What Does 1 Corinthians 13:4 Mean in the King James?
Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
Love gives heat time to settle before desire turns into rivalry or self-display.
THE MEANING
Love stays patient and kind in the presence of another person. It does not turn their good into a contest or enlarge itself to take up more space. This is what love looks like now, in the way you meet another person.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
It undoes the belief that love must win, outshine others, or demand an immediate response to prove itself.
THE ROOT
μακροθυμεῖ
makrothymei
GROWS FROM
μακρο- + θυμ- (μακροθυμ-)
Long-tempered; slow to heat.
“suffereth long” in this verse is makrothymei. The word μακροθυμεῖ (makrothymei, “is patient” or “is long-tempered”) carries the sense of being slow to heat. Love has room before the heat takes command; patience is not the absence of feeling, but the space before it becomes a reaction.
ALSO GROWS
makrothymia: Patience; long-suffering.
μακροθυμία
The noun names the same long-tempered quality that the verse describes as love’s way of being.
makrothymeō: To be patient; to be long-tempered.
μακροθυμέω
This verb family also describes patience while waiting, showing that love’s slowness to heat holds even when the outcome has not arrived.
ζηλοῖ
zēloi
GROWS FROM
ζηλ- (ζηλόω)
Zeal, ardor, jealousy.
“envieth” in this verse is zēloi. The verb ζηλοῖ (zēloi, “is jealous” or “envies”) belongs to the same word family as ζῆλος (zēlos, “zeal” or “jealousy”). The verse reveals how intense desire can become rivalry when it turns toward what another person has.
ALSO GROWS
zēlos: Zeal; ardor; jealousy.
ζῆλος
The shared word family lets the verse place envy beside the force of zeal: desire can burn toward another person’s share.
zēlōtēs: A zealous person; an ardent adherent.
ζηλωτής
This related word shows the same intensity directed toward a person or cause, clarifying that love does not convert intensity into possessive rivalry.
φυσιοῦται
physioutai
GROWS FROM
φυσι- (φυσιοῦμαι)
To swell or inflate; figuratively, to become conceited.
The verb φυσιοῦται (physioutai, “is puffed up”) pictures self-inflation. Love does not need to swell itself larger in another person’s presence; it remains kind without making itself the center.
ALSO GROWS
physiōsis: Puffing up; conceit.
φυσίωσις
This noun names the inflated condition the verse says love does not take on.
physiousthai: To be puffed up; to become conceited.
φυσιοῦσθαι
This form of the same verb family shows the repeated image of a self that swells beyond its measure.
THE PATTERN
Love keeps heat from taking over: it remains patient and kind instead of turning desire into rivalry or self-inflation.
The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,THE THREAD
Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.The word translated “patient” is μακροθυμεῖ (makrothymei, “is long-tempered”), from the same word family as “suffereth long.” Here that same slowness to heat holds while you wait for what has not yet arrived.
Read the SDV Bible.
Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.
The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.
Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us