1 Corinthians 10:3
New International Version
They all ate the same spiritual food

New Living Translation
All of them ate the same spiritual food,

English Standard Version
and all ate the same spiritual food,

Berean Standard Bible
They all ate the same spiritual food

Berean Literal Bible
and all ate the same spiritual food,

King James Bible
And did all eat the same spiritual meat;

New King James Version
all ate the same spiritual food,

New American Standard Bible
and they all ate the same spiritual food,

NASB 1995
and all ate the same spiritual food;

NASB 1977
and all ate the same spiritual food;

Legacy Standard Bible
and all ate the same spiritual food;

Amplified Bible
and all [of them] ate the same spiritual food;

Christian Standard Bible
They all ate the same spiritual food,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
They all ate the same spiritual food,

American Standard Version
and did all eat the same spiritual food;

Contemporary English Version
All of them also ate the same spiritual food

English Revised Version
and did all eat the same spiritual meat;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
All of them ate the same spiritual food,

Good News Translation
All ate the same spiritual bread

International Standard Version
They all ate the same spiritual food

NET Bible
and all ate the same spiritual food,

New Heart English Bible
and all ate the same spiritual food;

Webster's Bible Translation
And all ate the same spiritual food;

Weymouth New Testament
All ate the same spiritual food,
Majority Text Translations
Majority Standard Bible
They all ate the same spiritual food

World English Bible
and all ate the same spiritual food;
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and all ate the same spiritual food,

Berean Literal Bible
and all ate the same spiritual food,

Young's Literal Translation
and all the same spiritual food did eat,

Smith's Literal Translation
And they all ate the same spiritual food.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And did all eat the same spiritual food,

Catholic Public Domain Version
And they all ate of the same spiritual food.

New American Bible
All ate the same spiritual food,

New Revised Standard Version
and all ate the same spiritual food,
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And all ate the same spiritual food;

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And they all ate one food of The Spirit.
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
and did all eat the same spiritual food,

Godbey New Testament
and they all did eat the same spiritual food;

Haweis New Testament
and did all eat the same spiritual meat;

Mace New Testament
they all eat the same spiritual meat,

Weymouth New Testament
All ate the same spiritual food,

Worrell New Testament
and all ate the same spiritual food;

Worsley New Testament
and did all eat the same spiritual food;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Warnings from Israel's Past
2They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3 They all ate the same spiritual food 4and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.…

Cross References
Exodus 16:4
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain down bread from heaven for you. Each day the people are to go out and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test whether or not they will follow My instructions.

Exodus 16:15
When the Israelites saw it, they asked one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. So Moses told them, “It is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat.

John 6:31-35
Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” / Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. / For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” ...

John 6:49-51
Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. / This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that anyone may eat of it and not die. / I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And this bread, which I will give for the life of the world, is My flesh.”

Nehemiah 9:15
In their hunger You gave them bread from heaven; in their thirst You brought them water from the rock. You told them to go in and possess the land that You had sworn to give them.

Psalm 78:24-25
He rained down manna for them to eat; He gave them grain from heaven. / Man ate the bread of angels; He sent them food in abundance.

Psalm 105:40
They asked, and He brought quail and satisfied them with the bread of heaven.

Numbers 11:7-9
Now the manna resembled coriander seed, and its appearance was like that of gum resin. / The people walked around and gathered it, ground it on a handmill or crushed it in a mortar, then boiled it in a cooking pot or shaped it into cakes. It tasted like pastry baked with fine oil. / When the dew fell on the camp at night, the manna would fall with it.

Numbers 11:31-32
Now a wind sent by the LORD came up, drove in quail from the sea, and brought them near the camp, about two cubits above the surface of the ground, for a day’s journey in every direction around the camp. / All that day and night, and all the next day, the people stayed up gathering the quail. No one gathered less than ten homers, and they spread them out all around the camp.

Deuteronomy 8:3
He humbled you, and in your hunger He gave you manna to eat, which neither you nor your fathers had known, so that you might understand that man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.

John 6:58
This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your fathers, who ate the manna and died, the one who eats this bread will live forever.”

Revelation 2:17
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who overcomes, I will give the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone inscribed with a new name, known only to the one who receives it.

