1 Corinthians 10

1 Corinthians 10:1

Now, my brethren, for those of you that count yourselves so acceptable to God, such eminent, and, as you think, spiritual persons, that have attained to an high pitch of excellence and perfection, and so call yourselves Gnostics, (see ch. iii. 1,) I desire that you should remember that the ancient Israelites had many high dignations from God, many miraculous works afforded toward them, and yet were not all very acceptable in God’s eyes; and so it may well be with you also: as for example, not only Caleb and Joshua, that came to Canaan, but even all the rest of the Jews (all which perished in the wilderness beside them two) had the favour of the cloud to overshadow them, (as you Gnostics say you have, whatsoever you do,) and so also passed through the Red sea, and were miraculously preserved by God, (and yet after perished in the wilderness.)

[a] under the cloud] The Jews have a known saying, (see note [c] on Luke xiii.) that “he that enters into God’s covenant is gathered under the wings of the majestatic presence.” See Maimonides, Tit. Isuri bia, cap. 13. “Whensoever,” saith he, “a Gentile will enter into covenant, וְלַהֲסָתוֹפֶךָ תַּחַת כְּנַפֵּי הַשְּׁכִינָה, and be gathered under the wings of God’s presence, or glory, or majesty,” &c. The foundation of this speech is to be taken from that plain truth, that God obliges himself to take care of and protect all those that undertake obedience to him; but the peculiarity of the expression refers to the manner of God’s exhibiting himself in the holy of holies, viz. by the cherubims’ wings overshadowing the covering of the ark, to represent to us, that as the bird covers and defends the young ones with her wings spread over them, (to which our Saviour refers, Matt. xxiii. 37.) so doth God, that is every where present, peculiarly exhibit himself to those that keep his covenant and think upon his commandments to do them. And what was thus represented in the tabernacle and the temple was before more really exhibited in the departure of Israel out of Egypt; for there we find mention of the cloud and the fire, Exod. xiii. 21, in or by which (the cloud by day, and the fire by night) God went before or conducted them. Where, first, it must be remembered, that this going before doth not necessarily denote any distance of space from them, so as a guide goes before the rider, when he is only to teach or direct him the way, and he follows after, but (as was more agreeable to their condition at that time, who were to be shielded and protected, as well as led, and that protection noted by God’s going before them, the same God going behind them too, The Lord shall go before thee, and the Holy One of Israel shall be thy rereward) an encompassing them on every side. So in Rabbi Eleezer, עַמּוּר הָעֵנֶן סוֹבְבַאת מִחֲנֵה יִשְׂרָאֵל כְּעִיר מוֹקֶפֶת חוֹמָה, “the pillar of cloud encompassed the camps of Israel as a wall environs a city;” and therefore when it is said, Exod. xiv. 19, that the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them, I suppose it must be interpreted by ver. 20, that the inner part of the cloud that was next the Israelites, being a lightsome part, and the external superficies of it not so, (now, when the Egyptians pursued the Israelites,) the cloud was so disposed as to be behind as well as before them, shining round about them, and yet so to be (in respect of the luminous part of it) confined to them, as to give light only to the Israelites, but none to the Egyptians that followed them. And secondly, that the word pillar, applied to it, is not to be looked on as a solid body, standing and fastened on the ground, and so still passing before them, but as pillars were anciently built hollow, as a kind of house or dwelling-place, (and accordingly Simeon the Anchorite is called συν-λίνης, because he dwelt always in a pillar,) a concave body over their heads, and so coming down to the ground, like wings enclosing and

b In Pirki, c. 44. f. 40.

1 Corinthians 10:2

And that cloud and that passage through the Red sea, which were used as means to confirm the ministry of Moses, to assure them that he was sent to them by God, and so were a kind of baptizing them into the belief of the doctrine of Moses, and were a type of our baptism, were allowed to them all.

1 Corinthians 10:3

So the manna also that came down from heaven, and in that was a type of Christ, (and which was endued by God with a special excellency, such various relishes to agree with every one’s taste, noting the various gifts of the Spirit among us Christians,) was

¹⁷ fading. ¹⁸ unfading. ¹⁹ as not at uncertainties; I so cuff as not beating ²⁰ I strike my body, and get it under me, lest having been a herald to others, myself should become a reprobate. ¹ But I would not have you ignorant, Οὐ θέλω δὲ ὑμᾶς ἀγνοεῖν. ² that our fathers were all, ὅτι οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν πάντες—ἦσαν.

HAMMOND, VOL. II. K

1 Corinthians 10:4

And they all (those that perished as well as others) drank the water which came out of Horeb, which flowed miraculously and copiously, and as the Jews now affirm, followed them for their use a great while, and that rock signified Christ; so that in effect all the wicked which perished, as well as others, had mystically tasted of Christ, and so were partakers of this spiritualness as well as others.

[b] that spiritual Rock that followed them] The Jews have now a relation, whether by way of story or of parable, that the water that

1 Corinthians 10:5

And though they had so many degrees of miracles afforded them by God, so many degrees of spiritualness, yet were they not finally in the favour of God, but were destroyed, and their carcasses scattered in the wilderness, all of them, except only two, after all this.

1 Corinthians 10:6

And these passages of story are very observable and exemplary to us, that you that count yourselves spiritual, and pretend to such high perfections and privileges, should keep yourselves pure from base sensual lustings, lest you perish after their examples;

1 Corinthians 10:7

And that you should not fall into the snares of idolaters; some of you going still to the idol sacrifices, as ye were wont to do before your conversion to the faith (see ch. viii. 7); others, as the Gnostics, being present at those feasts out of a confidence that they knowing the idol to be nothing are not polluted by going thither, (ch. viii. 10,) and imitating the idol-worshippers in their filthy, unnatural, bestial sins, (for so the Gnostics did,) and so follow the example of those Israelites of whom it is said, that from their idolatrous feasts they fell into filthy bestial sins, the rites of those heathen festivities.

[c] to play] That the word παίξειν here is to be taken in an unclean sense, may appear probable by the use of the word mocking among the Jews. This will be discerned by the Jerusalem Targum on Gen. xxi. 9, on that of Ishmael’s mocking. Instead of these words in the Hebrew, Sarah saw the son of Hagar mocking, they read by way of paraphrase, Et vidit Sara filium Ægyptiæ facientem opera mala, quæ fieri non oportuit, illudentem, et cultum peregrinum exercentem, “And Sarah saw the son of the Egyptian doing evil works which ought not to be done, mocking, and exercising strange worship.” Where the opera mala quæ fieri non oportuit, “the evil works that ought not to be done,” are the ἄθεσμα, 2 Pet. ii. 7, and ἀθέμαι, 1 Pet. iv. 3, that is, those unnatural filthy sins which were so ordinary among the heathens, used as part of their Gentile worship, and those, it seems, noted by the phrase of illudere or mocking, which there and here, and in other places, (according to the civility of the sacred style,) is made use of, rather than others which signify more grossly those acts of unnatural filthiness. So Rabbi Solomon mentions an interpretation, that Ishmael had committed uncleanness, and that that is the meaning of the Hebrew צחק, to mock, Gen. xxxix. 17. And Lyra on that of Gen. xxi. saith, that the Hebrew word is equivocal, and signifies ludentem, idololatrantem, occidentem, et coeuntem, vel lascivientem, “mocking, committing idolatry, killing, committing uncleanness and wantonness.” And then there will be little doubt but the words of the same Targum on Exod. xxxii. 6, (the place from which the words in this place are taken,) Et surrexerunt sibi ludentes cultu peregrino, “And they arose, mocking themselves after the strange or heathen worship,” may belong to that also. To which purpose it is further observable that ἐμπαίξειν, (which may well be resolved synonymous to παίξειν, but cannot so well be mistaken for playing as the other may, but distinctly signifies illudere, “to mock,”) is the rendering of צחק, (which is the word in Exodus, whence these words are cited,) Gen. xxxix. 14 and 17, in that story of Potiphar’s wife and Joseph, and certainly signifies uncleanness there. Thus Tobit iii. 18, where Anna, to shew herself free from all uncleanness, ἀπὸ πάσης ἁμαρτίας ἀνδρὸς, from all sin of or with man, ver. 17, adds in St. Jerome’s translation, Nunquam cum ludentibus miscui me, “I never associated myself with them that mocked;” where no doubt uncleannesses are meant; and it is probable that the Greek, which he trans-

1 Corinthians 10:8

Neither let us Christians fall into those sins of fornication and other villainy, as the Israelites did at Shittim, Num. xxv. 1, after their idol-feasts, vv. 2, 3, and were destroyed, twenty-three thousand of them; a judgment that might deserve to be considered by the Gnostics of this age in the church of Corinth.

