Teaching through the Psalms: Allusions to the Wilderness Tradition in 1 Corinthians 10,1-10 and the Origin of the Passage

ABSTRACT This article deals with 1 Cor 10,1-10, where Paul alludes to historical psalms (Pss 77[78], 104[105] and 105[106]) in portraying Israel’s idolatrous acts in spite of God’s miracles in the wilderness. In some cases, it is difficult to decipher whether Paul refers to a particular psalm text or to the overall narrative that is attested in both the historical psalms and the Pentateuch. Hence, I do not claim that Paul alludes only to the historical psalms in this passage; rather, he alludes to the wilderness tradition without pinpointing it to any specific scriptural book. Furthermore, I will argue for the Pauline origin of the composition in 1 Cor 10,1-10, which previous studies have claimed pre-dates Paul.