1 Corinthians 10:7

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
Don't worship idols as some of them did. As the Scriptures say, "The people sat down to eat and drink and then got up to have a wild party."

Revised Standard Version
Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to dance."

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Nether be ye worshippers of Images as were some of them accordynge as it is written: The people sate doune to eate and drynke and rose vp agayne to playe.

Hebrew Names Version
Neither be idolaters, as some of them were. As it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play."

International Standard Version
Let us stop being idolaters, as some of them were. As it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to play."Exodus 32:6">[fn]Exodus 32:6; 1 Corinthians 10:14;">[xr]

New American Standard Bible
Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: "THE PEOPLE SAT DOWN TO EAT AND TO DRINK, AND ROSE UP TO PLAY."

New Century Version
Do not worship idols, as some of them did. Just as it is written in the Scriptures: "They sat down to eat and drink, and then they got up and sinned sexually."

Update Bible Version
Neither be idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

Webster's Bible Translation
Neither be ye idolaters, as [were] some of them: as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

English Standard Version
Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play."

World English Bible
Neither be idolaters, as some of them were. As it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play."

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them, as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

Weymouth's New Testament
And you must not be worshippers of idols, as some of them were. For it is written, "The People sat down to eat and drink, and stood up to dance."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Nether be ye maad idolatreris, as summe of hem; as it is writun, The puple sat to ete and drynke, and thei risen vp to pleie.

English Revised Version
Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

Berean Standard Bible
Do not be idolaters, as some of them were. As it is written: "The people sat down to eat and to drink, and got up to indulge in revelry."

Contemporary English Version
They worshiped idols, just as the Scriptures say, "The people sat down to eat and drink. Then they got up to dance around." So don't worship idols.

Amplified Bible
Do not be worshipers of handmade gods, as some of them were; just as it is written [in Scripture], "THE PEOPLE SAT DOWN TO EAT AND DRINK [after sacrificing to the golden calf at Horeb], AND STOOD UP TO PLAY [indulging in immoral activities]."

American Standard Version
Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

Bible in Basic English
Then do not go after false gods, as some of them did; as it is said in the holy Writings, After resting and feasting, the people got up to take their pleasure.

Complete Jewish Bible
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."

Darby Translation
Neither be ye idolaters, as some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.

Etheridge Translation
nor also be servers of idols, as some of them served; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play;

Murdock Translation
Neither should we serve idols, as some of them served; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to sport.

King James Version (1611)
Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them, as it is written, The people sate downe to eate and drinke, and rose vp to play.

New Living Translation
or worship idols as some of them did. As the Scriptures say, "The people celebrated with feasting and drinking, and they indulged in pagan revelry."

New Life Bible
We must not worship false gods as some of them did. The Holy Writings tell us, "The people sat down to eat and drink. Then they got up to play."

New Revised Standard
Do not become idolaters as some of them did; as it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink, and they rose up to play."

Geneva Bible (1587)
Neither bee ye idolaters as were some of them, as it is written, The people sate downe to eate and drinke, and rose vp to play.

George Lamsa Translation
Neither should we become idolaters as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to quarrel.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Neither become ye, idolaters, as some of them, - as it is written - The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to be making sport;

Douay-Rheims Bible
Neither become ye idolaters, as some of them, as it is written: The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Neither be ye idolatours, as [were] some of them, as it is written: The people sate downe to eate and drynke, and rose vp to play.

Good News Translation
nor to worship idols, as some of them did. As the scripture says, "The people sat down to a feast which turned into an orgy of drinking and sex."

Christian Standard Bible®
Don’t become idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and got up to party.

King James Version
Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

Lexham English Bible
and not become idolaters, as some of them did, just as it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink, and stood up to play,"

Literal Translation
Neither be idolaters, even as some of them, as it has been written, "The people sat down to eat and drink, and stood up to play." Ex. 32:6

Young's Literal Translation
Neither become ye idolaters, as certain of them, as it hath been written, `The people sat down to eat and to drink, and stood up to play;'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Nether be ye worshippers off ymages, as were some of them. Acordinge as it is wrytte: The people sat downe to eate and drynke, and rose vp to playe.

Mace New Testament (1729)
be not idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written , "the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play."

New English Translation
So do not be idolaters, as some of them were. As it is written, " The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play ."

New King James Version
And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play." Exodus 32:6">[fn]

Simplified Cowboy Version
Don't do like they did and worship idols or anything other than God. The Good Book says, "The cowboys and cowgirls sat by the fire and ate and drank, and then had a wild party."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, "THE PEOPLE SAT DOWN TO EAT AND DRINK, AND STOOD UP TO PLAY."

Legacy Standard Bible
Do not be idolaters, as some of them were. As it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink, and stood up to play."

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

be: 1 Corinthians 14:20-22, 1 Corinthians 5:11, 1 Corinthians 6:9, 1 Corinthians 8:7, Deuteronomy 9:12, Deuteronomy 9:16-21, Psalms 106:19, Psalms 106:20, 1 John 5:21

The people: Exodus 32:6-8, Exodus 32:17, Exodus 32:19

Reciprocal: Genesis 35:2 - strange Hosea 3:1 - love flagons Amos 2:8 - by 1 Corinthians 10:14 - flee

Cross-References

1 Kings 10:1
The queen of Sheba heard about Solomon and his connection with the Name of God . She came to put his reputation to the test by asking tough questions. She made a grand and showy entrance into Jerusalem—camels loaded with spices, a huge amount of gold, and precious gems. She came to Solomon and talked about all the things that she cared about, emptying her heart to him. Solomon answered everything she put to him—nothing stumped him. When the queen of Sheba experienced for herself Solomon's wisdom and saw with her own eyes the palace he had built, the meals that were served, the impressive array of court officials and sharply dressed waiters, the lavish crystal, and the elaborate worship extravagant with Whole-Burnt-Offerings at the steps leading up to The Temple of God , it took her breath away.

