The things which elevate man in the world, knowledge, influ- ence, rank, are not the things which lead to God and salva- tion. As there is no verb in the original to agree with these nominatives, " the wise," " the mighty," " the noble," we may either supply the simple substantive verb are : ' You see your calling, not many of you are wise, or mighty, or noble ; ' or, we may supply, as in our version, the word called^ ' not many wise are called ; ' or, the word chosen^ ' not many wise are chosen, for God hath chosen, &c.' The sense remains the same. Human distinctions are insignificant and inefficacious in the sight of God, who is sovereign in the distribution of his grace.
27. Bat God hath chosen the fooHsh things of the world to confound the wise, and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.
In this and the following verses the apostle asserts affirma- tively what he had just stated negatively, 'God does not choose, the wise, but he chooses the foolish.'
The foolish things of the worlds (to, fxtapa tov Koafjiov) the foolish portion of mankind. In this and in the following clauses the neuter is used although persons are intended, be- cause the reference is indefinite. God hath chosen the foolish, the weak, the insignificant, &c. Hath chosen. It is implied in this form of expression, which is repeated for the sake of em- phasis, that as, on the one hand, the wise and the great were not chosen on account of their wisdom or greatness, so, on the other, the foolish and the weak were not chosen on account of their want of wisdom or greatness. God chose whom he pleased. He chose the ignorant that he might confound the wise ; and the weak, that he might confound the mighty. That is, that he might put them to shame, by convincing them of the little value of the things on which they prided them- selves, and by exalting over them those whom they despised.
28. And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, (yea) and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are ;
The base things^ i. e. the base, the ignoble (ra ayev^), those without family, as opposed to the noble. Things which are despised^ i. e. men in low condition, whom the rich and noble