1 Corinthians 10:9

1 Corinthians 10:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.
• New International Version (NIV)We should not test Christ, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes.
• New King James Version (NKJV)nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents;
• New Living Translation (NLT)Nor should we put Christ to the test, as some of them did and then died from snakebites.

Context of 1 Corinthians 10:9

7Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play." 8We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, 10nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. 11Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.

1 Corinthians 10:9 word by word

μηδὲ ἐκπειράζωμεν τὸν Χριστόν καθώς τινες αὐτῶν ἐπείρασαν, καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν ὄφεων ἀπώλλυντο.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Neitherμηδέmēde · norG3366
• let us temptἐκπειράζωekpeirazō · to test/temptG1598
• Christὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• ChristΧριστόςChristos · ChristG5547
• asκαθώςkathōs · as/just asG2531
• someτιςtis · oneG5100
• ofὑπόhupo · by/under: byG5259
• themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• alsoκαίkai · andG2532
• temptedπειράζωpeirazō · to test/tempt: testG3985
• were destroyedἀπολλύωapollumi · to destroyG622
• of serpentsὄφιςophis · snakeG3789

Cross-references for 1 Corinthians 10:9

• Exodus 17:2Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, "Give us water to drink." And Moses said to them, "Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?"
• Exodus 23:20"Behold, I send an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared.
• Numbers 21:5And the people spoke against God and against Moses, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food."
• Deuteronomy 6:16"You shall not put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah.
• Psalms 78:18They tested God in their heart by demanding the food they craved.
• Psalms 95:9when your fathers put me to the test and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work.
• Psalms 106:14But they had a wanton craving in the wilderness, and put God to the test in the desert;
• Hebrews 3:8do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness,
• Hebrews 10:28Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses.
• Numbers 21:6Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died.

Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 10:9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9Neither let us tempt Christ - I have already supposed, in the note on 1 Corinthians 10:4; (note), that Christ is intended by the spiritual rock that followed them: and that it was he, not the rock, that did follow or accompany the Israelites in the wilderness. This was the angel of God's presence who was with the Church in the wilderness, to whom our fathers would not obey, as St. Stephen says, Acts 7:38, Acts 7:39. Instead of , Christ, several MSS. and a…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9Neither let us tempt Christ … - The word “tempt,” when applied to man, means to present motives or inducements to sin; when used with reference to God, it means to try his patience, to provoke his anger, or to act in such a way as to see how much he will bear, and how long he will endure the wickedness and perverseness of people. The Israelites tempted him, or “tried his patience and forbearance,” by rebellion, complaining, impatience, and dissatisfaction…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 6-14Verses 6-14 Carnal desires gain strength by indulgence, therefore should be checked in their first rise. Let us fear the sins of Israel, if we would shun their plagues. And it is but just to fear, that such as tempt Christ, will be left by him in the power of the old serpent. Murmuring against God's disposals and commands, greatly provokes him. Nothing in Scripture is written in vain; and it is our wisdom and duty to learn from it. Others have fallen, and…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9We should not test Christ: See Deuteronomy 6:16; Psalm 78:18–20; Matthew 4:7. Christ: Some manuscripts say the Lord, likely a scribe's effort to match the Old Testament context.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. tempt Christ--So the oldest versions, Irenæus (264), and good manuscripts read. Some of the oldest manuscripts read "Lord"; and one manuscript only "God." If "Lord" be read, it will mean Christ. As "Christ" was referred to in one of the five privileges of Israel (1Co 10:4), so it is natural that He should be mentioned here in one of the five corresponding sins of that people. In Nu 21:5 it is "spake against God" (whence probably arose the alteration in…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Corinthians 10:9

• Backsliders
• Commandments
• Jesus, the Christ
• Presumption
• Serpent
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• Christ
• Christ, Messiah
• Admonition
• Lust
• Meekness
• Corinthians, First Epistle to the
• Paul, the Apostle
• Pauline Theology

Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 10

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings