1 Corinthians 10 · Verse 7

1 Corinthians 10:7

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.

1 Corinthians 10:7, King James Version

1 Corinthians 10:7 in other translations

BSB	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.”
WEB	Don’t be idolaters, as some of them were. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.”
ASV	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.
YLT	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;'
DARBY	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.
BBE	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.
Webster	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.

What does 1 Corinthians 10:7 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

7. idolaters--A case in point. As the Israelites sat down (a deliberate act), ate, and drank at the idol feast to the calves in Horeb, so the Corinthians were in danger of idolatry by a like act, though not professedly worshipping an idol as the Israelites (1Co 8:10, 11; 10:14, 20, 21; Ex 32:6). He passes here from the first to the second person, as they alone (not he also) were in danger of idolatry, &c. He resumes the first person appropriately at 1Co 10:16. some--The multitude follow the lead of some bad men. play--with lascivious dancing, singing, and drumming round the calf (compare "rejoiced," Ac 7:41).

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

Barnes' Notes

Verse 7. 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 honour 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, Ex 32:1-6.

As it is written. Ex 32:6.

The people sat down to eat and drink. To worship the golden calf. They partook of a feast in honour of that idol. I have already observed, that it was common to keep a feast in honour 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 heathen temples.

And rose up to play. παιζειν. The Hebrew word used in Ex 32:6, (,) means to laugh, to sport, to jest, to mock, to insult, (Gen 21:9;) and then to engage in dances accompanied with music, in honour of an idol. This was often practised, as the worship of idols was celebrated with songs and dances. This is particularly affirmed of this instance of idol worship, (Ex 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, 2Sam 6:6, 1Chr 13:8, 15:29. All that the word "to play" here necessarily implies is, that of choral songs and dances, accompanied with revelry in honour 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.

(c) "as it is written" Ex 32:6

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 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 1Cor 10:21. Rose up to play - See the note on Exo 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 honor 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 endeavored to establish a communion between themselves and the object of their worship. 4. After eating, they had idolatrous dances in honor 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, etc.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Corinthians 10:6-14

Carnal desires gain strength by indulgence, therefore should be checked in their first rise. Let us fear the sins of Israel, if we would shun their plagues. And it is but just to fear, that such as tempt Christ, will be left by him in the power of the old serpent. Murmuring against God's disposals and commands, greatly provokes him. Nothing in Scripture is written in vain; and it is our wisdom and duty to learn from…

Read the full comment on 1 Corinthians 10:6-14 →

1 Corinthians 10:7 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.

μηδὲmēdeNeitherG3366

εἰδωλολάτραιeidōlolatraiidolatersG1496

γίνεσθεginesthedo becomeG1096

καθώςkathōseven asG2531

τινεςtinessomeG5100

αὐτῶνautōnof themG846

ὥσπερhōsperasG5618

γέγραπται·gegraptaiit has been written:G1125

ἐκάθισενekathisenSat downG2523

ὁhotheG3588

λαὸςlaospeopleG2992

φαγεῖνphageinto eatG5315

καὶkaiandG2532

πεῖνpeinto drinkG4095

καὶkaiandG2532

ἀνέστησανanestēsanrose upG450

παίζειν.paizeinto play.G3815

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

Cross references for 1 Corinthians 10:7

Exodus 32:6-8
And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play. And the Lord said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves: They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
Psalms 106:19-20
They made a calf in Horeb, and worshipped the molten image. Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass.
Deuteronomy 9:12
And the Lord said unto me, Arise, get thee down quickly from hence; for thy people which thou hast brought forth out of Egypt have corrupted themselves; they are quickly turned aside out of the way which I commanded them; they have made them a molten image.
1 Corinthians 6:9
Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
1 Corinthians 10:14
Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.
Deuteronomy 9:16-21
And I looked, and, behold, ye had sinned against the Lord your God, and had made you a molten calf: ye had turned aside quickly out of the way which the Lord had commanded you. And I took the two tables, and cast them out of my two hands, and brake them before your eyes. And I fell down before the Lord, as at the first, forty days and forty nights: I did neither eat bread, nor drink water, because of all your sins which ye sinned, in doing wickedly in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger. For I was afraid of the anger and hot displeasure, wherewith the Lord was wroth against you to destroy you. But the Lord hearkened unto me at that time also. …
1 Corinthians 5:11
But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.
Exodus 32:19
And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses’ anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount.
1 John 5:21
Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.
Exodus 32:17
And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses, There is a noise of war in the camp.
Exodus 32:4
And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
1 Corinthians 14:20-22
Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men. In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord. Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

be.
14:20-22; 5:11; 6:9; 8:7; De 9:12,16-21; Ps 106:19,20; 1Jo 5:21
The people.
Ex 32:6-8,17,19

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

Context

1 Corinthians 10:6
Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
1 Corinthians 10:7
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.
1 Corinthians 10:8
Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.

Read all of 1 Corinthians 10

1 Corinthians 10:7 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Ni seáis honradores de ídolos, como algunos de ellos; según está escrito: Sentóse el pueblo á comer y á beber, y se levantaron á jugar.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Ne soyez pas non plus idolâtres, comme quelques-uns d’eux, ainsi qu’il est écrit: « Le peuple s’assit pour manger et pour boire, et ils se levèrent pour jouer ».
German Elberfelder 1871	Werdet auch nicht Götzendiener, gleichwie etliche von ihnen, wie geschrieben steht: "Das Volk setzte sich nieder, zu essen und zu trinken, und sie standen auf, zu spielen."
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Neque idololatræ efficiamini, sicut quidam ex ipsis: quemadmodum scriptum est: Sedit populus manducare, et bibere, et surrexerunt ludere.