1 Corinthians 10:5

1Co 10:5-6. But with many of them — Although they had so many tokens of the divine presence with them, and enjoyed such singular favours; God was not well pleased — So far from it, that he swore in his wrath they should not enter into the rest he had provided for them; and therefore they were overthrown in the wilderness — With the most terrible marks of his wrath. Even the whole generation that came adult out of Egypt died there, and sometimes in such multitudes, that the ground was overspread with carcasses, as a field is in which a battle has been fought. Now these things — These punishments; were our examples — Showing what we are to expect, notwithstanding our profession of Christianity, if we act like them; if, enjoying the like benefits, we commit the like sins. The benefits are here set down in the same order as by Moses in Exodus; the sins and punishments in a different order: evil desire first, as being the foundation of all; next idolatry, 1Co 10:7; 1Co 10:14; then fornication, which usually accompanied it, 1Co 10:8; tempting and murmuring against God in the following verses. To the intent we should not lust after evil things — Should not indulge irregular and luxurious desires; as they also lusted — After flesh, in contempt of the manna, and thereby brought the wrath of God upon themselves, and were consumed with pestilential distempers, while the meat was yet between their teeth, Psa 78:30-31. Learn, therefore, as if he had said, by what they suffered, to cultivate that temperance and self-denial which I have just been recommending to you.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Co 10:5. Ἀλλ, but) although they had so many signs of the Divine presence.—οὐκ ἐν τοῖς πλειόσιν αὐτῶν, not with the most of them) The position of the particle not should be noticed. Reason might suggest, that God certainly was well pleased ἐν τοῖς πλειόσιν, with the most of them. This the apostle denies. He not only points out those, who are particularly described presently afterwards, but at the same time many others.—ὁ Θεὸς, God) whose judgment alone is valid.—κατεστρώθησαν, were overthrown) in great heaps, and with great force. The LXX. have used this word in Num 14:16.—γὰρ, for) The event showed, that they had not pleased God.—ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, in the wilderness) far from the land of promise.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Co_10:5. Οὐκ ἐν τοῖς πλείοσιν] not with the greater part of them. A tragical litotes. Caleb and Joshua alone reached the land of promise. Num_14:30.

κατεστρώθησαν] were struck down. Comp Num_14:16; Num_14:29. Their dying in the wilderness (some by a violent, some by a natural death) is here vividly portrayed, in accordance with Numbers 14, as death by the hand of God (Herod. viii. 53, ix. 76; Xen. Cyr. iii. 3. 64; Jdt_7:14; 2Ma_5:26). Comp also Heb_3:17.

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Co 10:5 . “But not with the greater part (of them)” a “tragic litotes : only Joshua and Caleb reached the Promised Land” (Num 14:30 : Mr [1419] ). The result negatives what one expects from the antecedents; hence the strong adversative ἀλλʼ οὐκ . τοῖς πλείοσιν “the majority” of the πάντες so highly favoured; cf. 1Co 15:6 . ηὐδόκησεν ἐν (after the LXX), Heb. chaphets b; the ἐν resembles that of 1Co 9:15 ; see Wr [1420] , p. 291. κατεστρώθησαν γὰρ κ . τ . λ ., “For they (their bodies) were laid prostrate in the wilderness,” gives graphic proof, in words borrowed from the O.T. narrative, of God’s displeasure; sooner or later this doom overtook nearly all the witnesses of the Exodus ( cf. Heb 3:17 ). “What a spectacle for the eyes of the self-satisfied Cor [1421] : all these bodies, full-fed with miraculous nourishment, strewing the soil of the desert!” (Gd [1422] ).

[1419] Meyer’s Critical and Exegetical Commentary (Eng. Trans.).

[1420] Winer-Moulton’s Grammar of N.T. Greek (8th ed., 1877).

[1421] Corinth, Corinthian or Corinthians.

[1422] F. Godet’s Commentaire sur la prem. Ép. aux Corinthiens (Eng. Trans.).

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Co_10:5

But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

But, i.e. notwithstanding they had been thus highly favored. With many; literally, with the greater number. God was not well pleased, that is, he was displeased. The proof of his displeasure was that they were overthrown in the wilderness. Literally, they were strewed as corpses in the wilderness. Their pain through the desert could be traced by the bones of those who perished through the judgments of God.

