The last part of verse 9 and the first part of verse 10 are closely linked and complementary, joined in the Greek by the word “or.” The difficulty with verse 10a is that Paul says “Or does he speak entirely for our sakes?” rather than “Or does he not speak entirely for our sakes?” There is therefore no direct basis in the Greek text for Good News Bible‘s negative question, “Didn’t he…?” Revised English Bible‘s “Must not the saying refer to us?” is closer in meaning; similarly Revised Standard Version‘s entirely.

The relation between the rest of verse 10 and the first sentence is uncertain. The meaning may be either (a) “it was written for our sake in order that the plowman should plow in hope…” or (b) “for it was written for our sake that the plowman should plow in hope….” In the first case the words about the plowman and the thresher are a commentary on the text just quoted. In the second case Paul is making a quotation from a source outside the Bible. Most translations that we consulted, including Revised Standard Version and Good News Bible, prefer (a). As in verse 7, Good News Bible uses “anyone” in order to avoid exclusively male reference; the Greek terms are grammatically masculine and in this setting probably referred to men, but this is not emphasized.

In the crop is implied in the Greek and should be introduced in most languages. Some languages will express this final phrase as “in the grain that they reap.”

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 .