1 Corinthians 2:11

11 For who among men knows the concerns^[a] of a man except the spirit of the man that is in him? In the same way, no one knows the concerns^[b] of God except the Spirit of God.

1 Corinthians 2:11 Meaning and Commentary

1 Corinthians 2:11

For what man knoweth the things of a man
The thoughts of a man's heart, the conceptions of his mind, the schemes he is drawing there, his designs, purposes, and intentions; these can never be known by another man, no, nor by angels or devils; not by any creature; by none

save the spirit of a man which is in him?
which is only conscious to, and can only make known the things that are in him:

even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God;
and which, as it proves how secret, hidden, unknown, the mysteries of grace are, until revealed by the Spirit; so it gives full evidence to the deity of the Holy Ghost, and clearly shows he must be God, who is in him, knows the thoughts of his heart, the counsels of his mind, his purposes and decrees, and what is contained in them.

1 Corinthians 2:11 In-Context

9 But as it is written: What no eye has seen and no ear has heard, and what has never come into a man's heart, is what God has prepared for those who love Him.

10 Now God has revealed them to us by the Spirit, for the Spirit searches everything, even the deep things of God.

11 For who among men knows the concerns of a man except the spirit of the man that is in him? In the same way, no one knows the concerns of God except the Spirit of God.

12 Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, in order to know what has been freely given to us by God.

13 We also speak these things, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things to spiritual people.

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit things
• [b]. Lit things