Charles Hodge — Commentary on Romans (1835), First Corinthians (1857), and Ephesians (1856) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

But--though they had so many tokens of God's presence.

many of them--rather, "the majority of them"; "the whole part." All except Joshua and Caleb of the first generation.

not--in the Greek emphatically standing in the beginning of the sentence: "Not," as one might have naturally expected, "with the more part of them was," &c.

God--whose judgment alone is valid.

for--the event showed, they had not pleased God.

overthrown--literally, "strewn in heaps."

in the wilderness--far from the land of promise.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 5. They were overthrown in the wilderness.] And yet ALL these persons were under the cloud - ALL passed through the sea - ALL were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea - ALL ate the same spiritual meat - ALL drank the same spiritual drink, for they were made partakers of the spiritual Rock, CHRIST. Nothing can be a more decisive proof than this that people, who have every outward ordinance, and are made partakers of the grace of our Lord Jesus, may so abuse their privileges and grieve the Spirit of God as to fall from their state of grace, and perish ever lastingly. Let those who are continually asserting that this is impossible, beware lest they themselves, if in a state of grace, become, through their overmuch security, proofs in point of the possibility of ending in the flesh, though they began in the Spirit. Reader, remember who said, Ye shall not surely die; and remember the mischiefs produced by a belief of his doctrine.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

5. But many of them. We have now the reason why the Apostle has premised these things — that we might not claim for ourselves any dignity or excellence above them, but might walk in humility and fear, for thus only shall we secure, that we have not been favored in vain with the light of truth, and with such an abundance of gracious benefits. “God,” says he, “had chosen them all as his people, but many of them fell from grace. Let us, therefore, take heed, lest the same thing should happen to us, being admonished by so many examples, for God will not suffer that to go unpunished in us, which he punished so severely in them.”

Here again it is objected: “If it is true, that hypocrites and wicked persons in that age ate spiritual meat, do unbelievers in the present day partake of the reality in the sacraments?” Some, afraid lest the unbelief of men should seem to detract from the truth of God, teach that the reality is received by the wicked along with the sign. This fear, however, is needless, for the Lord offers, it is true, to the worthy and to the unworthy what he represents, but all are not capable of receiving it. In the meantime, the sacrament does not change its nature, nor does it lose anything of its efficacy. Hence the manna, in relation to God, was spiritual meat even to unbelievers, but because the mouth of unbelievers was but carnal, they did not eat what was given them. The fuller discussion, however, of this question I reserve for the 11th Chapter.

For they were overthrown. Proof is here furnished, by adducing a token, that they did not please God — inasmuch as he exercised his wrath upon them with severity, and took vengeance on their ingratitude. Some understand this as referring to the whole of the people that died in the desert, with the exception of only two — Caleb and Joshua. (Numbers 14:29.) I understand him, however, as referring merely to those, whom he immediately afterwards makes mention of in different classes.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(5) But with many of them.—Better, Nevertheless not with the greater part of them was God pleased. This introduces the point from which the Apostle seeks to draw the great lesson of self-distrust. All had all these privileges—privileges of a baptism and a spiritual meat and drink which correspond with the sacramental ordinances which are proofs and pledges of all the privileges of us Christians—and yet with the greater part—in fact, with all except two—of that vast multitude God was not pleased, as is proved by the fact that (Num_14:16) all except Caleb and Joshua perished in the wilderness.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

5. with many of them] Rather, most. The point aimed at is, that in spite of their high privileges and great opportunities, the majority of them were destroyed. Cf. Heb_3:17. Joshua and Caleb only, Num_14:38, were permitted to enter the promised land. See also Num_26:64-65.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