1 Corinthians 10:9

Nor let us loathe and be weary of the gospel, as the Israelites did manna, Num. xxi. 5, and for it were destroyed by serpents, ver. 6; and yet so do many of you by the Gnostics’ infusions among you,

³ the most, τοῖς πλείοσιν. types of us, ταῦτα τύποι ἡμῶν. ⁴ strawed, or, destroyed, κατεστρώθησαν. ⁵ to be wanton. ⁵ these were

1 Corinthians 10:10

Nor be you guilty of that sin of murmuring at God’s dispensations under the gospel, the nature of those precepts which there he hath given us, as if the heaven promised were a good heaven, but the way thither, the duties to be performed, rough and unpassable, (unless you may have your carnal joys afforded you.) For this were just after the manner of the Israelites, who brought up an evil report upon the land of Canaan, Num. xiii. 32, and from thence fell a murmuring, ch. xiv. 2, and were swept away by the destroying angel, that is, the plague, ver. 36, and ch. xvi. 41.

[d] destroyer] That which is here called ἐξολοθρευτὴς, destroyer, is in the Jerusalem Targum, Exod. iv. 26, called perdens, and that there explained by angelus mortis, a messenger of the Lord’s, ver. 24, that came to kill him. This is otherwhere called the destroying angel; for what is here said, they were destroyed by the destroyer, is in the story from whence it is taken, Numb xiv. 37, they died by the plague before the Lord. So the angels that came to Lot’s house are sent to destroy the city, Gen. xix 13. In all which, and many more places where plagues are said to be inflicted of God by angels, it doth not appear that the angels used as instruments of those plagues are the fallen angels or devils, but those heavenly that wait on God to execute his wrath, as well as convey mercies. Thus God’s coming with his angels is an expression of destructions, and yet those are μυριάδες ἁγίαι, holy myriads, Jude 14, or multitudes of heavenly angels, (see note [d] on Jude.

1 Corinthians 10:11

All these sins and judgments on those Israelites, who were vouchsafed such wonderful mercies by God, which were his people under his immediate conduct, had so much of his Spirit among them, and yet sinned so foully, and were destroyed so miserably, are all emblems of our estate, if we do not beware of their sins, and they are set down in the Old Testament as warnings for us Christians.

1 Corinthians 10:12

And therefore let him which is the most spiritual among you, that seems to himself to stand the firmest, take care that he fall not into these carnal sins, which bring such ruin along with them.

1 Corinthians 10:13

And though some motives there are now among you that may tempt you to join with the heathen in their idolatries, to wit, the persecution of the heathens among which you live, yet ought not this to work much upon you, to drive you out of your religion; for, first, these are but ordinary and to be looked for (see note [b] Rom. vi.); and besides, God that hath promised not to suffer his servants to be afflicted, that is, tempted (see note [a] Gal. iv.) above their strength, will be sure to make good his promise, and will give you a way of escaping their terrors, if you continue faithful and constant, that you shall be able to bear whatsoever befalls you.

1 Corinthians 10:14

To conclude therefore, let no temptation bring you to yield to these sins that are in their idol-feasts, (see note on ch. v. 1,) nor at all to be brought to sacrifice with them.

1 Corinthians 10:15

I need not speak more plainly to you what I mean by idolatry, you are wise enough to know: see note [c].

1 Corinthians 10:16

The Christian feast of bread and wine in the Lord’s supper is the exhibiting to us, (see note on Matt. xxvi. 26,) the making us partakers of the body and blood of Christ, (see note [c] Acts ii,) and is by us all acknowledged to be so; and therefore sure the joining in an idol-feast is a participating of the idol-god.

[e] cup of blessing] The Jews used to conclude the feast wherein the paschal lamb was eaten with a cup of wine. This they called כֹּה הַלֵּל, ποτήριον ὑμνήσεως, the cup of praising, because they sang an hymn at that time, see Matt. xxvi. 30, and εὐλογίας, of blessing; and from thence the receiving the wine in the sacrament, being by Christ instituted after his paschal supper, is here called by that title. Of the word εὐλογεῖν, to bless, see note [c] on Matt. xiv.

