And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
Same spiritual meat. As the water from the rock answered to baptism, so the manna corresponded to the other of the two Christian sacraments, the Lord's supper. Paul implies the importance attached to these two sacraments by all Christians in those days: an anticipatory protest against those who set them aside. Still, he guards against the other extreme-that the possession of such privileges will ensure salvation. Had there been seven sacraments, as Rome teaches, Paul would have alluded to them. He does not mean that the Israelites and we Christians have "the same" sacrament; but that believing and unbelieving Israelites alike had "the same" spiritual privilege of the manna (cf. 1 Corinthians 10:17). It was "spiritual meat" or food, because given by God's Spirit, not by human labour. Galatians 4:29, "born after the Spirit" - i:e., supernaturally; "corn of heaven," Psalms 78:24; Psalms 105:40. Rather, "spiritual," as typical of Christ, the true bread of heaven, John 6:32 (Grotius). Not that the Israelites clearly understood this, but believers among them would feel that the type contained some spiritual truth: their implicit and reverent, though indistinct, faith was counted to them for justification, of which the manna was a sacramental seal. 'They are not to be heard which feign that the old fathers did look only for transitory promises' (Article 7:, Church of England: cf. Hebrews 4:2).