Isaiah 21:13
A Message concerning Arabia: You'll have to camp out in the desert badlands, you caravans of Dedanites. Haul water to the thirsty, greet fugitives with bread. Show your desert hospitality, you who live in Tema. The desert's swarming with refugees escaping the horrors of war.

Ezekiel 27:15
"‘The people of Rhodes did business with you. Many far-off islands traded with you in ivory and ebony.

Ezekiel 27:22
"‘Traders from Sheba and Raamah in South Arabia carried on business with you in premium spices, precious stones, and gold.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Neither be ye idolaters,.... To which they seemed inclined to be, at least there was great danger that such they would be, by carrying their liberty to such a pitch, as to sit in an idol's temple, and there eat things sacrificed unto them; and which the apostle cautions against, and uses arguments to dissuade them from in the following part of this chapter:

as were some of them, as it is written, the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play: referring to Exodus 32:6 when the Israelites, whilst Moses was in the mount, made a molten calf, and worshipped it, built an altar before it, and instituted a feast and a play; and which was performed by dancing about the calf, and singing to the honour of it, Exodus 32:18 for their sitting down to eat and drink is not to be understood of an ordinary meal, but of a feast kept in honour of the golden calf, and which they covered by calling it a feast to the Lord; and their playing also was on the same account, in imitation of the Heathens, who made feasts, and appointed plays to the honour of their deities: some indeed interpret t this last action of uncleanness, which they committed after their feast was over, and which also was sometimes done in the Heathen temples, the word being sometimes used in this sense; see

Genesis 39:14 but others understand it of the act of idolatry; so two of the Chaldee paraphrases interpret the words in Exodus u; "they rose up to play", בפולחנא נוכראה, in strange service, i.e. idolatry; and though the apostle does not mention their punishment, yet it was a very great one, three thousand persons fell the sword on that account, Exodus 32:28.

t Vid. Jarchi in Exod. xxxii. 6. u Targum Jon. ben Uzziel & Jerusalem in ib. Vid. Bereshit Rabba, sect. 53. fol. 47. 4. & Shemot Rabba, sect. 1. fol. 89. 3.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Neither be ye idolaters - This caution is evidently given in view of the danger to which they would be exposed if they partook of the feasts that were celebrated in honor of idols in their temples. The particular idolatry which is referred to here is, the worship of the golden calf that was made by Aaron Exodus 32:1-5.

As it is written - Exodus 32:6.

The people sat down to eat and to drink - To worship the golden calf. They partook of a feast in honor of that idol. I have already observed that it was common to keep a feast in honor of an idol, and that the food which was eaten on such an occasion was mainly the meat which had been offered in sacrifice to it. This instance was particularly to the apostle’s purpose, as he was cautioning the Corinthians against the danger of participating in the feasts celebrated in the pagan temples.

And rose up to play - (παίζειν paizein). The Hebrew word used in Exodus 32:6 (צחק tsaachaq) means “to laugh, to sport, to jest, to mock, to insult” Genesis 21:9; and then to engage in dances accompanied with music, in honor of an idol. This was often practiced, as the worship of idols was celebrated with songs and dances. This is particularly affirmed of this instance of idol worship Exodus 32:19; and this was common among ancient idolaters; and this mode of worship was even adopted by David before the ark of the Lord; 2Sa 6:5; 1 Chronicles 13:8; 1 Chronicles 15:29. All that the word “to play” here necessarily implies is, that of choral songs and dances, accompanied with revelry in honor of the idol. It was, however, the fact that such worship was usually accompanied with much licentiousness; but that is not necessarily implied in the use of the word. Most of the oriental dances were grossly indecent and licentious, and the word here may be designed to include such indelicacy and licentiousness.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Corinthians 10:7. Neither be ye idolaters — The apostle considers partaking of the idolatrous feasts as being real acts of idolatry; because those who offered the flesh to their gods considered them as feeding invisibly with them on the flesh thus offered, and that every one that partook of the feast was a real participator with the god to whom the flesh or animal had been offered in sacrifice. See 1 Corinthians 10:21.

Rose up to play. — Exodus 32:6. The Jews generally explain this word as implying idolatrous acts only: I have considered it as implying acts of impurity, with which idolatrous acts were often accompanied. It also means those dances which were practised in honour of their gods. That this is one meaning of the verb παιζειν, Kypke has largely proved. The whole idolatrous process was as follows:

1. The proper victim was prepared and set apart.

2. It was slain, and its blood poured out at the altar of the deity.

3. The flesh was dressed, and the priests and offerers feasted on it, and thus endeavoured to establish a communion between themselves and the object of their worship.

4. After eating, they had idolatrous dances in honour of their god; and,

5. as might be expected, impure mixtures, in consequence of those dances. The people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play; and it is in reference to this issue of idolatrous feasts and dancings that the apostle immediately subjoins: Neither let us commit FORNICATION, &c.