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1 Corinthians 12:17

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17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?
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1 Corinthians 12:17 in Other Translations

King James Version (KJV)
17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
English Standard Version (ESV)
17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell?
New Living Translation (NLT)
17 If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?
The Message Bible (MSG)
17 If the body was all eye, how could it hear? If all ear, how could it smell?
American Standard Version (ASV)
17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
GOD'S WORD Translation (GW)
17 If the whole body were an eye, how could it hear? If the whole body were an ear, how could it smell?
Holman Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were an ear, where would be the sense of smell?
New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
17 If the whole body were an eye, how could it hear? If the whole body were an ear, how could it smell?

1 Corinthians 12:17 Meaning and Commentary

1 Corinthians 12:17

If the whole body were an eye
And nothing else,

where were the hearing?
there would be no ear, and so no sense of hearing: and if the whole were hearing: or only consisted of a member capable of the sense of hearing,

where were the smelling?
there would be no nose, the organ of smelling, and that sense would be wanting: thus if the church only consisted of ministers of the Gospel, of men of eminent light and knowledge, qualified for the preaching of the word to others, there would be no hearers; and on the other hand, if it only consisted of hearers, of such who only could hear the word to their own advantage, there would be none of a quick understanding, or of a quick smell to discern perverse things, to distinguish truth from error, to discern spirits, and direct the rest of the members to wholesome and savoury food, and preserve them from what would be hurtful and pernicious to them.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

1 Corinthians 12:17 In-Context

15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body.
16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body.
17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?
18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.
19 If they were all one part, where would the body be?
Scripture quoted by permission.  Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.  NIV®.  Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica.  All rights reserved worldwide.