1 Corinthians 10
Complete Jewish Bible
10 For, brothers, I don’t want you to miss the significance of what happened to our fathers. All of them were guided by the pillar of cloud, and they all passed through the sea, 2 and in connection with the cloud and with the sea they all immersed themselves into Moshe, 3 also they all ate the same food from the Spirit, 4 and they all drank the same drink from the Spirit — for they drank from a Spirit-sent Rock which followed them, and that Rock was the Messiah. 5 Yet with the majority of them God was not pleased, so their bodies were strewn across the desert.
6 Now these things took place as prefigurative historical events, warning us not to set our hearts on evil things as they did. 7 Don’t be idolaters, as some of them were — as the Tanakh puts it, “The people sat down to eat and drink, then got up to indulge in revelry.”[a] 8 And let us not engage in sexual immorality, as some of them did, with the consequence that 23,000 died in a single day. 9 And let us not put the Messiah to the test, as some of them did, and were destroyed by snakes. 10 And don’t grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the Destroying Angel.
11 These things happened to them as prefigurative historical events, and they were written down as a warning to us who are living in the acharit-hayamim. 12 Therefore, let anyone who thinks he is standing up be careful not to fall! 13 No temptation has seized you beyond what people normally experience, and God can be trusted not to allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear. On the contrary, along with the temptation he will also provide the way out, so that you will be able to endure.
14 Therefore, my dear friends, run from idolatry! 15 I speak to you as sensible people; judge for yourselves what I am saying. 16 The “cup of blessing” over which we make the b’rakhah — isn’t it a sharing in the bloody sacrificial death of the Messiah? The bread we break, isn’t it a sharing in the body of the Messiah? 17 Because there is one loaf of bread, we who are many constitute one body, since we all partake of the one loaf of bread. 18 Look at physical Isra’el: don’t those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar? 19 So, what am I saying? That food sacrificed to idols has any significance in itself? or that an idol has significance in itself? 20 No, what I am saying is that the things which pagans sacrifice, they sacrifice not to God but to demons; and I don’t want you to become sharers of the demons! 21 You can’t drink both a cup of the Lord and a cup of demons, you can’t partake in both a meal of the Lord and a meal of demons. 22 Or are we trying to make the Lord jealous? We aren’t stronger than he is, are we?
23 “Everything is permitted,” you say? Maybe, but not everything is helpful. “Everything is permitted?” Maybe, but not everything is edifying. 24 No one should be looking out for his own interests, but for those of his fellow. 25 Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, 26 for the earth and everything in it belong to the Lord.[b] 27 If some unbeliever invites you to a meal, and you want to go, eat whatever is put in front of you without raising questions of conscience. 28 But if someone says to you, “This meat was offered as a sacrifice,” then don’t eat it, out of consideration for the person who pointed it out and also for conscience’s sake — 29 however, I don’t mean your conscience but that of the other person. You say, “Why should my freedom be determined by someone else’s conscience? 30 If I participate with thankfulness, why am I criticized over something for which I myself bless God?” 31 Well, whatever you do, whether it’s eating or drinking or anything else, do it all so as to bring glory to God. 32 Do not be an obstacle to anyone — not to Jews, not to Gentiles, and not to God’s Messianic Community. 33 Just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not looking out for my own interests but for those of the many, so that they may be saved;
Footnotes
- 1 Corinthians 10:7 Exodus 32:6
- 1 Corinthians 10:26 Psalm 24:1, 50:12, 89:12(11)
Kehillah in Corinth I 10
Orthodox Jewish Bible
10 I do not want you to be without da’as, Achim b’Moshiach, that Avoteinu all were under the anan (cloud, SHEMOT 13:21-22) and passed through the sea [SHEMOT 14:22-25],
2 And all into Moshe Rabbenu were given tevilah in the anan (cloud) and in the sea,
3 And all of the same spiritual okhel (food) ate [SHEMOT 16:4,35; DEVARIM 8:3; TEHILLIM 78:24-29],
4 And all of the same spiritual drink drank, for they were drinking from a spiritual TZUR following them [SHEMOT 17:6; BAMIDBAR 20:11; TEHILLIM 78:15; 105:41], and that TZUR was Moshiach.
5 But Hashem was not pleased with most of them, for they were strewn about in the desert, VAYISHCHATEM BAMIDBAR ("then He slaughtered them in the desert" [BAMIDBAR 14:16, 23,29-30; TEHILLIM 78:31).
6 Now these things occurred as moftim (examples) for us, in order that we would not crave what is ra’ah as they did. [BAMIDBAR 11:4,34; TEHILLIM 106:14]
7 Neither should you become ovdei elilim (idolaters), as some of them did, as it has been written, "And the people sat to eat and to drink and they got up to revel” SHEMOT 32:6.