But with many of them God was not well pleased,.... As he is with none but those that are in Christ; and with none of the services of men, but what are done in faith, which become acceptable to him through Jesus Christ; for in him only persons and services are accepted with God; and this was the way of acceptance in the Old, as in the New Testament dispensation: how many of the Jewish fathers God was not well pleased with, or took no delight in, but hated and abhorred, which is the sense of the phrase here, whether they were the greatest part or not, is not certain; however, they were not all, excepting Joshua and Caleb, as some interpreters understand it; for not all that died in the wilderness were out of the special grace and favour of God, witness Moses, Aaron, Miriam, and, it is to be supposed and hoped, hundreds and thousands more; but the apostle has respect to such who were the instances of God's direful vengeance and displeasure, as appears from the reason given;

for they were overthrown in the wilderness: he does not say merely that they died there, for many with whom God was well pleased died there; but these, their carcasses fell in the wilderness, being stricken, thrown down, and overthrown by the immediate hand of God; they did not die a common death, according to the ordinary course of nature; but by the plague, or by the sword, or by fire from heaven, or by fiery serpents, or by a destroying angel, or by one judgment or another, as hereafter mentioned.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

Ver. 5. They were overthrown] They died with the sacramental meat in their mouths. Our privileges excuse us not, but aggravate our enormities.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

But with many of them ... - That is, with their conduct. They rebelled and sinned, and were destroyed. The design of the apostle here is, to remind them that although they enjoyed so many privileges, yet they were destroyed; and thus to admonish the Corinthians that their privileges did not constitute an absolute security from danger, and that they should be cautious against the indulgence of sin. The phrase rendered here “with many” ἐν τοῖς πλείων en tois pleiōn should have been rendered “with most of them,” literally” with the many; and it means that with the greater part of them God was not well pleased; that is, he was pleased with but few of them.

Was not well pleased - Was offended with their ingratitude and rebellion.

For they were overthrown ... - That is, by the pestilence, by wars, or died by natural and usual diseases, so that they did not reach the land of Canaan. But two men of that generation, Caleb and Joshua, were permitted to enter the land of promise; Num 14:29-30.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

God was not well pleased, &c. Of 600,000, only Josue and Caleb entered the land of promise; the rest were destroyed, and perished in the wilderness. Their punishment ought to be an admonition to all to avoid such sins of idolatry, fornication, murmuring, &c.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

But with many of them God was not well pleased; these many were no less than that whole generation, which were at that time twenty years old and upward, according to the threatening, Num 14:28,29; of the acccomplishment of which we read, Num 26:64,65.

For they were over thrown in the wilderness; as an instance of God’s being displeased with them, he giveth their falling in the wilderness. It is very possible, that many of these were the objects of God’s eternal and special love, and eternally saved, notwithstanding their joining with worse men in their rebellion and murmuring; but that signal judgment of God upon them was enough to prove, that their being baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and being made partakers of those great privileges of eating spiritual meat, and drinking spiritual drink, typifying Christ, did not set them out of the danger of God’s judgments, which is the use the apostle maketh of it.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

5. Many—All ate and drank sacramentally of Christ, but many apostatized.

Overthrown—Rather, strown; their carcasses lying on the desert surface. This refers not to the myriads who died a natural death, but to the numbers that were slain by divine sentence for sin.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

With many of them; rather, with most of them. They were overthrown in the wilderness. A quotation from the LXX of Num_14:16. All but Caleb and Joshua perished. (Num_26:64, Num_26:65; comp. Jud_1:5) In Heb_3:17 the word used is "they fell."

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Yet - Although they had so many tokens of the divine presence. They were overthrown - With the most terrible marks of his displeasure.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

Although the Israelites were made partakers of the before-mentioned privileges and spiritual favours; though they were baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and did eat sacramental meat, and drink sacramental drink; yet it did not set them out of danger of God’s displeasure, for they were overthrown, their carcasses fell in the wilderness.

Learn hence, That no external privileges or prerogatives whatsoever can exempt persons from God’s judgments, if they return not suitably to him for the favours and benefits received from him.

The bare outward receiving of a sacrament is not saving to the soul of a person: and the unworthy receiving of sacraments, and unsuitable walking after them, do enkindle God’s anger and provoke his heavy displeasure against persons, even to the cutting them off by untimely death here in this world: With many of them God was displeased, and they were overthrown in the wilderness.

