1 Corinthians 10 · Verse 5

1 Corinthians 10:5

But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
1 Corinthians 10:5, King James Version

1 Corinthians 10:5 in other translations

BSBNevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the wilderness.
WEBHowever with most of them, God was not well pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
ASVHowbeit with most of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
YLTbut in the most of them God was not well pleased, for they were strewn in the wilderness,
DARBYyet God was not pleased with the most of them, for they were strewed in the desert.
BBEBut with most of them God was not pleased: for they came to their end in the waste land.
WebsterBut with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

What does 1 Corinthians 10:5 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
5. But--though they had so many tokens of God's presence. many of them--rather, "the majority of them"; "the whole part." All except Joshua and Caleb of the first generation. not--in the Greek emphatically standing in the beginning of the sentence: "Not," as one might have naturally expected, "with the more part of them was," &c. God--whose judgment alone is valid. for--the event showed, they had not pleased God. overthrown--literally, "strewn in heaps." in the wilderness--far from the land of promise.

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

Barnes' Notes
Verse 5. But with many of them, etc. That is, with their conduct. They rebelled and sinned, and were destroyed. The design of the apostle here is to remind them, that although they enjoyed so many privileges, yet they were destroyed; and thus to admonish the Corinthians that their privileges did not constitute an absolute security from danger, and that they should be cautious against the indulgence of sin. The phrase rendered here "with many," (εντοιςπλειοσιν,) should have been rendered, "with most of them ;" literally, "with the many;" and it means, that with the greater part of them God was not well pleased; that is, he was pleased with but few of them.

Was not well pleased.

Was offended with their ingratitude and rebellion.

For they were overthrown, etc. That is, by the pestilence, by wars, or died by natural and usual diseases, so that they did not reach the land of Canaan. But two men of that generation, Caleb and Joshua, were permitted to enter the land of promise, Nu 14:29,30.

(*) "many" "most" (+) "overthrown" "Destroyed" (a) "in the wilderness" Nu 14:29-35, 26:64,65, Heb 3:17, Jude 1:5

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 5 They were overthrown in the wilderness - And yet All these persons were under the cloud - All passed through the sea - All were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea - All ate the same spiritual meat - All drank the same spiritual drink, for they were made partakers of the spiritual Rock, Christ. Nothing can be a more decisive proof than this that people, who have every outward ordinance, and are made partakers of the grace of our Lord Jesus, may so abuse their privileges and grieve the Spirit of God as to fall from their state of grace, and perish ever lastingly. Let those who are continually asserting that this is impossible, beware lest they themselves, if in a state of grace, become, through their overmuch security, proofs in point of the possibility of ending in the flesh, though they began in the Spirit. Reader, remember who said, Ye shall not surely die; and remember the mischiefs produced by a belief of his doctrine.

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 10:5 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.

ἀλλ᾽all᾽NeverthelessG235
οὐκouknotG3756
ἐνenwithG1722
τοῖςtoistheG3588
πλείοσινpleiosinmostG4119
αὐτῶνautōnof themG846
εὐδόκησενeudokēsenwas well pleasedG2106
ὁho<the>G3588
θεός·theosGod;G2316
κατεστρώθησανkatestrōthēsanthey were strewnG2693
γὰρgarforG1063
ἐνeninG1722
τῇtēatheG3588
ἐρήμῳ.erēmōwilderness.G2048

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

Cross references for 1 Corinthians 10:5

  • Hebrews 3:17

    But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?

  • Jude 1:5

    I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.

  • Numbers 26:64-65

    But among these there was not a man of them whom Moses and Aaron the priest numbered, when they numbered the children of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai. For the Lord had said of them, They shall surely die in the wilderness. And there was not left a man of them, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.

  • Numbers 14:37

    Even those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the Lord.

  • Psalms 106:26

    Therefore he lifted up his hand against them, to overthrow them in the wilderness:

  • Numbers 14:11-12

    And the Lord said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them? I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of thee a greater nation and mightier than they.

  • Numbers 14:28-35

    Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the Lord, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you: Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me, Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun. But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised. …

  • Psalms 78:32-34

    For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works. Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble. When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and enquired early after God.

  • Deuteronomy 1:34-35

    And the Lord heard the voice of your words, and was wroth, and sware, saying, Surely there shall not one of these men of this evil generation see that good land, which I sware to give unto your fathers,

  • Psalms 95:11

    Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.

  • Deuteronomy 2:15-16

    For indeed the hand of the Lord was against them, to destroy them from among the host, until they were consumed. So it came to pass, when all the men of war were consumed and dead from among the people,

  • Psalms 90:1

    A Prayer of Moses the man of God. Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Nu 14:11,12,28-35; 26:64,65; De 1:34,35; 2:15,16; Ps 78:32-34
Ps 90:1; *title
Ps 90:7,8; 95:11; 106:26; Heb 3:17; Jude 1:5

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

Context

  • 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.

  • 1 Corinthians 10:5

    But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

  • 1 Corinthians 10:6

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

Read all of 1 Corinthians 10

1 Corinthians 10:5 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Mas de muchos de ellos no se agradó Dios; por lo cual fueron postrados en el desierto.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Mais Dieu n’a point pris plaisir en la plupart d’entre eux, car ils tombèrent dans le désert.
German
Elberfelder 1871		An den meisten derselben aber hatte Gott kein Wohlgefallen, denn sie sind in der Wüste hingestreckt worden.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		sed non in pluribus eorum beneplacitum est Deo: nam prostrati sunt in deserto.