Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the wilderness.
Parallel translations
- WEB However with most of them, God was not well pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
- KJV But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
- NKJV But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.
- NASB Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased; for their dead bodies were spread out in the wilderness.
- NLT Yet God was not pleased with most of them, and their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Despite all these blessings, God was not pleased with most of them, and they were struck down in the wilderness. Spiritual privilege did not prevent their judgment for unbelief and sin.
Overview
Here is the sobering climax of the recital: though all Israel shared in the cloud, the sea, the manna, and Christ the rock, the vast majority died under God's displeasure for their rebellion (Num 14). This is Paul's pointed warning to the self-assured Corinthians. Outward participation in God's gracious provisions—then or now—is no guarantee of final salvation apart from persevering, obedient faith.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- Heb 3:17And with whom was God angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?
- Jude 1:5Although you are fully aware of this, I want to remind you that after Jesus had delivered His people out of the land of Egypt, He destroyed those who did not believe.
- Num 26:64–65Among all these, however, there was not one who had been numbered by Moses and Aaron the priest when they counted the Israelites in the Wilderness of Sinai.
- Num 14:37those men who had brought out the bad report about the land—were struck down by a plague before the LORD.
- Num 14:11–12And the LORD said to Moses, “How long will this people treat Me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in Me, despite all the signs I have performed among them?
- Ps 106:26So He raised His hand and swore to cast them down in the wilderness,
- Ps 78:32–34In spite of all this, they kept on sinning; despite His wonderful works, they did not believe.
- Num 14:28–35So tell them: As surely as I live, declares the LORD, I will do to you exactly as I heard you say.
- Deut 1:34–35When the LORD heard your words, He grew angry and swore an oath, saying,
- Ps 95:11So I swore on oath in My anger, “They shall never enter My rest.”
- Deut 2:15–16Indeed, the LORD’s hand was against them, to eliminate them from the camp, until they had all perished.
- Ps 90:7–8For we are consumed by Your anger and terrified by Your wrath.
- Ps 90:1A prayer of Moses the man of God. Lord, You have been our dwelling place through all generations.
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Christ at the center
Christ crucified is the wisdom and power of God; he is our Passover sacrificed for us, the firstfruits of resurrection, the foundation on which everything is built.
How 1 Corinthians 10:5 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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