Hebrews 9:4
containing the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. Inside the ark were the gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant.

Matthew 4:4
But Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

John 6:27
Do not work for food that perishes, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on Him God the Father has placed His seal of approval.”


Treasury of Scripture

And did all eat the same spiritual meat;

Exodus 16:4,15,35
Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no…

Deuteronomy 8:3
And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.

Nehemiah 9:15,20
And gavest them bread from heaven for their hunger, and broughtest forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and promisedst them that they should go in to possess the land which thou hadst sworn to give them…

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Ate Eat Food Holy Meat Spiritual Supernatural
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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.














They all ate
This phrase refers to the collective experience of the Israelites during their wilderness journey after the Exodus from Egypt. It emphasizes the unity and shared experience of the people of God. In the context of 1 Corinthians 10, Paul is drawing a parallel between the Israelites and the Corinthian believers, highlighting the importance of communal participation in God's provisions. Historically, this refers to the manna provided by God, as described in Exodus 16:4-35, which sustained the Israelites for 40 years. This miraculous provision underscores God's faithfulness and care for His people.

the same spiritual food
The term "spiritual food" signifies that the manna was not just physical sustenance but also had a deeper, spiritual significance. It prefigures the true spiritual nourishment found in Christ, as Jesus Himself refers to in John 6:31-35, where He declares Himself the "bread of life." The manna is a type of Christ, pointing to the ultimate provision of salvation and sustenance through Him. This connection is further reinforced by the idea that just as the Israelites were sustained by manna, believers are sustained by Christ. The use of "spiritual" indicates that the food had a divine origin and purpose, serving as a reminder of God's ongoing provision and presence.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The Israelites
The primary group being referenced in this passage. They were the people of God who were delivered from slavery in Egypt and wandered in the wilderness for 40 years.

2. Moses
The leader of the Israelites during their exodus from Egypt. He is a central figure in the events being referenced by Paul in this chapter.

3. The Wilderness
The place where the Israelites wandered for 40 years. It is during this time that they received the "spiritual food" mentioned in the verse.

4. Manna
The physical manifestation of the "spiritual food" that God provided to the Israelites in the wilderness. It was a miraculous provision from God to sustain them.

5. Paul the Apostle
The author of 1 Corinthians, who is using the history of the Israelites to teach the Corinthian church important spiritual lessons.
Teaching Points
Spiritual Sustenance
Just as the Israelites were sustained by manna, Christians are sustained by the Word of God and the presence of Christ in their lives. We must seek spiritual nourishment daily.

Dependence on God
The Israelites' reliance on manna teaches us about our need to depend on God for our daily needs, both physical and spiritual.

Unity in Christ
The phrase "all ate the same spiritual food" emphasizes the unity of believers in Christ. We are all partakers of the same spiritual blessings and should live in harmony.

Warning Against Complacency
Paul uses the example of the Israelites to warn against taking God's provision for granted. We must remain vigilant in our faith and obedience.

Christ as the True Bread
The manna points forward to Christ, who is our true spiritual sustenance. We must look to Him for life and strength.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1. What is the meaning of 1 Corinthians 10:3?

2. How does 1 Corinthians 10:3 illustrate God's provision for His people?

3. What is the significance of "spiritual food" in 1 Corinthians 10:3?

4. How can we seek God's provision in our daily spiritual walk?

5. What Old Testament events connect with the "spiritual food" mentioned here?

6. How can we apply the concept of "spiritual food" to our church community?

7. What does "spiritual food" in 1 Corinthians 10:3 symbolize in a Christian's life?

8. How does 1 Corinthians 10:3 relate to the Israelites' journey in the wilderness?

9. What is the significance of "spiritual food" in understanding God's provision?

10. What are the top 10 Lessons from 1 Corinthians 10?

11. What defines a carnal Christian?

12. What is Spiritual Milk?

13. How can 1 Corinthians 10:1–4 claim a supernatural “rock” that followed the Israelites when no archaeological evidence supports such a phenomenon?

