Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Corinthians 10:5
But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
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.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
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 en tois pleion 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.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
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.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
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 Gods being displeased with them, he giveth their falling in the wilderness. It is very possible, that many of these were the objects of Gods 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 Gods judgments, which is the use the apostle maketh of it.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
5. Butthough they had so manytokens of God’s presence.
many of themrather,”the majority of them”; “the whole part.” Allexcept Joshua and Caleb of the first generation.
notin the Greekemphatically standing in the beginning of the sentence: “Not,”as one might have naturally expected, “with the more part ofthem was,” &c.
Godwhose judgmentalone is valid.
forthe event showed,they had not pleased God.
overthrownliterally,”strewn in heaps.”
in the wildernessfarfrom the land of promise.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
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.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
With most of them ( ). “A mournful understatement,” for only two (Caleb and Joshua) actually reached the Promised Land (Nu 14:30-32). All the rest were rejected or (9:27).
Were overthrown (). First aorist passive indicative of , old compound verb, to stretch or spread down as of a couch, to lay low (Euripides), as if by a hurricane. Powerful picture of the desolation wrought by the years of disobedience and wanderings in the desert by this verb quoted from Nu 14:16.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Many [ ] . The A. V. misses the force of the article, the many. Hence Rev., correctly, most of them. All perished save Caleb and Joshua.
Overthrown [] . 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.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “But with many of them.” (alla en tois pleiosin auton) “But with the many or majority of them – the masses of them.” Num 14:22-23.
2) “God was not well pleased.” (ouk eudokesen ho theos) “God was not well pleased.” Their murmurings, complaints, and rebellion against God, led to the death of all who came out of Egypt, among the males forty years and upward, except Joshua and Caleb, Psa 95:9-11.
3) “For they were overthrown in the wilderness. (katesthrotheson gar en te eremo) “For they were scattered in the desert or uninhabited place.” Deu 1:26-27; Deu 1:34-37; Heb 4:3.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
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, (539) 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. (Num 14:29.) I understand him, however, as referring merely to those, whom he immediately afterwards makes mention of in different classes.
(539) “ Il a fait une horrible vengence sur eux;” — “He inflicted dreadful vengeance upon them.”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(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 privilegesprivileges 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 Christiansand yet with the greater partin fact, with all except twoof 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.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
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.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘Howbeit with most of them God was not well pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness.’
The spiritual benefits of the Israelites proved to be of no efficacy to them when it came to the sins of idolatry and sexual misbehaviour, both prominent in idol temples. They failed, displeased God and were overthrown in the wilderness one by one as they died off (Num 14:16 LXX). Their participation in sacraments had not saved them. Let the Corinthians beware lest the same thing happen to them. Note the ‘most of them’ taken along with the earlier ‘all’. There were only a few of all the adults who originally received the spiritual sacraments who actually survived the stay at Kadesh, e.g. Moses, Caleb and Joshua.
So among these who had experienced these things some were specifically destroyed. Others died one by one, day by day, in the wilderness, their bodies left there in the wilderness. But only the few survived to enter Canaan. We may possibly (and rightly) distinguish between those who were finally lost, those who were saved but did not receive the prize, and those whose triumph was final, but that is not Paul’s emphasis here. He is concentrating on the thought of their failure to receive the prize they were aiming at. The point is that they just did not get there. (Aaron fell in the wilderness but we are not to gather from that that God had eternally rejected him. It was simply that he came short of receiving the fullness of blessing).
This is now followed by four or five examples of the way in which the majority had failed. Lusting after evil things; its resultant idolatry, having in mind the molten calf incident when the ‘play’ probably included sexual misbehaviour as well as false worship (Exo 32:6); fornication (Num 25:1-9); testing God through unbelief (Num 21:4-9); murmuring (Num 11:1-15). All these sins were being reproduced among the Corinthians.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
1Co 10:5. But with many of them But with the greater part of them.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
1Co 10:5 . ] not with the greater part of them . A tragical litotes . Caleb and Joshua alone reached the land of promise. Num 14:30 .
] 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 Num 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 .
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
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.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
5. ] Howbeit with the more part of them (in fact the exceptions were Joshua and Caleb only) God was not well pleased .
. ] The very words of the LXX, see ref.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
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 . “the majority” of the so highly favoured; cf. 1Co 15:6 . (after the LXX), Heb. chaphets b; the resembles that of 1Co 9:15 ; see Wr [1420] , p. 291. . . ., “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. p. aux Corinthiens (Eng. Trans.).
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
many = the most.
God. App-98.
well pleased. Greek. eudokeo. See 1Co 1:21.
overthrown. Greek. katastrannumi. Only here in NT. But the word occurs twice in Septuagint, Num 14:16 (where the Authorized Version reads “slain”) and Job 12:23.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
5.] Howbeit with the more part of them (in fact the exceptions were Joshua and Caleb only) God was not well pleased.
