Texts in Conversation
In 1 Corinthians, Paul adds a saying about realities beyond human sight or hearing, with its origin not made clear. Its closest parallel is Isaiah 64, where God is portrayed as acting in ways beyond perception for those who rely on him.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Isaiah 64:4
Hebrew Bible
2 As when fire ignites dry wood or fire makes water boil, let your adversaries know who you are, and may the nations shake at your presence! 3 When you performed awesome deeds that took us by surprise, you came down, and the mountains trembled before you. 4 Since ancient times no one has heard or perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who intervenes for those who wait for him. 5 You assist those who delight in doing what is right, who observe your commandments. Look, you were angry because we violated them continually. How then can we be saved? 6 We are all like one who is unclean, all our so-called righteous acts are like a menstrual rag in your sight. We all wither like a leaf; our sins carry us away like the wind.
Date: 740–450 BCE (based on scholarly estimates)
1 Corinthians 2:9
New Testament
7 Instead we speak the wisdom of God, hidden in a mystery, that God determined before the ages for our glory. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood it. If they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But just as it is written, “Things that no eye has seen, or ear heard, or mind imagined, are the things God has prepared for those who love him.” 10 God has revealed these to us by the Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 For who among men knows the things of a man except the man’s spirit within him? So too, no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.
Date: 55–57 CE (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... Where did Paul himself glean the borrowed material found in 1 Corinthians 2:9? The apostle introduces his material with a formulaic, “However, as it is written.” But what source or sources is he quoting? Paul normally uses such formulae while citing the Hebrew Scriptures. Nevertheless, no Old Testament passage exactly parallels this text. Because of the lack of an exact Old Testament parallel, scholars have posited various alternatives. First, many interpreters have proposed a “loose quotation” of Isaiah 64:4 (64:3 LXX), perhaps with further influence from Isaiah 65:17 (65:16 LXX) ... One does notice differences, such as the reverse order of ear and eye in Isaiah 64:4 as compared with 1 Corinthians 2:9. Nevertheless, according to Roy Ciampa and Brian Rosner, this reversal “does not rule out a link between the texts; such alterations were an accepted aspect of citation technique in antiquity.” One further notes that Isaiah 64:4 (64:3 LXX) refers to “those who wait [ὑπομένουσιν] for him,” while 1 Corinthians 2:9 refers to “those who love [ἀγαπῶσιν] him.” ..."
Paul Hartog, “1 Corinthians 2:9 in the Apostolic Fathers,” in Intertextuality in the Second Century, ed. D. Jeffrey Bingham and Clayton N. Jefford, BAC 11 (Leiden: Brill, 2016), 99–100.
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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1 Corinthians 2
1 Corinthians 27 But we speak God's wisdom, secret and HIDDEN, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But, as it is written, "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the ...
7 But we speak God's wisdom, secret and HIDDEN, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But, as it is written, "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him"
Job 28
7 That path no bird of prey knows, and the falcon's eye has not seen it. 8 The proud wild animals have not trodden it; the lion has not passed over it... 20 Where then does wisdom come from And where is the place of understanding? 21 It is HIDDEN from the eyes of all living, and concealed from the birds of the air.