Texts in Conversation
Paul in 1 Corinthians 10 warns the Corinthians to not grumble by reminding them of Numbers where those who did to Moses and Aaron were killed by a plague. He connects this to the “destroyer”, a divine agent who was thought to carry out this judgment.
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Numbers 14:37
Hebrew Bible
36 The men whom Moses sent to investigate the land, who returned and made the whole community murmur against him by producing an evil report about the land, 37 those men who produced the evil report about the land, died by the plague before the Lord. 38 But Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among the men who went to investigate the land, lived. 39 When Moses told these things to all the Israelites, the people mourned greatly.
Date: 5th Century B.C.E. (Final composition) (based on scholarly estimates)
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1 Corinthians 10:10
New Testament
8 And let us not be immoral, as some of them were, and 23,000 died in a single day. 9 And let us not put Christ to the test, as some of them did, and were destroyed by snakes. 10 And do not complain, as some of them did, and were killed by the destroying angel. 11 These things happened to them as examples and were written for our instruction, on whom the ends of the ages have come.
Date: 55-57 C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... Turning to the New Testament writings, it is found that, consistent with LXX usage, the verb γογγύζω is used in Matthew and Luke in reference to a specific statement of discontent expressed directly and clearly to the object of discontent. In Matthew the laborers who worked the whole day, bearing the burden and heat of the day, complain to the master of the house because he paid them the same amount as those workers who only labored for one hour (Matthew 20:11). In Luke the Pharisees and scribes grumble against Jesus’ disciples, asking them why they are eating with tax collectors and sinners (Luke 5:30). The verb γογγύζω is used twice in 1 Corinthians 10:10, where the Apostle Paul warns the Corinthians not to murmur (μηδὲ γογγύζετε) as the Israelites murmured (ἐγόγγυσαν) and were destroyed by the destroyer. In this verse Paul makes reference to some or all of the events that occurred in Numbers 16:1–50. Here the murmuring of the Israelites is against the leadership of Moses and Aaron, a fact that parallels the murmuring of the Corinthians against Paul’s leadership ..."
Hasselbrook, David S.
"Nuances of Meaning with Compound Words in the Septuagint: A Case Study of διαγογγύζω and εἰσακούω in Contexts of Grumbling" in Bons, Eberhard (ed.) The Vocabulary of the Septuagint and Its Hellenistic Background
(pp. 80-94) Mohr Siebeck, 2019
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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