1 Corinthians 10:3

And did all eat the same spiritual meat;

1 Corinthians 10:3, King James Version

1 Corinthians 10:3 in other translations

BSB	They all ate the same spiritual food
WEB	and all ate the same spiritual food;
ASV	and did all eat the same spiritual food;
YLT	and all the same spiritual food did eat,
DARBY	and all ate the same spiritual food,
BBE	And they all took the same holy food;
Webster	And all ate the same spiritual food;

What does 1 Corinthians 10:3 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

3. same spiritual meat--As the Israelites had the water from the rock, which answered to baptism, so they had the manna which corresponded to the other of the two Christian sacraments, the Lord's Supper. Paul plainly implies the importance which was attached to these two sacraments by all Christians in those days: "an inspired protest against those who lower their dignity, or deny their necessity" [Alford]. Still he guards against the other extreme of thinking the mere external possession of such privileges will ensure salvation. Moreover, had there been seven sacraments, as Rome teaches, Paul would have alluded to them, whereas he refers to only the two. He does not mean by "the same" that the Israelites and we Christians have the "same" sacrament; but that believing and unbelieving Israelites alike had "the same" spiritual privilege of the manna (compare 1Co 10:17). It was "spiritual meat" or food; because given by the power of God's spirit, not by human labor [Grotius and Alford] Ga 4:29, "born after the Spirit," that is, supernaturally. Psa 78:24, "corn of heaven" (Psa 105:40). Rather, "spiritual" in its typical signification, Christ, the true Bread of heaven, being signified (Joh 6:32). Not that the Israelites clearly understood the signification; but believers among them would feel that in the type something more was meant; and their implicit and reverent, though indistinct, faith was counted to them for justification, of which the manna was a kind of sacramental seal. "They are not to be heard which feign that the old fathers did look only for transitory promises" [Article VII, Church of England], as appears from this passage (compare He 4:2).

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

Barnes' Notes

Verse 3. And did all eat the same spiritual meat. That is, manna; Ex 16:15,35, Nehh 9:15,20. The word meat here is used in the old English sense of the word, to denote food in general. They lived on manna. The word spiritual here is evidently used to denote that which was given by the Spirit, or by God; that which was the result of his miraculous gift, and which was not produced in the ordinary way, and which was not the gross food on which men are usually supported. It had an excellency and value from the fact that it was the immediate gift of God, and is thus called "angel's food," Ps 78:25. It is called by Josephus, "Divine and extraordinary food," Ant. iii. 1. In the language of the Scriptures, that which is distinguished for excellence, which is the immediate gift of God, which is unlike that which is gross and of earthly origin, is called spiritual, to denote its purity, value, and excellence. Comp. Rom 7:14, 1Cor 3:1, 15:44,46, Eph 1:3. The idea of Paul here is, that all the Israelites were nourished and supported in this remarkable manner by food given directly by God; that they all had thus the evidence of the Divine protection and favour, and were all under his care.

(a) "same" Ex 16:15,35, Nehh 9:15,20, Ps 78:24,25 (*) "meat" "food"

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 3 Spiritual meat - The manna which is here called spiritual. 1. Because it was provided supernaturally; and, 2. Because it was a type of Christ Jesus, who speaking of it, Joh 6:31, etc., tells us that it was a type of that true bread which came down from heaven, which gives life to the world, Joh 6:33, and that himself was the bread of life, Joh 6:48.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Corinthians 10:1-5

To dissuade the Corinthians from communion with idolaters, and security in any sinful course, the apostle sets before them the example of the Jewish nation of old. They were, by a miracle, led through the Red Sea, where the pursuing Egyptians were drowned. It was to them a typical baptism. The manna on which they fed was a type of Christ crucified, the Bread which came down from heaven, which whoso eateth shall live…

Read the full comment on 1 Corinthians 10:1-5 →

1 Corinthians 10:3 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.

καὶkaiandG2532

πάντεςpantesallG3956

τὸtotheG3588

αὐτὸautosameG846

πνευματικὸνpneumatikonspiritualG4152

βρῶμαbrōmafoodG1033

ἔφαγονephagonateG5315

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

Cross references for 1 Corinthians 10:3

Deuteronomy 8:3
And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.
Nehemiah 9:15
And gavest them bread from heaven for their hunger, and broughtest forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and promisedst them that they should go in to possess the land which thou hadst sworn to give them.
Exodus 16:4
Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.
Nehemiah 9:20
Thou gavest also thy good spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst.
Exodus 16:35
And the children of Israel did eat manna forty years, until they came to a land inhabited; they did eat manna, until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan.
Psalms 105:40
The people asked, and he brought quails, and satisfied them with the bread of heaven.
Exodus 16:15
And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat.
Psalms 78:23-25
Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven, And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven. Man did eat angels’ food: he sent them meat to the full.
John 6:22-58
The day following, when the people which stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was none other boat there, save that one whereinto his disciples were entered, and that Jesus went not with his disciples into the boat, but that his disciples were gone away alone; (Howbeit there came other boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they did eat bread, after that the Lord had given thanks:) When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus. And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither? …

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Ex 16:4,15,35; De 8:3; Ne 9:15,20; Ps 78:23-25; 105:40; Joh 6:22-58

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

Context

1 Corinthians 10:2
And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
1 Corinthians 10:3
And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
1 Corinthians 10:4
And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

Read all of 1 Corinthians 10

1 Corinthians 10:3 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Y todos comieron la misma vianda espiritual;
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	et que tous ils ont mangé la même viande spirituelle,
German Elberfelder 1871	und alle dieselbe geistliche Speise aßen,
Latin Clementine Vulgate	et omnes eamdem escam spiritalem manducaverunt,