1 Corinthians 10:18

Amplified Bible

Consider the people of Israel; are those who eat the sacrifices not partners of the altar [united in their worship of the same God]? [Indeed they are.]

Parallel Translations

English Standard Version
Consider the people of Israel: are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar?

Geneva Bible (1587)
Beholde Israel, which is after the flesh: are not they which eate of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?

Christian Standard Bible®
Consider the people of Israel. Do not those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar?

Hebrew Names Version
Consider Yisra'el after the flesh. Don't those who eat the sacrifices have communion with the altar?

Darby Translation
See Israel according to flesh: are not they who eat the sacrifices in communion with the altar?

Easy-to-Read Version
And think about what the people of Israel do. When they eat the sacrifices, they are united by sharing what was offered on the altar.

American Standard Version
Behold Israel after the flesh: have not they that eat the sacrifices communion with the altar?

Berean Standard Bible
Consider the people of Israel: Are not those who eat the sacrifices fellow partakers in the altar?

Contemporary English Version
Aren't the people of Israel sharing in the worship when they gather around the altar and eat the sacrifices offered there?

Complete Jewish Bible
Look at physical Isra'el: don't those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar?

International Standard Version
Look at the Israelites from a human point of view.Israel according to the flesh">[fn] Those who eat the sacrifices share in what is on the altar, don't they?Leviticus 3:3; 7:15; Romans 4:1,12; 2 Corinthians 11:18; Galatians 6:16;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
Consider Israel who are in the flesh: are not they who eat of the sacrifices participators of the altar ?

Murdock Translation
Behold the Israel who are in the flesh; are not they who eat the victims, participators of the altar?

King James Version (1611)
Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices, partakers of the Altar?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Beholde Israel after the fleshe. Are not they which eate of the sacrifices, partakers of the aulter?

English Revised Version
Behold Israel after the flesh: have not they which eat the sacrifices communion with the altar?

King James Version
Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?

Lexham English Bible
Consider Israel according to the flesh: are not the ones who eat the sacrifices sharers in the altar?

Literal Translation
Look at Israel according to flesh; are not those eating the sacrifices partakers of the altar?

New Century Version
Think about the Israelites: Do not those who eat the sacrifices share in the altar?

New English Translation
Look at the people of Israel. Are not those who eat the sacrifices partners in the altar?

New King James Version
Observe Israel after the flesh: Are not those who eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?

New Living Translation
Think about the people of Israel. Weren't they united by eating the sacrifices at the altar?

New Revised Standard
Consider the people of Israel; are not those who eat the sacrifices partners in the altar?

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Be looking at Israel after the flesh: - are not, they who eat the sacrifices, joint partakers with the altar?

Douay-Rheims Bible
Behold Israel according to the flesh. Are not they that eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?

George Lamsa Translation
Behold Israel whose observance is after the flesh: do not those who eat the sacrifices become partakers of the altar?

Good News Translation
Consider the people of Israel; those who eat what is offered in sacrifice share in the altar's service to God.

Webster's Bible Translation
Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they who eat of the sacrifices, partakers of the altar?

World English Bible
Consider Israel after the flesh. Don't those who eat the sacrifices have communion with the altar?

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Consider Israel after the flesh. Are not they who eat of the sacrifices, partakers of the altar?

Weymouth's New Testament
Look at the Israelites--the nation and their ritual. Are not those who eat the sacrifices joint-partakers in the altar?

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Se ye Israel aftir the fleisch, whethir thei that eeten sacrifices, ben not partyneris of the auter?

Revised Standard Version
Consider the people of Israel; are not those who eat the sacrifices partners in the altar?

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Beholde Israhell which walketh carnally. Are not they which eate of the sacrifyse partetakers of the aultre?

Update Bible Version
Look at Israel after the flesh: don't those that eat the sacrifices have communion with the altar?

Young's Literal Translation
See Israel according to the flesh! are not those eating the sacrifices in the fellowship of the altar?

Bible in Basic English
See Israel after the flesh: do not those who take as food the offerings of the altar take a part in the altar?

New American Standard Bible
Look at the people of Israel; are those who eat the sacrifices not partners in the altar?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Beholde Israel after the flesshe. They yt eate the sacrifices, are they not partakers of the altare?

Mace New Testament (1729)
consider the custom of the Jews by descent, are not they which eat of the sacrifices, partakers of the altar? what say I then?

New Life Bible
Look at the Jews. They ate the animals that were brought to God as gifts in worship and put on the altar. Did this not show they were sharing with God?

Simplified Cowboy Version
It's no different than the people of Israel eating food sacrificed on the altar.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Look at the nation Israel; are not those who eat the sacrifices sharers in the altar?

Legacy Standard Bible
Look at the nation Israel. Are not those who eat the sacrifices sharers in the altar?

Contextual Overview

¹⁵I am speaking as to wise and sensible people; judge [carefully and thoughtfully consider] for yourselves what I say. ¹⁶Is the cup of blessing which we bless [at the Lord's Supper] not a sharing in the blood of Christ? [Indeed it is.] Is the bread which we break not a sharing in the body of Christ? [Indeed it is.] ¹⁷Since there is one bread, we [believers] who are many are [united into] one body; for we all partake of the one bread [which represents the body of Christ]. ¹⁸Consider the people of Israel; are those who eat the sacrifices not partners of the altar [united in their worship of the same God]? [Indeed they are.] ¹⁹What do I mean then? That a thing offered to idols is anything [special or changed simply because it is offered], or that an idol is anything? ²⁰On the contrary, the things which the Gentiles (pagans) sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons [in effect], and not to God; and I do not want you to become partners with demons [by eating at feasts in pagan temples]. ²¹You cannot drink [both] the Lord's cup and the cup of demons. You cannot share in both the Lord's table and the table of demons [thereby becoming partners with them]. ²²Do we [really] provoke the Lord to jealousy [when we eat food sacrificed to handmade "gods" at pagan feasts]? Are we [spiritually] stronger than He? [Certainly not! He knows that the idols are nothing. But we deeply offend Him.]

