1 Corinthians 10:6

THE MESSAGE

The same thing could happen to us. We must be on guard so that we never get caught up in wanting our own way as they did. And we must not turn our religion into a circus as they did—"First the people partied, then they threw a dance." We must not be sexually promiscuous—they paid for that, remember, with 23,000 deaths in one day! We must never try to get Christ to serve us instead of us serving him; they tried it, and God launched an epidemic of poisonous snakes. We must be careful not to stir up discontent; discontent destroyed them.

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
And these things that happened are examples for us. These examples should stop us from wanting evil things like those people did.

Revised Standard Version
Now these things are warnings for us, not to desire evil as they did.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
These are ensamples to vs that we shuld not lust after evyll thinges as they lusted

Hebrew Names Version
Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.

International Standard Version
Now these things became examples for us so that we won't set our hearts on evil as they did.Numbers 11:4,33-34; Psalm 106:14;">[xr]

New American Standard Bible
Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they indeed craved them.

New Century Version
And these things happened as examples for us, to stop us from wanting evil things as those people did.

Update Bible Version
Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.

Webster's Bible Translation
Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.

English Standard Version
Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did.

World English Bible
Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Now these things were for our example, that we might not desire evil things, as they desired.

Weymouth's New Testament
And in this they became a warning to us, to teach us not to be eager, as they were eager, in pursuit of what is evil.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
But these thingis ben don in figure of vs, that we be not coueyteris of yuele thingis, as thei coueitiden.

English Revised Version
Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.

Berean Standard Bible
These things took place as examples to keep us from craving evil things as they did.

Contemporary English Version
What happened to them is a warning to keep us from wanting to do the same evil things.

Amplified Bible
Now these things [the warnings and admonitions] took place as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they did.

American Standard Version
Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.

Bible in Basic English
Now these things were for an example to us, so that our hearts might not go after evil things, as they did.

Complete Jewish Bible
Now these things took place as prefigurative historical events, warning us not to set our hearts on evil things as they did.

Darby Translation
But these things happened [as] types of us, that we should not be lusters after evil things, as they also lusted.

Etheridge Translation
But these became an example for us; that we should not desire evils, as they desired;

Murdock Translation
Now these things were an example for us, that we should not hanker after evil things as they hankered.

King James Version (1611)
Now these things were our examples, to the intent wee should not lust after euil things, as they also lusted.

New Living Translation
These things happened as a warning to us, so that we would not crave evil things as they did,

New Life Bible
These things show us something. They teach us not to want things that are bad for us like those people did.

New Revised Standard
Now these things occurred as examples for us, so that we might not desire evil as they did.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Nowe these things are our ensamples, to the intent that we should not lust after euil things as they also lusted.

George Lamsa Translation
But they became an example to us, so that we should not covet evil things as they did covet.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But, in these things, they became, ensamples for us, to the end we should not be covetous of evil things, even as, they, also coveted;

Douay-Rheims Bible
Now these things were done in a figure of us, that we should not covet evil things, as they also coveted.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
These veryly are ensamples to vs, to thintent that we shoulde not lust after euyll thynges, as they also lusted.

Good News Translation
Now, all of this is an example for us, to warn us not to desire evil things, as they did,

Christian Standard Bible®
Now these things took place as examples for us, so that we will not desire evil things as they did.

King James Version
Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.

Lexham English Bible
Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we should not be desirers of evil things, just as those also desired them,

Literal Translation
But these things became examples for us, so that we may not be lusters after evil, even as those indeed lusted.

Young's Literal Translation
and those things became types of us, for our not passionately desiring evil things, as also these did desire.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
These are ensamples vnto vs, yt we shulde not lust after euell thinges, as they lusted.

Mace New Testament (1729)
now these things were examples to deter us from longing after things that are pernicious, as they did.

New English Translation
These things happened as examples for us, so that we will not crave evil things as they did.

New King James Version
Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.

Simplified Cowboy Version
Learning from our mistakes might be good, but learning from their mistakes is even better. We should stay away from the things that resulted in their deaths.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved.

Contextual Overview

⁶The same thing could happen to us. We must be on guard so that we never get caught up in wanting our own way as they did. And we must not turn our religion into a circus as they did—"First the people partied, then they threw a dance." We must not be sexually promiscuous—they paid for that, remember, with 23,000 deaths in one day! We must never try to get Christ to serve us instead of us serving him; they tried it, and God launched an epidemic of poisonous snakes. We must be careful not to stir up discontent; discontent destroyed them. ¹¹These are all warning markers— danger !—in our history books, written down so that we don't repeat their mistakes. Our positions in the story are parallel—they at the beginning, we at the end—and we are just as capable of messing it up as they were. Don't be so naive and self-confident. You're not exempt. You could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else. Forget about self-confidence; it's useless. Cultivate God-confidence. ¹³ No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it. ¹⁴ So, my very dear friends, when you see people reducing God to something they can use or control, get out of their company as fast as you can.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

these: 1 Corinthians 10:11, Zephaniah 3:6, Zephaniah 3:7, Hebrews 4:11, 2 Peter 2:6, Jude 1:7

examples: Gr. figures, Romans 5:14, Hebrews 9:24, 1 Peter 3:21

lust: Numbers 11:4, Numbers 11:31-34, Psalms 78:27-31, Psalms 106:14, Psalms 106:15

