These two clauses are closely parallel. In the light of verses 16-17, it is very likely that Paul is thinking of the Lord’s Supper.

The words the same occur twice and imply that the ancestors ate and drank the same food and drink as one another. The context, however, does not support the interpretation “the same as Christians eat and drink in the Lord’s Supper.”

The meaning of the word translated supernatural (Good News Bible‘s “spiritual”) is uncertain. Several translations and commentators, including Revised English Bible, Moffatt, An American Translation, and Barclay, translate “supernatural” as Revised Standard Version does, implying that God’s Spirit was active in giving the food and water. This is certainly a major part of the meaning. However, Paul may also be looking ahead to the “spiritual,” that is, Christian interpretation of the story that he will give in verse 4b. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch translates “divine rock.” The problem with the word “spiritual” is that in most languages it is a “church” word used only by Christians. It is therefore better to use expressions such as supernatural, “divine,” “heavenly,” or “by the power of God.”

Paul’s reference in verse 3, as in 3.2, is not only to bread, but to any kind of solid food. Thus Revised Standard Version‘s translation is preferable to Good News Bible‘s and is followed by New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible, and Revised English Bible.

Translators should read general commentaries on these two clauses, for they help us to see Paul’s understanding of the Old Testament in the light of the coming of Christ. Even before Paul’s time, Jews understood the different Old Testament stories about Moses’ striking the rock (Exo 17.1-7; Num 20.2-17) to mean that the same rock followed the Israelites in their travels. The last part of this verse, and the Rock was Christ, contains Paul’s interpretation of this tradition.

For can be omitted in translation, for this verse merely expands 4a rather than drawing a logical conclusion from it.

Them after followed is clearly implied in the Greek, which is literally “from the following spiritual rock.” In some languages it may be necessary to expand the text a little; for example, “they drank water flowing from a supernatural rock.”

The last clause and the Rock was Christ is short and emphatic. Most translators should render it this way. It does not contrast with what precedes. Paul is drawing his own conclusion from it.

All translations that we consulted translate Christ as a proper name. Good News Bible‘s “himself” is implied and can be added in translation for emphasis.

A sample translation of verses 3 and 4 may be as follows: “all of them ate the same food that God gave by his power, and drank the water that God caused to flow from the rock that accompanied them. That Rock was Christ himself.”

Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, 2nd edition. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1985/1994. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .