What does 1 Corinthians 10:8 Mean?

Study Notes

fell in one day
Cf. Numbers 25:9 . A discrepancy has been imagined. 1 Corinthians 10:8 . gives the number of deaths in "one day"; Numbers 25:9 , the total number of deaths "in the plague." Some discrepant statements concerning numbers are, however, found in the existing manuscripts of the Hebrew Scriptures. These are most naturally ascribed to the fact that the Hebrews used letters in the place of numerals. The letters for Koph to Tau express hundreds up to four hundred. Five certain Hebrew letters, written in a different form, carry hundreds up to nine hundred, while thousands are expressed by two dots over the proper unit letter: e.g. the letter Teth, used alone, stands for 9; with two dots it stands for nine thousand. Error in transcription of Hebrew numbers thus becomes easy, preservation of numerical accuracy difficult.

Verse Meaning

Second, the Israelites practiced immorality (lit. fornication) when they participated in one of the Moabites" religious feasts ( Numbers 25:1-9). Paul said23 ,000 Israelites died in one day. Moses in Numbers 25:9 said24 ,000 died as a result of the plague God sent to judge the people. There Isaiah , therefore, no conflict between the numbers since they describe somewhat different groups of people. Another explanation that has been suggested is that the larger number included Israel"s leaders, and the smaller one did not. If immorality is only implicit in the record of the Golden Calf incident, it is explicit in the account of the Baal Peor incident. Clearly this was taking place in the Corinthian church ( 1 Corinthians 5:1-5; 1 Corinthians 5:10-11; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; 1 Corinthians 6:12-20). Some modern Christians have participated in fornication that unbelievers have lured them into. [source][source]

[source]

Context Summary

Twice over we are told that the story of the Exodus was intended for our instruction, 1 Corinthians 10:6; 1 Corinthians 10:11. It becomes us, therefore, to study the account with the honest intention to obtain all the warning and suggestion that it is capable of yielding. The great lesson is human failure under the most promising circumstances. Here were people who had been brought out of the most terrible hardships and perils, who were under the greatest obligations to God, but who, in the hour of temptation, absolutely failed Him.

Consider the privileges of the Chosen People. The cloud of divine guidance led them. The Red Sea, like a grave, lay between them and the land of bondage. They ate daily of the heavenly manna and drank of the water that gushed from the rock. But all these are types of spiritual blessings which await us in Christ. His grave lies between us and the world; His guidance is ours; we daily feed on His life and help. Let us take heed that we do not, like Israel, allow Moab to cast the witchery of sensual indulgence over us, lest we excite God's displeasure. Let us not tempt the Lord by murmuring or distrust. Let us ever live worthily of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Corinthians 10

¹  The sacraments of the Jews are types of ours;
⁷  and their punishments,
¹¹  examples for us
¹³  We must flee from idolatry
²¹  We must not make the Lord's table the table of demons;
²⁴  and in all things we must have regard for our brothers