SEV Biblia, Chapter 9:24
¶ ¿No sabis que los que corren en el estadio, todos a la verdad corren, mas uno lleva el premio? Corred pues de tal manera que lo tomis.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 Corinthians 9:24
Verse 24. They which run in a race run all] It is sufficiently evident that the apostle alludes to the athletic exercises in the games which were celebrated every fifth year on the isthmus, or narrow neck of land, which joins the Peloponnesus, or Morea, to the main land; and were thence termed the Isthmian games. The exercises were running, wrestling, boxing, throwing the discus or quoit, &c.; to the three first of these the apostle especially alludes. But one receiveth the prize?] The apostle places the Christian race in contrast to the Isthmian games; in them, only one received the prize, though all ran; in this, if all run, all will receive the prize; therefore he says, So run that ye may obtain. Be as much in earnest to get to heaven as others are to gain their prize; and, although only one of them can win, all of you may obtain.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 24. Know ye not that they which run in a race , etc.] The allusion in this and the following verses is to the Grecian games, which consisted, among other things, of running of races, and of wrestling, combating, and fighting; and which are in this and the context particularly mentioned: and the apostle the rather makes use of these terms, and refers to these things, because they were well known to the Corinthians, and refers to them as well known; for the Isthmian games were performed in their neighbourhood, and doubtless had been seen by many of them, for the Corinthians were presidents of them. The race, or stadium in which they ran, was the space or interval between the place they set out from, and that which they ran unto, and consisted of 125 paces, or 625 feet; it was the space of a furlong, and about the eighth part of a mile: in this they run all ; as many as would, that came around from all parts, striving who should be foremost and get the crown; but one receives the prize ; which was held by the president of the game, or judge of the race, and received by the winner, who was judged to be so by him; and was no other in the Isthmian games, which are most likely to be referred to here, than a crown made of pine tree branches, or leaves, and sometimes of dried parsley f161 : so run that ye may obtain . The apostle accommodates or applies the above account to the Christians course of life, and exhorts to run in it in like manner as racers do in a race. The stadium, or race plot in the which the believer runs, is this world, or this present life; he is only a runner now and here, for no sooner is the time of his departure come, but his course or race is finished; and, as his forerunner Christ, sits down in full rest from all his labours as at a table, with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and on a throne with Christ: the course he runs includes the exercise of every grace, particularly faith, which is expressed not only by going to Christ, walking in him, but by fleeing and running to him; and the discharge of every duty, signified by a running in the way of Gods commandments; and, in a word, the whole of a Christian profession, and the holding of it fast, and holding on in it unto the end. The act of running is a motion forward, a following on to know the Lord, a going from strength to strength, from one degree of grace to another, a pressing forward toward the mark for the prize; and requires spiritual strength from Christ, and a daily renewal of it; is to be performed with readiness, swiftness, and cheerfulness, in opposition to a slowness of heart to believe, and a slothfulness and sluggishness in the business and service of Christ. The manner of running, so, that is, as the Grecians ran in their races; they ran all, so should all believers run, ministers and churches, churches and the several members thereof, old and young professors; so the church determines for herself, her members, and the daughters of Jerusalem, we will run after thee, ( Song of Solomon 1:4) and they have this encouragement which the others had not, for only one received the prize with the Grecians, but here all, that run well, obtain: again, they ran and strove to be foremost, who should get to the goal first and receive the prize, so should believers be emulous to outdo each other, to go before one another, in faith and holiness; striving in the strength of Christ, who should do most service for him, and bring most glory to him: moreover, as they ran in the way that was marked out for them, not turning to the right hand or the left, so should believers run in the way of salvation, which is Christ; in the way of holiness, faith, and truth; and in the path of duty and ordinances, which are all clearly pointed out unto them: once more, as they while running kept their eye upon the mark, so should believers, while running the race set before them, be continually looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of faith: to say no more, as they kept running till they came to the end of their race, so should the saints; there is no time for stopping or looking back; remember Lots wife. The end of running is to obtain the prize, the incorruptible crown of eternal life; not that this is to be procured in a way of merit by running; for the best services of the saints have no merit in them, they are previously due to God, nor can they be profitable to him; and besides, are done by the assistance of his own grace and strength; nor is there any proportion between the best works of men, and this crown of glory, life, and righteousness; yea, salvation, or eternal life, is expressly denied to be of him that willeth, or of him that runneth, and is always represented as this crown is, to be a free gift: the meaning of the expression is, that believers are to run on in their Christian race, that they may, and when they are come to the end of it they shall, as he that came foremost in the race did, stretch forth their hand, lay hold on, and receive the crown which the righteous Judge will give them; and is the true import of the word made use of here, and the sense the same with ( Timothy 6:12). Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, and denotes that the persevering saint shall enjoy the crown.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 24-27 - The apostle compares himself to the racers and combatants in the Isthmian games, well known by the Corinthians. But in the Christia race all may run so as to obtain. There is the greatest encouragement therefore, to persevere with all our strength, in this course. Thos who ran in these games were kept to a spare diet. They used themselve to hardships. They practised the exercises. And those who pursue the interests of their souls, must combat hard with fleshly lusts. The bod must not be suffered to rule. The apostle presses this advice on the Corinthians. He sets before himself and them the danger of yielding to fleshly desires, pampering the body, and its lusts and appetites. Holy fear of himself was needed to keep an apostle faithful: how much mor is it needful for our preservation! Let us learn from hence humilit and caution, and to watch against dangers which surround us while in the body __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
ουκ 3756 PRT-N οιδατε 1492 5758 V-RAI-2P οτι 3754 CONJ οι 3588 T-NPM εν 1722 PREP σταδιω 4712 N-DSN τρεχοντες 5143 5723 V-PAP-NPM παντες 3956 A-NPM μεν 3303 PRT τρεχουσιν 5143 5719 V-PAI-3P εις 1520 A-NSM δε 1161 CONJ λαμβανει 2983 5719 V-PAI-3S το 3588 T-ASN βραβειον 1017 N-ASN ουτως 3779 ADV τρεχετε 5143 5720 V-PAM-2P ινα 2443 CONJ καταλαβητε 2638 5632 V-2AAS-2P
Vincent's NT Word Studies
24. In a race (en stadiw). Or, better, in a race-course. From isthmi to place or establish. Hence a stated distance; a standard of length. In all other New-Testament passages it is used of a measure of length, and is rendered furlong, representing 606.75 English feet. From the fact that the race-courses were usually of exactly this length, the word was applied to the race-course itself. The position chosen for the stadium was usually on the side of a hill, which would furnish a natural slope for seats; a corresponding elevation on the opposite side, being formed by a mound of earth, and the seats being supported upon arches. The stadium was oblong in shape, and semicircular at one end; though, after the Roman conquest of Greece, both ends were often made semicircular. A straight wall shut in the area at one end, and here were the entrances and the starting-place for the runners. At the other end was the goal, which, like the starting-point, was marked by a square pillar. Half-way between these was a third pillar. On the first pillar was inscribed excel; on the second, hasten; on the third, turn, since the racers turned round the column to go back to the starting-point. 105 The isthmus of Corinth was the scene of the Isthmian games, one of the four great national festivals of the Greeks. The celebration was a season of great rejoicing and feasting. The contests included horse, foot, and chariot-racing; wrestling, boxing, musical and poetical trials, and later, fights of animals. The victor's prize was a garland of pine leaves, and his victory was generally celebrated in triumphal odes called epinikia, of which specimens remain among the poems of Pindar.106 At the period of Paul's epistles the games were still celebrated, and the apostle himself may very probably have been present. 107 At the same time, he would have been familiar with similar scenes in Tarsus, in all the great cities of Asia Minor, especially Ephesus, and even in Jerusalem. Metaphors and allusions founded upon such spectacles abound in Paul s writings. Racers, 1 Cor. ix. 24; boxers, 1 Cor. ix. 26, 27; gladiators fighting with beasts, 1 Cor. xv. 32; the judge awarding the prize, 2 Tim. iv. 8; the goal and the prize, 1 Cor. ix. 24; Philip. iii. 14; the chaplet, 1 Corinthians ix. 25; 2 Tim. ii. 5; iv. 8, the training for the contest, 1 Timothy iv. 7, 8; the rules governing it, 2 Tim. ii. 5; the chariot-race, Philip. iii. 14. These images never occur in the gospels. See on of life, Apoc. ii. 10 Prize (brabeion). Only here and Philip. iii. 14. The kindred verb brabeuw to be umpire, occurs once, Col. iii. 15. See note.Obtain (katalabhte). Lit., lay hold of. Rev., attain. See on comprehended, John i. 5; come upon you, John xii. 35; and perceived, Acts iv. 13. Compare Philip. iii. 12.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
9:24 {In a race} (en stadiwi). Old word from histemi, to place. A stated or fixed distance, 606 3/4 feet, both masculine stadioi (#Mt 14:24; Lu 24:13) and neuter as here. Most of the Greek cities had race-courses for runners like that at Olympia. {The prize} (to brabeion). Late word, in inscriptions and papyri. Latin _brabeum_. In N. T. only here and #Php 3:14. The victor's prize which only one could receive. {That ye may attain} (hina katalabete). Final use of hina and perfective use of kata- with labete (effective aorist active subjunctive, grasp and hold). Old verb katalambanw and used in #Php 3:12ff.
