{Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the
disputer of this world?} (Pou sophos; pou grammateus; pou
sunz(8874)(8874)(8873) tou ai(936e)os toutou;). Paul makes use of  Isa 33:18 
without exact quotation. The sudden retreat of Sennacherib with
the annihilation of his officers. "On the tablet of Shalmaneser
in the Assyrian Gallery of the British Museum there is a
surprisingly exact picture of the scene described by Isaiah"
(Robertson and Plummer). Note the absence of the Greek article in
each of these rhetorical questions though the idea is clearly
definite. Probably sophos refers to the Greek philosopher,
grammateus to the Jewish scribe and sunz(8874)(8874)(8873) suits both the
Greek and the Jewish disputant and doubter ( Ac 6:9  9:29  17:18  28:29 ). There is a note of triumph in these questions. The word
sunz(8874)(8874)(8873) occurs here alone in the N.T. and elsewhere only in
Ignatius, Eph. 18 quoting this passage, but the papyri give the
verb sunz(8874)e(935c) for disputing (questioning together). {Hath not
God made foolish?} (ouchi em(9372)anen ho theos;). Strong negative
form with aorist active indicative difficult of precise
translation, "Did not God make foolish?" The old verb m(9372)ain(935c)
from m(9372)os, foolish, was to be foolish, to act foolish, then to
prove one foolish as here or to make foolish as in  Ro 1:22 . In
 Mt 5:13  Lu 14:34  it is used of salt that is tasteless. {World}
(kosmou). Synonymous with ai(936e) (age), orderly arrangement,
then the non-Christian cosmos.