14. In 1 Corinthians 3:2, how can believers be criticized for remaining on 'milk' if spiritual maturity is often claimed yet rarely demonstrated in real-world behavior?
What Does 1 Corinthians 10:3 Mean
They all

Paul reminds the Corinthians that every Israelite in the wilderness shared the blessing. No one was left out. As he had just written, “our fathers were all under the cloud, all passed through the sea” (1 Corinthians 10:1).

• The entire community, faithful and unfaithful alike, experienced God’s provision (Exodus 16:2–3).

• God’s care was corporate, yet personal—each person could look at the manna and say, “The LORD has given you bread to eat” (Exodus 16:15).

• Because the whole nation shared the same privilege, they also shared the same accountability (Hebrews 3:16–19).


Ate

This was no symbolic nibble; it was daily nourishment. “Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘I will rain down bread from heaven for you’ ” (Exodus 16:4).

• Eating meant trusting: gathering what God supplied, morning by morning (Deuteronomy 8:3).

• Paul uses that literal act to warn the church that outward participation does not guarantee inward obedience—Israel “ate” yet later rebelled (Numbers 11:6).

• For believers today, taking in God’s provision through Scripture and fellowship is still a deliberate, ongoing choice (Matthew 4:4).


The same

Whether prince or porter, every Israelite gathered the identical food. “He who gathered much had no excess, and he who gathered little had no shortage” (Exodus 16:18).

• God’s gifts do not create spiritual hierarchies; they foster unity (Ephesians 4:4–6).

• Paul elsewhere applies this principle materially: “your abundance may supply their need, so that there may be equality” (2 Corinthians 8:14).

• The sameness of the food underscores that favoritism has no place among God’s people (James 2:1).


Spiritual food

The manna was literal bread, yet it came supernaturally—“grain from heaven” (Psalm 78:24). That origin makes it spiritual, pointing beyond itself.

• It flowed from God’s Spirit-directed power, not human agriculture (Nehemiah 9:20).

• It foreshadowed Christ: “My Father gives you the true bread from heaven… I am the bread of life” (John 6:32–35).

• Just as Israel’s bodies depended on manna, our souls depend on the living Word; refusing either brings weakness and death (John 6:58; 1 Corinthians 11:30).


summary

1 Corinthians 10:3 anchors Paul’s warning in history: every Israelite received the same divine, supernatural food, yet many still fell. The verse highlights God’s universal provision, the necessity of personal appropriation, the equality of His gifts, and the deeper reality those gifts reveal—Christ Himself, the true bread from heaven. Receiving Him daily keeps believers strong and united, guarding us from the very pitfalls that undid the wilderness generation.

(3) Spiritual meat.--The manna (Exodus 16:13) was not natural food, for it was not produced in the natural way, but it was supplied by the Spirit and power of God. Bread from earth would be natural bread, but this was bread from heaven (John 6:31). Our Lord (John 6:50) had already made the Christian Church familiar with the "true bread," of which that food had been the typical forecast.

Verse 3. - And did all eat the same spiritual meat. As the cloud and the Red Sea symbolized the waters of baptism, so the manna and the water of the rock symbolized the elements of the other Christian sacrament, the Lord's Supper. The manna might be called "a spiritual food," both because it was "angels' food" (Psalm 78:25; Wisd. 16:20) and "bread from heaven" (Psalm 78:24; John 6:31), and also because it was a type of "God's good Spirit," which he "gave to instruct them" (Nehemiah 9:20). St. Paul only knows of two sacraments.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
They all
πάντες (pantes)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3956: All, the whole, every kind of. Including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole.

ate
ἔφαγον (ephagon)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 5315: A primary verb; to eat.

the
τὸ (to)
Article - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

same
αὐτὸ (auto)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Neuter 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

spiritual
πνευματικὸν (pneumatikon)
Adjective - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 4152: Spiritual. From pneuma; non-carnal, i.e. ethereal, or a spirit, or supernatural, regenerate, religious.

food
βρῶμα (brōma)
Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 1033: Food of any kind. From the base of bibrosko; food, especially articles allowed or forbidden by the Jewish law.


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NT Letters: 1 Corinthians 10:3 And all ate the same spiritual food (1 Cor. 1C iC 1Cor i cor icor)
1 Corinthians 10:2
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