. ] The very words of the LXX, see ref.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
1Co 10:5. , but) although they had so many signs of the Divine presence.- , not with the most of them) The position of the particle not should be noticed. Reason might suggest, that God certainly was well pleased , 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.- , God) whose judgment alone is valid.-, were overthrown) in great heaps, and with great force. The LXX. have used this word in Num 14:16.-, for) The event showed, that they had not pleased God.- , in the wilderness) far from the land of promise.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
1Co 10:5
1Co 10:5
Howbeit with most of them God was not well pleased:- [In the course of these opening verses the emphatic word all occurs five times, the more emphatically to make the sad contrast between the commencement and the close of the journey. They all without exception stood on the same level of divine favor. In his marvelous dealings with them he was one and the same to them all: to the standing and the falling he was gracious alike, for as all were baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea, so in the wilderness the same food was common to them all and the same drink to all, both of divine origin, and had they but remained steadfast in the covenant, the same prospect of reaching Canaan was before them all.] But notwithstanding the deliverance he had given them from bondage, and the many works he did in their behalf, most of them forgot his goodness, turned from following Moses, and with them God was not well pleased.
for they were overthrown in the wilderness.-All of the generation that left Egypt, except Joshua and Caleb, were disqualified by their misconduct. They were overthrown by the pestilence, by wars, or by natural and unusual diseases, so that they did not reach the land of Canaan. [So now notwithstanding Jesus has delivered us from the slavery of sin, he has provided blessings and favors at every step of the way, we murmur and complain at his dealings and rebel against his law and displease him, and as the Israelites were overthrown in the wilderness, so we fall from our steadfastness and are overthrown by the way, fail to reach the promised land.]
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Num 14:11, Num 14:12, Num 14:28-35, Num 26:64, Num 26:65, Deu 1:34, Deu 1:35, Deu 2:15, Deu 2:16, Psa 78:32-34, Psa 90:1, *title Psa 90:7, Psa 90:8, Psa 95:11, Psa 106:26, Heb 3:17, Jud 1:5
Reciprocal: Num 14:29 – carcases Num 14:32 – General Num 14:35 – this evil Num 32:13 – until all Jos 5:4 – All the Psa 78:21 – the Lord Pro 21:12 – overthroweth Eze 20:36 – General Eze 20:38 – they shall 1Th 2:15 – please Heb 2:2 – every
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1Co 10:5. For they were overthrown in the wilderness is stated as the proof that God was displeased with them.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
1Co 10:5. Howbeit with most of them God was not well pleasedin point of fact, with all that came out of Egypt by Moses, save Caleb and Joshua, because they had another spirit with them, and followed the Lord fully (Num 14:24).for (as the issue shewed) they were overthrown in the wilderness.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
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.
Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament
Lost Though Rewarded
As Paul continues his discussion of their fall in the wilderness, he emphasizes self-control as he did in 9:27. Five times in the preceding verses he emphasized the participation of all in the blessings of deliverance. Then, he reminded the Corinthians that few received the reward ( Deuteronomy 1:3138 ; Num 26:62-65 ). Their starting number had been 693,550 ( Num 1:3 ; Num 2:32 )! “Scattered” suggests the desert was strewn with their corpses (see Vine). On page 27 of The Gospel Plan of Salvation, T. W. Brents cites verses 5 through 12 and says, “We know not how the apostle could have given more conclusive proof that the number of the elect composing the Church of God at Corinth, was liable to be diminished by apostasy than is here given” ( 1Co 10:5 ).
The apostle indicated those serving under the law of Christ can learn from the mistakes of those Israelites. They lusted after the fleshpots of Egypt ( Numbers 11:46; 3234 ). A desire to return to the old life and its sinful pleasures is thus condemned. Egypt equals the sinful life. Paul then makes reference to Exo 32:1-35 where in connection with idolatrous worship they apparently danced and let their passions run wild. Anything placed before God is idolatrous ( 1Co 10:6-7 ).
Num 25:1-9 contains the record of the next incident mentioned by Paul. The number used by Paul may have been rounded down and Moses’ number rounded up. Idolatrous worship often led to sexual immorality because it was a part of such worship among other nations. Allen says immorality follows rejection of God ( Rom 1:18-32 ). The Israelites also tried God’s patience. This was either through lack of trust (belief in his power and word; Act 5:9 ; Act 15:10 ; Heb 3:9 ), or by needlessly exposing themselves to danger ( Mat 4:7 ). Paul may have been referring to the incidents recorded in Numbers 21:46 . There are two cases of murmuring done by the children of Israel ( Num 14:12 ; Num 27:1-23 ; Num 28:1-31 ; Num 29:1-40 ; Num 16:41-49 ). God is never pleased with complaining ( 1Co 10:8-10 ).
Fuente: Gary Hampton Commentary on Selected Books
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.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Vv. 5. But with most of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.: 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!
Fuente: Godet Commentary (Luke, John, Romans and 1 Corinthians)
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.]
Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)
5. Awful retributions overtook Israel in the wilderness, because they sinned.
Fuente: William Godbey’s Commentary on the New Testament
1Co 10:5-6. The more part: very much less than the truth, as the readers knew, but sufficient for Paul’s warning. Of this statement, 1Co 10:5 b is proof.
Smitten-down in the wilderness: exact words of (LXX.) Num 14:16; cp. Num 14:32. That they died in the wilderness instead of entering Canaan, was a punishment for the sin of Num 14:1-10 Cp. Heb 3:16 ff.
These things: all that was included in smitten down etc.: cp. none of these things, 1Co 9:15.
Types of us: sketches in outline of what will come to us if we do as they did. See under Rom 5:14. All lessons learned by others from the fate of the sinning Israelites were not only foreseen but designed, by God. Therefore, since the Old Covenant was preparatory to the New, Paul could say that the various punishments of Israel were chosen and inflicted by God in order to teach the men of his own day the evil of desiring bad things. Cp. 1Co 9:10.
Bad-things; refers only to the men of Paul’s day, not to Num 11:4 : for flesh and vegetables were not in themselves bad.
As they also etc.; gives prominence to the conduct followed by such punishment.
Fuente: Beet’s Commentary on Selected Books of the New Testament
In spite of these blessings, similar to those that Christians enjoy, God was not happy with His people Israel. He permitted none of the adult generation of military age, 20 years old and older, to enter the Promised Land, except Caleb and Joshua, not even Moses (Num 20:12). All but those two individuals from that generation died in the wilderness. How the majority displeased God and lost their privileges follows.