicity to them. Benevolence to the individual or to the public would require that these faults and errors should be concealed.
Key words
- hopeth
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Hopeth all things - Hopes that all will turn out well.
Context in 1 Corinthians 13
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1 Corinthians 13 belongs to the middle movement of the book, especially the section often described as the resurrection chapter and closing. First Corinthians is a pastoral and doctrinal letter correcting divisions while teaching about holiness, worship, gifts, and resurrection. Read this chapter with the wider themes of the cross, church order, and holiness in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
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