Reciprocal: Numbers 11:34 - Kibrothhattaavah Numbers 26:10 - they became a sign Numbers 26:65 - They shall Deuteronomy 14:26 - thy soul Deuteronomy 24:9 - Remember Joshua 22:20 - General Judges 16:4 - he loved Psalms 78:18 - by asking meat Proverbs 5:14 - General Proverbs 21:10 - soul Proverbs 21:11 - the scorner Proverbs 24:32 - I looked Ezekiel 23:48 - that Luke 17:32 - General Romans 4:23 - General Colossians 3:5 - evil 1 John 2:16 - the lust of the flesh Revelation 18:14 - thy soul

Cross-References

Genesis 10:8
Cush also had Nimrod. He was the first great warrior on Earth. He was a great hunter before God . There was a saying, "Like Nimrod, a great hunter before God ." His kingdom got its start with Babel; then Erech, Akkad, and Calneh in the country of Shinar. From there he went up to Asshur and built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah, and Resen between Nineveh and the great city Calah.

Psalms 105:23
Then Israel entered Egypt, Jacob immigrated to the Land of Ham. God gave his people lots of babies; soon their numbers alarmed their foes. He turned the Egyptians against his people; they abused and cheated God's servants. Then he sent his servant Moses, and Aaron, whom he also chose. They worked marvels in that spiritual wasteland, miracles in the Land of Ham. He spoke, "Darkness!" and it turned dark— they couldn't see what they were doing. He turned all their water to blood so that all their fish died; He made frogs swarm through the land, even into the king's bedroom; He gave the word and flies swarmed, gnats filled the air. He substituted hail for rain, he stabbed their land with lightning; He wasted their vines and fig trees, smashed their groves of trees to splinters; With a word he brought in locusts, millions of locusts, armies of locusts; They consumed every blade of grass in the country and picked the ground clean of produce; He struck down every firstborn in the land, the first fruits of their virile powers. He led Israel out, their arms filled with loot, and not one among his tribes even stumbled. Egypt was glad to have them go— they were scared to death of them. God spread a cloud to keep them cool through the day and a fire to light their way through the night; They prayed and he brought quail, filled them with the bread of heaven; He opened the rock and water poured out; it flowed like a river through that desert— All because he remembered his Covenant, his promise to Abraham, his servant.

Isaiah 11:11
Also on that day, the Master for the second time will reach out to bring back what's left of his scattered people. He'll bring them back from Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Ethiopia, Elam, Sinar, Hamath, and the ocean islands.

Ezekiel 27:10
"‘Your army was composed of soldiers from Paras, Lud, and Put, Elite troops in uniformed splendor. They put you on the map! Your city police were imported from Arvad, Helech, and Gammad. They hung their shields from the city walls, a final, perfect touch to your beauty.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Now these things were our examples,.... Or "types"; that is, these punishments which were inflicted on these persons for their sins, were designed as instructions for others to avoid the like sins, that they may escape the same punishment; just as the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, being condemned with an overthrow, as these men were, were made ensamples to all that should hereafter live such vicious lives and conversations; and in a very lively manner, as in a type or print, these exhibited the displeasure of God against sin, what such must expect who commit it; so men are called out of Babylon, lest, partaking of her sins, they also receive of her plagues. The Jews have a common saying s

שאירע לאבות סימן לבנים "that what happened to the fathers is a sign unto the children"; to which the apostle may have respect:

to the intent that we should not lust after evil things. The apostle proceeds to enter into particular instances, in which these things were examples, teaching us to avoid sin, and so punishment; and begins with lust, which is the root and foundation of all sin; all the evil in the world arises from it, and the world itself is full of it, and is in God's account the same as action: and here he particularly strikes at those Corinthians, that lusted after the feasts in the idols' temples; and hints that that arose rather from a carnal sensual appetite, which ought not to be indulged, than from any other principle:

as they also lusted; that is, after evil things, the fish, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, onions, and garlic of Egypt, Numbers 11:4 which though they were not evil in themselves, yet the Israelites sinned in lusting after them, in not being content with the manna, the food which God had prepared for them; and besides, their desire after these things did not arise from want, but from a sensual appetite, and was attended with murmuring against the Lord and his servants, and was highly resented; for though the Lord gave them flesh according to their desire, yet while it was between their teeth, he sent a plague among them, by which multitudes were taken off, and the name of the place was called קברות התאוה, "Kibroth Hataavah, the graves of lusts"; the people that lusted being buried there, Numbers 11:34.

s Tzeror Hammor, fol. 77. 4.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

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 Exodus 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.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Corinthians 10:6. These 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 Numbers 11:4, c.: And the mixed multitude fell a lusting, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? Into the same spirit the Corinthians had most evidently fallen they lusted after the flesh in the idol feasts, and therefore frequented them to the great scandal of Christianity. The apostle shows them that their sin was of the same nature as that of the murmuring rebellious Israelites whom God so severely punished; and if he did not spare the natural branches, there was no likelihood that he should spare them.