The two main problems in understanding this verse are related. (a) Some early manuscripts omit you, giving the meaning “… sees someone who has knowledge….” The UBS Greek text has you. (b) The word that is translated encouraged is used elsewhere by Paul in the good sense of “building up,” as in verse 1, but here it has a bad meaning.

We can resolve both these difficulties if we suppose that in this verse Paul is presenting the point of view of someone at Corinth, perhaps expressed in a letter from the Christians there. The meaning would then be “ ‘But,’ you say, ‘if anyone sees someone who has knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will his weak conscience be strengthened, so that he can eat meat offered to idols?’ ”

There are two slight difficulties in this explanation that many commentators have overlooked: (a) The conjunction that connects verse 10 with 9 means “for,” not “but,” and this word often has a weak and rather general sense. (b) As in verse 7, one might have expected Paul to use the pagan word for “meat” offered to divinities (compare 10.28). However, the writers of the letter from Corinth were Christians like Paul himself, and therefore would use a term that expressed the negative Christian view of other gods.

If the translator rejects the explanation given in the last two paragraphs and adopts the longer text, which has sees you, “encourage” is probably the best translation of the verb for “build up.”

The word translated at table literally means “reclining.” This was the normal position at table in the Roman world. Modern day translators will need to think of their own customs for eating. In many languages the word for “eat” will probably be the best equivalent.

The clause might he not be encouraged will need to be slightly changed in certain languages. One may say, for example, “This will encourage him…, won’t it?”

The Greek has “the” before food offered to idols, indicating that Paul has already mentioned the food or meat in question.

Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, 2nd edition. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1985/1994. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .