1 Korinther 9:13

13 Wisset ihr nicht, daß, die da opfern, essen vom Altar, und die am Altar dienen, vom Altar Genuß haben?

1 Korinther 9:13 Meaning and Commentary

1 Corinthians 9:13

Do ye not know, that they which minister about holy things,
&c.] Not the priests in the temples of the Heathen deities, as the Ethiopic version suggests; but the priests in the temple at Jerusalem, who were employed in slaying the sacrifices, taking off their skins, cutting them into pieces, laying them in order with the wood upon the altar, and burning them, with other services they there performed, which were well known to the Corinthians, many of this church being Jews:

live of the things of the temple;
the tithes and firstfruits, and other oblations, and presents in money or goods, thither brought; nor had they any other way of living and supporting their families; for the priests and Levites had no inheritance among the children of Israel, and therefore provision was made for them in this way:

and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar;
some read it, "who sit at the altar"; but none might sit in the temple but a king of the house of David ^F14; the priests and Levites always stood in their ministry, some doing one thing, and some another; some slew the sacrifice, others sprinkled the blood; some took away the ashes, others laid the wood, others brought up the parts of the sacrifice when slain, skinned, and cut asunder, and laid them on the altar ^F15, and these partook with the altar; some parts the altar devoured, being consumed by fire upon it; but then there were other pieces which by law were reserved for the priests, and upon which they and their families lived: hence the distinction of (xbzm tlyka) , the food of the altar, and (Mda tlyka) , "the food of man" ^F16; and therefore as it was but just and equitable that persons so employed should be maintained out of the revenues of the temple and altar, it is but right that Gospel ministers should be provided for with a suitable maintenance.

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FOOTNOTES:

F14 Bartenora in Misn. Yoma, c. 8. sect. 1.
F15 Misn. Yoma, c. 2. sect. 3. Tamid. c. 3. sect. 1.
F16 Vid. Maimon. & Bartenora in Menachot, c. 3. sect 1.

1 Korinther 9:13 In-Context

11 So wir euch das Geistliche säen, ist's ein großes Ding, wenn wir euer Leibliches ernten?

12 So andere dieser Macht an euch teilhaftig sind, warum nicht viel mehr wir? Aber wir haben solche Macht nicht gebraucht, sondern ertragen allerlei, daß wir nicht dem Evangelium Christi ein Hindernis machen.

13 Wisset ihr nicht, daß, die da opfern, essen vom Altar, und die am Altar dienen, vom Altar Genuß haben?

14 Also hat auch der HERR befohlen, daß, die das Evangelium verkündigen, sollen sich vom Evangelium nähren.

15 Ich aber habe der keines gebraucht. Ich schreibe auch nicht darum davon, daß es mit mir also sollte gehalten werden. Es wäre mir lieber, ich stürbe, denn daß mir jemand meinen Ruhm sollte zunichte machen.