1 Corinthians 10:8 Meaning and Explanation
“Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Paul warns against sexual sin, recalling how thousands of Israelites died after the immorality at Peor.
What Does 1 Corinthians 10:8 Mean?
The second warning concerns sexual sin. Paul recalls the events at Baal of Peor (Numbers 25), where Israelite men joined themselves to Moabite women and to their idol worship, and a plague swept through the camp. He notes the severity by naming the toll: thousands fell in a single day.
Paul deliberately pairs this with idolatry, for at Peor the two went together; turning from God in worship and turning from Him in the body are not far apart. To a church set in a culture that treated such sin lightly, the apostle speaks gravely. Yet the warning is also mercy, sparing readers from a path that wounds the body and the soul. Christ calls His people to a purity that honors God with their whole selves.
1 Corinthians 10:8 in the Original Language
porneia (πορνεία), 'fornication' -- sexual immorality of every kind, outside the bond of marriage.
Frequently Asked Questions About 1 Corinthians 10:8
What does 1 Corinthians 10:8 mean?
Paul warns against sexual sin, recalling how thousands of Israelites died after the immorality at Peor.