1 Corinthians 10:17

And all we that do partake of that one feast are by that supposed to be one body, of the same kind one with another; and so in like manner if ye join with heathens, and partake of their idol-feasts with them, ye are to be supposed of the same lump and mould with those heathens.

1 Corinthians 10:18

In the Jewish sacrifices it is a known thing, that not only they that sacrifice, (the priests,) but all they also that eat of any part of the sacrifice, (the people,) are said to perform service to God, to eat, as it were, and drink with God at the altar, and to partake of all the benefits that come from God upon the sacrificers.

1 Corinthians 10:19

I need not then affirm (that which the objection ch. viii. 4. denied, viz.) that an idol is any thing, or that that which is offered to a false god is in itself at all different from any ordinary meat, from the contrary of which the Gnostics concluded, that there is no unlawfulness to join in eating at an idol-feast. 20 16 But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should 17 have fellowship with devils.

1 Corinthians 10:20

No, I need not come to examine that nicety; it is sufficient to say in plain words, that those sacrifices of the heathens are sacrifices to devils, and that whosoever eats of the feasts joined to those sacrifices doth communicate and join and do service to devils; and I would not have Christians guilty of that.

1 Corinthians 10:21

The sacrament of the body and blood of Christ, wherein we communicate with and partake of the benefits of the death of Christ, will not well agree with communicating of and joining with devils: (see note [a] Rev. xiii.)

1 Corinthians 10:22

Do we join devils in competition or rivality with God? do we think that we shall dare to give ourselves up to all idolatry and heathen sin, and yet that God will not punish us, when in the second commandment he hath expressed his jealousy against those that take in any other rival into their worship, and threatened to visit and punish for it?

1 Corinthians 10:23

Many things there are (see note [i] ch. xiii.) which I might lawfully do, but that they are hurtful and disadvantageous to others, tend not to their edification, but to the scandalizing of them, either bringing them to or confirming them in some sin.

1 Corinthians 10:24

And it is not fit that any should be so intent on what is lawful for him in respect of himself, or what is for his own advantage, as to neglect the benefit and advantage and edification of others.

25, 26. And whereas you object, that some portions of the heathen sacrifices are sold in the markets among other meat, and that therefore, if it be not lawful to eat what is offered to idols, ye must not eat what ye buy in the shambles because that may be such, and then this is a great retrenchment of your Christian liberty, by which ye may lawfully enjoy any of God’s creatures: I answer, that in that case I may lawfully eat whatsoever is there sold, and not think myself bound in conscience to inquire and examine whether what I meet with there were a portion of an heathen sacrifice or no; for if no man be present to see and know that that which I eat is such a portion, or if I know it not myself, then sure I am guilty of nothing myself, nor can any other come to any hurt by this means.

1 Corinthians 10:26

My running therefore is not as if I knew not my way, or my reward if I run well; my cuffing is not a bare brandishing my fist in the air, which hath no adversary to strike at, or misses him when he strikes.

1 Corinthians 10:27

But (as in one of the exercises, mixed of cuffing and wrestling, they give blue eyes and falls to the adversary, so) I macerate myself, and bring myself under by denying myself those indifferent liberties which I might enjoy, lest having prescribed to others the way of striving, and getting the victory and the crown, I myself should miscarry, and miss of it.

CHAP. X.

¹ MOREOVER, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, ² how that all our fathers were [a] under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;

Nay, further, if it be at an heathen’s own table, where it is more probable that such portions of their sacrifices are to be met with than it was in the shambles, yet there also ye may eat freely of all, and never think yourselves bound in conscience to inquire whether there be any of those portions of their sacrifices there.

1 Corinthians 10:28

But in case any man take notice that that which is before you was a portion of an idol sacrifice, and punctually tell you of it, then you are not to eat of that, lest you confirm that man in (or betray him to) the sin of idolatry by your example, not understood by him aright, and so offend against a conscience: for the earth—

[f] the earth is the —] If these words be to be read in this place, the meaning of them will be, that in a matter of this nature of eating they have little temptation to sin against conscience, when they consider the great store of other food, even all the plenty of the world, which they may lawfully enjoy, and let the idol sacrifices alone. But the king’s MS. which leaves them out, seems to be in the right, (and it is easy to imagine how the transcribers might here insert them on occasion of διὰ συνείδησιν here, the same words after which, ver. 25,

HAMMOND ANNOTT. VOL. II. K