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Israel: Romans 4:1, Romans 4:12, Romans 9:3-8, 2 Corinthians 11:18-22, Galatians 6:16, Ephesians 2:11, Ephesians 2:12, Philippians 3:3-5

are: 1 Corinthians 9:13, Leviticus 3:3-5, Leviticus 3:11, Leviticus 7:11-17, 1 Samuel 2:13-16, 1 Samuel 9:12, 1 Samuel 9:13

Reciprocal: Exodus 18:12 - Aaron Ezekiel 22:9 - they eat Ezekiel 44:3 - to eat Daniel 1:8 - defile Acts 15:29 - ye abstain 1 Corinthians 5:11 - or an idolater Revelation 2:14 - eat Revelation 2:20 - and to seduce

Cross-References

Genesis 10:16
and the Jebusite and the Amorite and the Girgashite

Genesis 10:17
and the Hivite and the Arkite and the Sinite

Numbers 34:8
from Mount Hor you shall mark out your boundary to the entrance of Hamath, and the limit of the border shall be at Zedad;

Joshua 18:22
and Beth-arabah and Zemaraim and Bethel,

2 Samuel 8:9
When Toi king of Hamath heard about David's defeat of all the forces of Hadadezer,

2 Kings 17:24
The king of Assyria brought men from Babylon and from Cuthah and from Avva and from Hamath and Sepharvaim, and settled them in the cities of Samaria in place of the sons (people) of Israel. They took possession of Samaria and lived in its cities.

2 Kings 17:30
The men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima,

2 Chronicles 13:4
Then Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, and said, "Listen to me, Jeroboam and all Israel:

Isaiah 10:9
"Is not Calno [conquered] like Carchemish [on the Euphrates]? Is not Hamath [subdued] like Arpad [her neighbor]? Is not Samaria [in Israel] like Damascus [in Aram]?

Ezekiel 27:8
"The inhabitants of Sidon and [the island] of Arvad were your oarsmen; Your skilled and wise men, O Tyre, were with you; they were your pilots.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Behold Israel after the flesh,.... So the apostle calls them, to distinguish them from the Israel of God, the spiritual Israel, whether Jews or Gentiles; who are born again, believe in the true Messiah, worship God in a spiritual manner, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in fleshly things; but these were the descendants of Jacob or Israel by carnal generation, were carnal men, in the flesh, in a state of unregeneracy, and were employed in a carnal worship, in the observance of carnal commandments and ordinances; these the apostle directs to, to see, consider, and take notice of what they were doing; from whence some instruction might be taken, for the further clearing of the present point:

are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? yes, they are. The priests and Levites who waited at the altar, and ministered about holy things there, who brought the sacrifices and laid them upon the altar of the burnt offerings, where the altar consumed and devoured one part by fire, and that which was left they ate among themselves; and so as they had communion with one another in eating, they partook of the altar, of the things, or sacrifices of the altar, and showed themselves to be of the Jewish religion, and professed and declared that they worshipped the God of Israel, and would be thought to have communion with him in so doing; in like manner, such who eat of things sacrificed to idols, declared themselves to be idolaters, to be of the Pagan religion, to be worshippers of idols, and to have fellowship with them.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Behold Israel - Look at the Jews. The design here is to illustrate the sentiment which he was establishing, by a reference to the fact that among the Jews those who partook of the same sacrifices were regarded as being one people, and as worshipping one God. So, if they partook of the sacrifices offered to idols, they would be regarded also as being fellow-worshippers of idols with them.

After the flesh - See Romans 4:1. The phrase “after the flesh” is designed to denote the Jews who were not converted to Christianity; the natural descendants of Israel, or Jacob.

Are not they which eat of the sacrifices - A portion of the sacrifices offered to God was eaten by the offerer, and another portion by the priests. Some portions of the animal, as the fat, were burnt; and the remainder, unless it was a holocaust, or whole burnt-offering, was then the property of the priests who had officiated, or of the persons who had brought it; Exodus 29:13, Exodus 29:22; Lev, Leviticus 3:4, Leviticus 3:10, Leviticus 3:15; Leviticus 4:9; Leviticus 7:3-4; Leviticus 8:26. The right shoulder and the breast was the part which was assigned to the priests; the remainder belonged to the offerer.

Partakers of the altar - Worshippers of the same God. They are united in their worship, and are so regarded. And in like manner, if you partake of the sacrifices offered to idols, and join with their worshippers in their temples, you will be justly regarded as “united” with them in their worship, and partaking with them in their abominations.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 18. Behold Israel after the flesh — The Jews not yet converted to Christianity: the latter being Israel after the Spirit. As the design of the apostle was to withdraw his converts at Corinth from all temptations to idolatry, he produces two examples to show the propriety of his endeavours.

1. All who join together in celebrating the Lord's Supper, and are partakers of that one bread, give proof by this that they are Christians, and have fellowship with Christ.

2. All the Israelites who offer sacrifice, and partake of those sacrifices, give proof thereby that they are Jews, and are in fellowship with the object of their worship: so they who join in idol festivals, and eat things which have been offered to idols, give proof that they are in communion with those idolaters, and that they have fellowship with the demons they worship.