I Corinthians 10:4
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and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
drink-- (Exo 17:6). In Num 20:8, "the beasts" also are mentioned as having drunk. The literal water typified "spiritual drink," and is therefore so called. spiritual Rock that followed them--rather, "accompanied them." Not the literal rock (or its water) "followed" them, as ALFORD explains, as if Paul sanctioned the Jews' tradition (Rabbi Solomon on Num 20:2) that the rock itself, or at least the stream from it, followed the Israelites from place to place (compare Deu 9:21). But Christ, the "Spiritual Rock" (Psa 78:20, Psa 78:35; Deu 32:4, Deu 32:15, Deu 32:18, Deu 32:30-31, Deu 32:37; Isa 28:16; Pe1 2:6), accompanied them (Exo 33:15). "Followed" implies His attending on them to minister to them; thus, though mostly going before them, He, when occasion required it, followed "behind" (Exo 14:19). He satisfied all alike as to their bodily thirst whenever they needed it; as on three occasions is expressly recorded (Exo 15:24-25; Exo 17:6; Num 20:8); and this drink for the body symbolized the spiritual drink from the Spiritual Rock (compare Joh 4:13-14; see on Co1 10:3).
Open source ↗In this chapter the apostle prosecutes the argument at the close of the last, and, I. Warns the Corinthians against security, by the example of the Jews, who, notwithstanding their profession and privileges, were terribly punished of God for their many sins, their history being left upon record for the admonition of Christians (Co1 10:1-14). II. He resumes his former argument (Co1 8:1-13), about eating things offered to idols; and shows that it was utterly inconsistent with true Christianity, that it was downright gross idolatry, to eat them as things offered to idols; it is having fellowship with devils, which cannot consist with having fellowship with God (Co1 10:15-22). III. He lets them yet know that though they must not eat of things sacrificed to idols as such, and out of any regard to the idol, yet they might buy such flesh in the markets, or eat it at the table of heathen acquaintances, without asking any questions; for that the heathens' abuse of them did not render the creatures of God unfit to be the food of his servants. Yet liberty of this kind must be used with a due regard to weak consciences, and no offence given by it t Jew nor Gentile, nor to the church of God (Co1 10:23 to the end).
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
Other passages the community most often connects to this one. Tap to read.
Behold, I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. And when you strike the rock, water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel.
On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and called out in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.
They did not thirst when He led them through the deserts; He made water flow for them from the rock; He split the rock, and water gushed out.
But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a fount of water springing up to eternal life.”
He opened a rock, and water gushed out; it flowed like a river in the desert.
When He struck the rock, water gushed out and torrents raged. But can He also give bread or supply His people with meat?”
Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff, so that a great amount of water gushed out, and the congregation and their livestock were able to drink.
He split the rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink as abundant as the seas.
Jesus answered, “If you knew the gift of God and who is asking you for a drink, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”
The beasts of the field will honor Me, the jackals and the ostriches, because I provide water in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink to My chosen people.