1 Corinthians 10:7
 1 Corinthians 10:7 
New International Version (©2011)
Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: "The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry."

New Living Translation (©2007)
or worship idols as some of them did. As the Scriptures say, "The people celebrated with feasting and drinking, and they indulged in pagan revelry."

English Standard Version (©2001)
Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.”

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, "THE PEOPLE SAT DOWN TO EAT AND DRINK, AND STOOD UP TO PLAY."

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
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.

Holman Christian Standard Bible (©2009)
Don't become idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and got up to play.

International Standard Version (©2012)
Let's stop being idolaters, as some of them were. As it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to play."

NET Bible (©2006)
So do not be idolaters, as some of them were. As it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play."

Aramaic Bible in Plain English (©2010)
Neither should we be Servants of idols, even as also some of them served, according to what is written: “The people sat down to eat and to drink and they arose to play games.”

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
So don't worship false gods as some of them did, as Scripture says, "The people sat down to a feast which turned into an orgy."

King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
Neither be you idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

American King James Version
Neither be you idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

American Standard Version
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.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Neither become ye idolaters, as some of them, as it is written: The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

Darby Bible Translation
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.

English Revised Version
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.

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

Weymouth New Testament
And you must not be worshippers of idols, as some of them were. For it is written, "The People sat down to eat and drink, and stood up to dance."

World English Bible
Neither be idolaters, as some of them were. As it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play."

Young's Literal Translation
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;'

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

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 it. Others have fallen, and so may we. The Christian's security against sin is distrust of himself. God has not promised to keep us from falling, if we do not look to ourselves. To this word of caution, a word of comfort is added. Others have the like burdens, and the like temptations: what they bear up under, and break through, we may also. God is wise as well as faithful, and will make our burdens according to our strength. He knows what we can bear. He will make a way to escape; he will deliver either from the trial itself, or at least the mischief of it. We have full encouragement to flee from sin, and to be faithful to God. We cannot fall by temptation, if we cleave fast to him. Whether the world smiles or frowns, it is an enemy; but believers shall be strengthened to overcome it, with all its terrors and enticements. The fear of the Lord, put into their hearts, will be the great means of safety.


Pulpit Commentary

Verse 7. - As were some of them. As in the case of the golden calf, the worship of Moloch, Remphan, Baal-peor, etc. In the prominent instance of the calf worship, they (like the Corinthians) would have put forth sophistical pleas in their own favour, saying that they were not worshipping idols, but only paying honour to cherubic emblems of Jehovah. To play. The word is, perhaps, used euphemistically for the worst concomitants of a sensual nature worship (Exodus 32:3-6), which resembled the depraved and orgiastic worship of Aphrodite Pandemos at Corinth.


Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Neither be ye idolaters,.... To which they seemed inclined to be, at least there was great danger that such they would be, by carrying their liberty to such a pitch, as to sit in an idol's temple, and there eat things sacrificed unto them; and which the apostle cautions against, and uses arguments to dissuade them from in the following part of this chapter:

as were some of them, as it is written, the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play: referring to Exodus 32:6 when the Israelites, whilst Moses was in the mount, made a molten calf, and worshipped it, built an altar before it, and instituted a feast and a play; and which was performed by dancing about the calf, and singing to the honour of it, Exodus 32:18 for their sitting down to eat and drink is not to be understood of an ordinary meal, but of a feast kept in honour of the golden calf, and which they covered by calling it a feast to the Lord; and their playing also was on the same account, in imitation of the Heathens, who made feasts, and appointed plays to the honour of their deities: some indeed interpret (t) this last action of uncleanness, which they committed after their feast was over, and which also was sometimes done in the Heathen temples, the word being sometimes used in this sense; see Genesis 39:14 but others understand it of the act of idolatry; so two of the Chaldee paraphrases interpret the words in Exodus (u); "they rose up to play", , in strange service, i.e. idolatry; and though the apostle does not mention their punishment, yet it was a very great one, three thousand persons fell the sword on that account, Exodus 32:28.

(t) Vid. Jarchi in Exodus 32.6. (u) Targum Jon. ben Uzziel & Jerusalem in ib. Vid. Bereshit Rabba, sect. 53. fol. 47. 4. & Shemot Rabba, sect. 1. fol. 89. 3.


Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

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).


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Warnings from Israel's Past
6Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. 7Neither be you idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. 8Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. …

Exodus 32:4 He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, "These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt."
Exodus 32:6 So the next day the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings. Afterward they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.
Exodus 32:19 When Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burned and he threw the tablets out of his hands, breaking them to pieces at the foot of the mountain.
Acts 15:20 Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood.
1 Corinthians 5:11 But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.
1 Corinthians 10:14 Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry.
1 John 5:21 Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.