1 Corinthians 10:9 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

To tempt, in the general notion of the term, signifies to make a trial; applied unto God, it signifieth to make a trial of God, either with reference to his power, Psalms 78:18-20, or to his truth and goodness: not to be satisfied with God's word, but to challenge him to a sensible demonstration, is to tempt God. Or else to tempt may signify more generally, to provoke God; for indeed all notorious sinning against God is a tempting of God, not believing the wrath of God, which he hath revealed in his word against sin, till men feel it. The term Christ here is very remarkable to prove Christ's Divine nature and existence before he was incarnate; for the same person who is here called Christ, is called God, Psalms 106:14, and Jehovah also in the same Psalm; neither could they have tempted Christ at that time, if at that time he had not been existent. Were destroyed of serpents; by serpents he meaneth the fiery serpents; we have the history, Numbers 21:6-9.