Do you not know that those who minister the holy things eat of the things of the temple, and those who serve at the altar partake of the offerings of the altar?
Parallel translations
- WEB Don’t you know that those who serve around sacred things eat from the things of the temple, and those who wait on the altar have their portion with the altar?
- KJV Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?
- BSB Do you not know that those who work in the temple eat of its food, and those who serve at the altar partake of its offerings?
- NASB Do you not know that those who perform sacred services eat the food of the temple, and those who attend regularly to the altar have their share from the altar?
- NLT Don’t you realize that those who work in the temple get their meals from the offerings brought to the temple? And those who serve at the altar get a share of the sacrificial offerings.
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
Paul reminds them that those who serve in the temple eat from its offerings, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrifices. God's own ordained pattern provides for sacred ministry.
Overview
Drawing on the Old Testament priesthood, Paul notes that priests and Levites were sustained from the temple's offerings (Num 18:8-31). This divinely established arrangement further supports the principle that those devoted to spiritual service may live from it. It is another strand in his cumulative case, showing that ministerial support is not novel but rooted in God's own provision for those who serve Him.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Num 18:8–20Yahweh spoke to Aaron, “Behold, I myself have given you the command of my wave offerings, even all the holy things of the children of Israel. I have given them to you by reason of the anointing, and to your sons, as a portion forever.
- Lev 6:26The priest who offers it for sin shall eat it. It shall be eaten in a holy place, in the court of the Tent of Meeting.
- Num 5:9–10Every heave offering of all the holy things of the children of Israel, which they present to the priest, shall be his.
- 1 Cor 10:18Consider Israel according to the flesh. Don’t those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar?
- Deut 18:1–5The priests the Levites, all the tribe of Levi, shall have no portion nor inheritance with Israel. They shall eat the offerings of Yahweh made by fire and his portion.
- 1 Sam 2:28Didn’t I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? Didn’t I give to the house of your father all the offerings of the children of Israel made by fire?
- Lev 6:16–18That which is left of it Aaron and his sons shall eat. It shall be eaten without yeast in a holy place. They shall eat it in the court of the Tent of Meeting.
- Deut 10:9Therefore Levi has no portion nor inheritance with his brothers; Yahweh is his inheritance, according as Yahweh your God spoke to him.)
- Lev 7:6–8Every male among the priests may eat of it. It shall be eaten in a holy place. It is most holy.
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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 9:13 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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