8 Neither should we commit zenut as some of them committed zenut and fell in one day twenty-three thousand [BAMIDBAR 25:1,9]. [T.N. if Rav Sha’ul is not giving the number that died in one day, a very famous and devastating twenty-four hour period, (with BAMIDBAR 25:4 mentioning other executions and the subsequent total being 24,000 [Bamidbar 24:9]), then Rav Sha’ul is referring to those who died in Shemot 32:35, quoting as he does Shemot 32:6 in 1C 10:7]
9 Neither let us tempt Moshiach, as some of them put Moshiach to the test, and by nechashim (serpents) were being destroyed [Ex 17:2; Num 21:5-6; Ps 78:18; 95:9; 106:4; ].
10 Neither should we murmur and grumble even as some of them VAYILONU ("and they murmured’ SHEMOT 15:24; 16:2; 17:3; BAMIDBAR 14:2,29; 16:41) and they were destroyed by the destroyer (Num 14:2,36; 16:41-49; 17:5,10; Ex 12:23 Ps 106:25-27).
11 Now, these things happened to those ones as moftim (examples), but it was written for our admonition, to whom the Kitzei HaOlamim has come.
12 So then the one that presupposes that he stands, let him take care lest he fall.
13 No nissayon (temptation) has overtaken you, except that which is common to Bnei Adam, but, Hashem is ne’eman (faithful) (DEVARIM 7:9), who will not let you to be brought into nissayon beyond what you are able, but will make with the nissayon also the derech (Tzaddikim TEHILLIM 1:6) as a way out for you to be able to endure.
14 Therefore, my chaverim, flee from avodah zarah.
15 I speak as to thinking men; you judge what I say.
16 The Kos HaBracha (Cup of Blessing) over which we say the Bracha, is it not a [Mizbe’ach] sharing and deveykus participation in the Korban Pesach death and kapporah of Moshiach? The matzoh which we break, is this not a sharing and a deveykus participation in the Guf HaMoshiach?
17 Because the matzoh is echad, we, many as we are, are one body, one new humanity, for we all partake of the matzoh echad.
18 Observe Yisroel according to the basar. Are not the ones eating the korbanot (sacrifices) partakers of the Mizbe’ach (altar VAYIKRA 7:6, 14, 15)?
19 What then am I saying? That a sacrifice to an elil (idol) is anything or that an idol is anything?
20 No, the things which they sacrifice, YIZB’CHU LASHEDIM LO ELOHIM ("They sacrificed to demons which were not G-d" DEVARIM 32:17; TEHILLIM 106:37). Now I do not want you to become sharers with the shedim (demons). [VAYIKRA 17:7; DEVARIM 32:17; TEHILLIM 106:37]
21 You are not able to drink from the Kos of Hashem and also from the Kos HaShedim; you are not able to partake of the shulchan of Hashem and the shulchan of shedim (demons).
22 Or is it that you would move Hashem to kinah (jealousy) [DEVARIM 32:21]? We don’t think we are stronger than He, do we? [DEVARIM 32:16; MELACHIM ALEF 14:22; TEHILLIM 78:58; YIRMEYAH 44:8; KOHELET 6:10; YESHAYAH 45:9]
23 “All things are lawful”? But not all things are beneficial; “All things are lawful”? But not all things edify [6:12].
24 Let no one seek his own benefit but the benefit of the other.
25 Everything being sold in a meat market eat without raising qualms of matzpun (conscience).
26 For LAHASHEM HA’ARETZ UMELOAH ("The earth is the L-rd’s and the fullness thereof" TEHILLIM 24:1; 50:12; 89:11; SHEMOT 9:29; 19:5; IYOV 41:11; TEHILLIM 50:12).
27 If anyone of the Apikorosim invites you and you want to go, eat everything being set before you without raising qualms of matzpun (conscience).
28 But if anyone should say to you, ‘Zeh nizbach l’elil!’ (‘This is sacrificed to an idol!’), do not eat out of consideration for that man who informed you and because of matzpun (conscience).
29 But I speak not about your matzpun but about the matzpun of the other man, for why is my cherut (freedom) brought into mishpat (judgment) by another’s matzpun (conscience)?
30 If I partake with Birkat Hamazon (grace after meals), why am I blamed for what I give todah (thanks) for?
31 Whether, therefore, you eat or you drink or whatever you do, do all things to the kavod (glory) of Hashem. [ZECHARYAH 14:21]
32 Be without michshol both to Yehudim and to Yevanim and to the Kehillah of Hashem,
33 even as I also please Bnei Adam in all things, not seeking my own advantage but that of the many, that they may be brought to Yeshu’at Eloheinu.
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.
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