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.
• English Standard Version (ESV)We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents,
• 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 got up to indulge in revelry.” 8We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. We should not test Christ, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. 10And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel. 11These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination 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 17:2So they quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses replied, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the Lord to the test?”
• Exodus 23:20“See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared.
• Numbers 21:5they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!”
• Deuteronomy 6:16Do not put the Lord your God to the test as you did at Massah.
• Psalms 78:18They willfully put God to the test by demanding the food they craved.
• Psalms 95:9where your ancestors tested me; they tried me, though they had seen what I did.
• Psalms 106:14In the desert they gave in to their craving; in the wilderness they put God to the test.
• Hebrews 3:8do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness,
• Hebrews 10:28Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
• Numbers 21:6Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites 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