1 Corinthians 10:9
in 1 Corinthians 10We should not test Christ, as some of them did, and were killed by snakes.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Neither let us make trial of the Lord, as some of them made trial, and perished by the serpents.
KJV
Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.
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This verse in 1 Corinthians 10
Commentary
10 notes on this verseThe Jews were putting Christ to the test, because it was he who spoke to Moses. Paul is warning us here not to do the same as they did.
This site's exposition
We should not test Christ
In Numbers 21 Israel's complaint against God and Moses met fiery serpents. By writing that we should not test Christ, Paul names Christ as the one tested, as with the rock in verse 4.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and perished by serpents." By this he again hints at another charge which he likewise states at the end, blaming them because they contended about signs. And indeed they were destroyed on account of trials, saying, "when will the good things come? when the rewards?" Wherefore also he adds, on this account correcting and alarming them.
The Medieval Church1 voice
He hints that the Corinthians, by demanding signs, are tempting Christ.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
In speaking of the fifth benefit, he expressly mentions Christ; and in speaking of the fourth sin, he shows it was committed against Christ. As some of them tempted him - This sin of the people was peculiarly against Christ; for when they had so long drank of that rock, yet they murmured for want of water.
Neither let us tempt Christ,....
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,
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Neither 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 with his dealings.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
As either "Christ" or "Lord" is the genuine reading, "Christ" must be "God." Compare "Why do ye tempt the Lord?" (Ex 17:2, 7. Compare Ro 14:11, with Isa 45:22, 23). Israel's discontented complainings were temptings of Christ especially, the "Angel" of the covenant (Ex 23:20, 21;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
Neither let us tempt Christ - I have already supposed, in the note on 1Co 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, Act 7:38, Act 7:39. Instead of Χριστον, Christ, several MSS. and a few versions have Κυριον, the Lord, and some few Θεον, God. But though some respectable MSS. have the Lord instead of Christ, yet this latter has the greatest proportion of authority on its side. And this affords no mean proof that the person who is called יהוה Yehovah in the Old Testament, is called Christ in the New. By tempting Christ is meant disbelieving the providence and goodness of God; and presuming to prescribe to him how he should send them the necessary supplies, and of what kind they should be, etc.
The words behind it
13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| μηδὲ | mede | Neither | G3366 → | 56 times |
| ἐκπειράζωμεν | ekpeirazomen | shall we test | G1598 → | |
| τὸν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Χριστόν | christon | Christ | G5547 → | 523 times |
| καθώς | kathos | even as | G2531 → | 182 times |
| τινες | tines | some | G5100 → | 528 times |
| αὐτῶν | auton | of them | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ἐπείρασαν, | epeirasan | tested, | G3985 → | 37 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ὑπὸ | hupo | by | G5259 → | 219 times |
| τῶν | ton | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ὄφεων | opheon | serpents | G3789 → | |
| ἀπώλλυντο. | apollunto | were destroyed. | G622 → | 90 times |
μηδὲNeither
medeG3366 →56 times
ἐκπειράζωμενshall we test
ekpeirazomenG1598 →
τὸνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
ΧριστόνChrist
christonG5547 →523 times
καθώςeven as
kathosG2531 →182 times
τινεςsome
tinesG5100 →528 times
αὐτῶνof them
autonG846 →5565 times
ἐπείρασαν,tested,
epeirasanG3985 →37 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ὑπὸby
hupoG5259 →219 times
τῶν<the>
tonG3588 →19766 times
ὄφεωνserpents
opheonG3789 →
ἀπώλλυντο.were destroyed.
apolluntoG622 →90 times
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
Deuteronomy 6:16Do not test the LORD your God as you tested Him at Massah.
it leads to
- Exodus 17:7
He named the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled, and because they tested the LORD, saying, “Is the LORD among us or not?”
- Luke 4:12
But Jesus answered, “It also says, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
- Matthew 4:7
Jesus replied, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
- Psalms 95:8–9
do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, in the day at Massah in the wilderness,
- Hebrews 3:8–9
do not harden your hearts, as you did in the rebellion, in the day of testing in the wilderness,
- Exodus 17:7
Through
Psalms 78:18They willfully tested God by demanding the food they craved.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 6:16
Do not test the LORD your God as you tested Him at Massah.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Numbers 11:4
Meanwhile, the rabble among them had a strong craving for other food, and again the Israelites wept and said, “Who will feed us meat?
- Deuteronomy 6:16
Through
Exodus 17:2So the people contended with Moses, “Give us water to drink.” “Why do you contend with me?” Moses replied. “Why do you test the LORD?”
it leads to
- Psalms 78:18
They willfully tested God by demanding the food they craved.
- Psalms 78:18
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies23
On this chapter
About 1 Corinthians
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrosiaster, COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on 1 Corinthians 23; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 1 Corinthians.