William Burkitt's Expository Notes on the New Testament (1700–1703) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

5. Awful retributions overtook Israel in the wilderness, because they sinned.

William B. Godbey, Commentary on the New Testament (1896–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Howbeit with most of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown [literally, strewn in heaps] in the wilderness . [In 1Co_10:24 of the preceding chapter Paul enforces the lesson of self-control by showing that though all run, yet but one receives the prize. This law, which the Greeks applied to a mere handful of racers, was applied of God with like rigor and stringency to the millions of Israel, a fact which Paul emphasizes by the repeated use of the word "all." Though all were under the cloud and all passed through the sea and all were baptized and all ate and drank of spiritual provision, yet only two, Caleb and Joshua, entered the promised land ( Deu_1:34-38 ; Num_26:64-65 ). What was true of racers and true of Israel may also be true of Christians if they fail to exercise self-control.]

J. W. McGarvey (with Philip Y. Pendleton), Commentaries on the New Testament (The Fourfold Gospel, 1914; Acts; and the epistles) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

5. But with many of them God was not well pleased. “All” were baptized, “all” were fed, “all” did drink, but notwithstanding God had done so much for them “all” without exception, many fell in the wilderness because of their sins; a startling warning to Christians on the journey.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

not well pleased

"displeased" or "angry" (See: Litotes)

most of them

the Israelite fathers

their corpses were scattered about

"God scattered their dead bodies around" or "God killed them and scattered their bodies"

in the wilderness

the desert land between Egypt and Israel through which the Israelites wandered for 40 years

translationWords

desert

evil

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

5. ἐν τοῖς πλείοσιν. The point aimed at is, that in spite of their high privileges and great opportunities, the majority of them was destroyed. Cf. Heb 3:16. Joshua and Caleb only, Num 14:38, were permitted to enter the promised land. See also Num 26:64-65.

κατεστρώθησαν. Compare our strewn. The expression is graphic and forcible.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

5.] Howbeit with the more part of them (in fact the exceptions were Joshua and Caleb only) God was not well pleased.

κατεστρ. γὰρ …] The very words of the LXX, see ref.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

5. ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἐν τοῖς πλείοσιν αὐτῶν ηὐδόκησεν ὁ Θεός. ‘Howbeit, not with most of them was God well pleased.’ Although all of them had great blessings (and, in particular, those which resembled the two sacraments which the Corinthian Church enjoyed), there were very few in whom God’s gracious purpose respecting them could be fulfilled. In οὐκ ἐν τοῖς πλείοσιν we have a mournful understatement: only two, Caleb and Joshua, entered the Promised Land (Num 14:30-32). All the rest, thousands in number, though they entered the lists, were disqualified, ἀδόκιμοι ἐγένοντο (9:27), by their misconduct.

In the Epistles, the evidence as to the augment of εὐδοκέω varies greatly; in 1:21, εὐδόκησεν is undisputed; here the balance favours ηύδ. (A B* C): see WH. 11. Notes p. 162.

The construction εὐδ. ἔν τινι is characteristic of LXX and N.T., while Polybius and others write εὐδ. τινι: but exceptions both ways are found (2Th 2:12; 2Th_1 Mac. 1:43). In Mat 12:18 and Heb 10:6 we have the accusative.

κατεστρώθησαν γὰρ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ. The γάρ introduces a justification of the previous statement. God cannot have been well pleased with them, for κατέστρωσεν αὐτοὺς ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ (Num 14:16). They did not die a natural death; their death was a judicial overthrow. The verb is frequent in judges and 2 Maccabees; cf. Eur. Her. Fur. 1000: nowhere else in N.T. It gives a graphic picture, the desert strewn with dead (Heb 3:17).

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Many [τοις πλειοσιν] . The A. V. misses the force of the article, the many. Hence Rev., correctly, most of them. All perished save Caleb and Joshua.

Overthrown [κατεστρωθησαν] . Only here in the New Testament. Lit., were strewn down along (the ground). The word belongs mostly to later Greek, though found in Herodotos in the general sense of slaying. So Euripides : "He laid low his wife and child with one dart" (" Hercules Furens, " 1000). It is used of spreading a couch.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Vv. 5. “But with most of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.”—᾿Αλλά: notwithstanding so great favours. — They were overthrown..., an allusion to Num 14:29 : “Your carcases shall fall in the wilderness.” What a spectacle is that which is called up by the apostle before the eyes of the self-satisfied Corinthians: all those bodies, sated with miraculous food and drink, strewing the soil of the desert!

Frédéric Louis Godet — Commentaries on Luke, John, Romans, and 1 Corinthians — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1870s–1890s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.