The Old Testament background of "desire" in 1 Cor 10:6

Skralovnik, Samo (author), Matjaž, Maksimilijan (author)

In 1 Corinthians 10:6, Paul recalls the events described in Num 11:4-34 (with its respective variants in Ps 106:14), using the expression ἐπεθύμησαν which is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew אוה. This desire represents the highest religious meaning in the Old Testament, on the one hand (Strola 1999, 371); on the other hand, in texts relating to the tradition of the Israelites’ journey in the wilderness, to which Paul refers in 1 Cor 10, the same desire marks the rejection of the Lord (Num 11:19-20). In 1 Cor 10:6, by echoing the rebellion in Num 11, Paul wants to sum up the essence of sin. He does not understand desire as one sin amongst others but as a ,God-like‘ sin, as a source of all the others. If the desire for food of the Israelites’ own choosing stands for rejection of the Lord in Num 11, then the desire for food sacrificed to idols in 1 Cor 10 ipso facto stands for the rejection of Christ.

• Language: English
• Keywords: 1 Corinthians 10, Num 11, desire, ἐπεθύμησαν, אוה, Old Testament, wilderness, food, sin
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: TEOF - Theological Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Publication date: 01.01.2020
• Year: 2020
• Number of pages: Str. 505-518
• Numbering: Letn. 80, št. 3
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-163662
• UDC: 27-27-248.44
• ISSN on article: 0006-5722
• DOI: 10.34291/BV2020/03/Skralovnik
• COBISS.SI-ID: 43780099
• Publication date in RUL: 10.10.2024

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Bogoslovni vestnik : glasilo Teološke fakultete v Ljubljani
• Shortened title: Bogosl. vestn.
• Publisher: Teološka fakulteta
• ISSN: 0006-5722
• COBISS.SI-ID: 8745472

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Starozavezno ozadje "poželenja" v 1 Kor 10,6

Abstract

V 1 Kor 10,6 se Pavel sklicuje na dogodke, opisane v 4 Mz 11,4-34 (in njeno različico v Ps 106,14), z uporabo izraza ἐπεθύμησαν, ki je grški ekvivalent hebrejskega אוה. Ta želja ima v Stari zavezi po eni strani vrhunski religiozni pomen (Strola 1999, 371), po drugi strani pa v besedilih, povezanih z izročilom iz puščave, ista želja označuje zavrnitev Gospoda (4 Mz 11,19-20). Pavel hoče v 1 Kor 10,6 s sklicevanjem na upor v 4 Mz 11 zajeti bistvo greha. Želje ne razume kot nek določen greh, ampak kot ,izvirni‘ greh, kot vir vseh drugih. Če želja po egiptovski hrani v 4 Mz 11 pomeni zavrnitev Gospoda, potem želja po hrani, žrtvovani malikom v 1 Kor 10, ipso facto pomeni zavrnitev Kristusa.

• Keywords: sveto pismo stare zaveze, sveto pismo nove zaveze, Prvo pismo Korinčanom, poželenje, interpretacija

Projects

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Funding programme: ARRS
• Project number: P6-0262
• Name: Judovsko-krščanski viri in razsežnosti pravičnosti