1 Corinthians 10:6
in 1 Corinthians 10These things took place as examples to keep us from craving evil things as they did.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
KJV
Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
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This verse in 1 Corinthians 10
Commentary
15 notes on this verseThese things were our examples - The punishments which God inflicted on them furnish us with evidences of what God will inflict upon us, if we sin after the similitude of those transgressors. We should not lust after evil things - It is most evident that the apostle refers here to the history in Num 11:4, etc.: And the mixed multitude fell a lusting, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?
This site's exposition
God was not pleased with
on 1 Corinthians 10:5-6
A generation baptized, fed and given drink was struck down in the wilderness, short of the promised land. The word for examples, typoi, gives typology its name, setting that generation as a pattern for the church.
This site's exposition
These things took place as
Barnes gives the word behind took place as examples as types, patterns set out beforehand. As Israel's gifts foreshadowed baptism and the table of the Lord, their punishments foreshadow judgment on Corinthians who presume on those gifts.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
These things were written as examples for us, so that when we read about their sins we shall know to avoid them.
But if any feigns ignorance of the fact that that effigy of the serpent of bronze, after the manner of one uphung, denoted the shape of the Lord's cross, which was to free us from serpents-that is, from the devil's angels-while, through itself, it hanged up the devil slain; or whatever other exposition of that figure has been revealed to worthless men no matter, provided we remember the apostle affirms that all things happened at that time to the People figuratively. It is enough that the same God, as by law He forbade the making of similitude, did, by the extraordinary precept in the case of the serpent, interdict similitude. If you reverence the same God, you have His law, "Thou shall make no similitude." If you look back, too, to the precept enjoining the subsequently made similitude, do you, too, imitate Moses: make not any likeness in opposition to the law, unless to you, too, God have bidden it.
But why resort to the figure of a sacred sign given by an extraneous god? Was it to teach the very truth, that ancient things prefigured the Christ who was to be educed out of them? For, being about to take a cursory view of what befell the people (of Israel) he begins with saying: "Now these things happened as examples for us." Now, tell me, were these examples given by the Creator to men belonging to a rival god? Or did one god borrow examples from another, and a hostile one too? He withdraws me to himself in alarm from Him from whom he transfers my allegiance.
"Now these things were figures of us." For as the gifts are figures, even so are the punishments figures: and as Baptism and the Table were sketched out prophetically, so also by what ensued, the certainty of punishment coming on those who are unworthy of this gift was proclaimed beforehand for our sake that we by these examples might learn soberness. Wherefore also he adds, "To the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted." For as in the benefits the types went before and the substance followed, such shall be the order also in the punishments. Seest thou how he signifies not only the fact that these shall be punished, but also the degree, more severely than those ancients? For if the one be type, and the other substance, it must needs be that the punishments should as far exceed as the gifts. And see whom he handles first: those who eat in the idol-temples. For having said, "that we should not lust after evil things," which was general, he subjoins that which is particular, implying that each of their sins arose from evil lusting.
Where now is necessity, and what they call fortune or fate? What plague awaits the redeemed from death, after their eternal pardon? What wrath is there for the reconciled, after grace? What weakness, after their renewed strength? What risk and danger, after their salvation?
7 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
Just as the blessings, so also the punishments of the Jews were types. He shows that sinners among Christians will not only be punished, but much more than the Jews, since the blessings of the latter were types, while the good things of the former …
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
The benefits are 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, ver. 7, 14; then fornication, which usually accompanied it, ver. 8; the tempting and murmuring against God, in the following verses.
Now these things were our examples,....
He resumes his former argument ( ch. viii. ), about eating things offered to idols; and shows that it was utterly inconsistent with true Christianity, that it was downright gross idolatry, to eat them as things offered to idols; it is having fellowship with devils, which cannot consist with having fellowship with God,
Carnal desires get head by indulgence, and therefore should be observed and checked in their first rise: if once they prevail, and bear sway in us, we know not whither they will carry us. This caution stands first, because carnal appetites indulged are the root and source of much sin.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
A particular case of lust was that after flesh, when they pined for the fish, leeks, &c., of Egypt, which they had left (Nu 11:4, 33, 34). These are included in the "evil things," not that they are so in themselves, but they became so to the Israelites when they lusted after what God withheld, and were discontented with what God provided.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Now these things - The judgments inflicted on them by God for their sins. Were our examples - Greek: “types” (τύποι tupoi). Margin, “figures.” They were not designed to be types of us, but they are to be held up as furnishing an admonition to us, or a warning that we do not sin in the same way. The same God directs our affairs that ordered theirs; and if we sin as they did, we also must expect to be punished, and excluded from the favor of God, and from heaven. Lust after evil things - Desire those things which are forbidden, and which would be injurious. They lusted after flesh, and God granted them their desires, and the consequence was a plague, and the destruction of multitudes Exo 11:4. So Paul infers that the Corinthian Christians should not lust after, or desire the meat offered in sacrifice to idols, lest it should lead them also to sin and ruin.
The words behind it
15 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ταῦτα | tauta | These things | G3778 → | 1381 times |
| δὲ | de | now | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| τύποι | tupoi | types | G5179 → | |
| ἡμῶν | hemon | to us | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| ἐγενήθησαν | egenethesan | have become | G1096 → | 667 times |
| εἰς | eis | for | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| τὸ | to | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| μὴ | me | not | G3361 → | 1066 times |
| εἶναι | einai | to be | G1511 → | 123 times |
| ἡμᾶς | hemas | us | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| ἐπιθυμητὰς | epithumetas | desirers | G1938 → | |
| κακῶν | kakon | of evil things | G2556 → | 50 times |
| καθὼς | kathos | even as | G2531 → | 182 times |
| κἀκεῖνοι | kakeinoi | they also | G2532 →G1565 → | 260 times |
| ἐπεθύμησαν. | epethumesan | desired. | G1937 → |
ταῦταThese things
tautaG3778 →1381 times
δὲnow
deG1161 →2765 times
τύποιtypes
tupoiG5179 →
ἡμῶνto us
hemonG3165 →1936 times
ἐγενήθησανhave become
egenethesanG1096 →667 times
εἰςfor
eisG1519 →1755 times
τὸ<the>
toG3588 →19766 times
μὴnot
meG3361 →1066 times
εἶναιto be
einaiG1511 →123 times
ἡμᾶςus
hemasG3165 →1936 times
ἐπιθυμητὰςdesirers
epithumetasG1938 →
κακῶνof evil things
kakonG2556 →50 times
καθὼςeven as
kathosG2531 →182 times
κἀκεῖνοιthey also
ἐπεθύμησαν.desired.
epethumesanG1937 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Corinthians 10:11Now these things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.
it leads to
- Romans 15:4
For everything that was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures, we might have hope.
- Romans 15:4
Through
Jude 1:7In like manner, Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, who indulged in sexual immorality and pursued strange flesh, are on display as an example of those who sustain the punishment of eternal…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 29:23
All its soil will be a burning waste of sulfur and salt, unsown and unproductive, with no plant growing on it, just like the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which the…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Romans 1:26–27
For this reason God gave them over to dishonorable passions. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones.
- 2 Peter 2:6
if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction, reducing them to ashes as an example of what is coming on the ungodly;
- Deuteronomy 29:23
Through
2 Peter 2:6if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction, reducing them to ashes as an example of what is coming on the ungodly;
it leads to
- Jude 1:7
In like manner, Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, who indulged in sexual immorality and pursued strange flesh, are on display as an example of those who sustain the punishment of eternal…
- Jude 1:7
Through
Hebrews 4:11Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following the same pattern of disobedience.
it leads to
- Matthew 11:28–30
Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
- Luke 13:24
“Make every effort to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able.
- Hebrews 3:18
And to whom did He swear that they would never enter His rest? Was it not to those who disobeyed?
- Matthew 11:28–30
Where this verse is studied
On this page
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About 1 Corinthians
This page draws on 14 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the First Epistle to the Corinthians; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentary on the Epistles of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians; John Chrysostom, Homily on 1 Corinthians 23; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Origen of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON 1 CORINTHIANS 4.46; Tertullian, On Idolatry; Tertullian, Against Marcion Book V; Tertullian, On the Resurrection of the Flesh and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 1 Corinthians.