1 Corinthians 10 · Verse 22

1 Corinthians 10:22

Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?
1 Corinthians 10:22, King James Version

1 Corinthians 10:22 in other translations

BSBAre we trying to provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?
WEBOr do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?
ASVOr do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?
YLTdo we arouse the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than He?
DARBYDo we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?
BBEOr may we be the cause of envy to the Lord? are we stronger than he?
WebsterDo we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?

What does 1 Corinthians 10:22 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
22. Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy?--by dividing our fellowship between Him and idols (Eze 20:39). Is it our wish to provoke Him to assert His power? De 32:21 is before the apostle's mind [Alford], (Ex 20:5). are we stronger?--that we can risk a contest with Him.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 22. Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? That is, shall we, by joining in the worship of idols, provoke or irritate God, or excite him to anger? This is evidently the meaning of the word, παραζηλουμεν rendered "provoke to jealousy." The word , usually rendered by this word by the seventy, has this sense in De 32:21; 1Kgs 14:22, Eze 8:3, Ps 78:58. There is a reference here, doubtless, to the truth recorded in Ex 20:5, that God "is a jealous God," and that he regards the worship of idols as a direct affront to himself. The sentiment of Paul is, that to join in the worship of idols, or in the observance of their feasts, would be to participate in that which had ever been regarded by God with peculiar abhorrence, and which more than anything else tended to provoke his wrath. We may observe, that any course of life that tends to alienate the affections from God, and to fix them on other beings or objects, is a sin of the same kind as that referred to here. Any inordinate love of friends, of property, of honour, has substantially the same idolatrous nature, and will tend to provoke him to anger. And it may be asked of Christians now, whether they will by such inordinate attachments provoke the Lord to wrath? whether they will thus excite his displeasure, and expose themselves to his indignation? Very often Christians do thus provoke him. They become unduly attached to a friend, or to wealth, and God in anger takes away, that friend by death, or that property by the flames: or they conform to the world, and mingle in its scenes of fashion and gaiety, and forget God; and in displeasure he visits them with judgments, humbles them, and recalls them to himself.

Are we stronger than he? This is given as a reason why we should not provoke his displeasure. We cannot contend successfully with him; and it is therefore madness and folly to contend with God, or to expose ourselves to the effects of his indignation.

(c) "provoke" De 32:21, Job 9:4, Eze 22:14

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 22 Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? - All idolatry is represented as a sort of spiritual adultery; it is giving that heart to Satan that should be devoted to God; and he is represented as being jealous, because of the infidelity of those who have covenanted to give their hearts to him. Are we stronger than he? - As he has threatened to punish such transgressors, and will infallibly do it, can we resist his omnipotence? A sinner should consider, while he is in rebellion against God, whether he be able to resist that power whereby God will inflict vengeance.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Corinthians 10:15-22

Did not the joining in the Lord's supper show a profession of faith in Christ crucified, and of adoring gratitude to him for his salvation ? Christians, by this ordinance, and the faith therein professed, were united as the grains of wheat in one loaf of bread, or as the members in the human body, seeing they were all united to Christ, and had fellowship with him and one another. This is confirmed from the Jewish…

Read the full comment on 1 Corinthians 10:15-22 →

1 Corinthians 10:22 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ἢēOrG2228
παραζηλοῦμενparazēloumendo we provoke to jealousyG3863
τὸνtontheG3588
κύριον;kurionLord?G2962
μὴmēSurely notG3361
ἰσχυρότεροιischuroteroistrongerG2478
αὐτοῦautouthan HeG846
ἐσμεν;¶esmenare we?G1510

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 1 Corinthians 10:22

  • Deuteronomy 32:21

    They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities: and I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.

  • Deuteronomy 32:16

    They provoked him to jealousy with strange gods, with abominations provoked they him to anger.

  • Hebrews 10:31

    It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

  • Joshua 24:19

    And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the Lord: for he is an holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins.

  • Job 40:9-14

    Hast thou an arm like God? or canst thou thunder with a voice like him? Deck thyself now with majesty and excellency; and array thyself with glory and beauty. Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath: and behold every one that is proud, and abase him. Look on every one that is proud, and bring him low; and tread down the wicked in their place. …

  • Exodus 20:5

    Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;

  • Exodus 34:14

    For thou shalt worship no other god: for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:

  • Ezekiel 22:14

    Can thine heart endure, or can thine hands be strong, in the days that I shall deal with thee? I the Lord have spoken it, and will do it.

  • Deuteronomy 4:24

    For the Lord thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.

  • Ecclesiastes 6:10

    That which hath been is named already, and it is known that it is man: neither may he contend with him that is mightier than he.

  • Deuteronomy 6:15

    (For the Lord thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the Lord thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth.

  • Psalms 78:58

    For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
we provoke.
Ex 20:5; 34:14; De 4:24; 6:15; 32:16,21; Jos 24:19; Ps 78:58
Zep 1:18
are.
Job 9:4; 40:9-14; Eze 22:14; Heb 10:31

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 1 Corinthians 10:21

    Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils.

  • 1 Corinthians 10:22

    Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?

  • 1 Corinthians 10:23

    All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.

Read all of 1 Corinthians 10

1 Corinthians 10:22 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		¿O provocaremos á celo al Señor? ¿Somos más fuertes que él?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Provoquons-nous le Seigneur à la jalousie? Sommes-nous plus forts que lui?
German
Elberfelder 1871		Oder reizen wir den Herrn zur Eifersucht? Sind wir etwa stärker als er?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		An æmulamur Dominum? numquid fortiores illo sumus? Omnia mihi licent, sed non omnia expediunt.