2 Corinthians 3

2 Corinthians · Chapter 3

2 Corinthians 3:15

1Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you?2Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:3Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.4And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward:5Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;6Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.7But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:8How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?9For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.10For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.11For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.12Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech:13And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:14But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.15But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.16Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.17Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.18But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the LORD.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
15But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.And even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts.But unto this day, whensoever Moses is read, a veil lieth upon their heart.

In context

AI-assisted, sourced

2 Corinthians 3:12-18The vail taken away

About 2 Corinthians 3Paul needs no letters of commendation, for the Corinthians are "our epistle written in our hearts," written "not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God." God has made them "able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life," and if the old ministry had glory, the ministry of the Spirit has more. Moses put a vail over his face, and a vail still lies on hearts until "it shall turn to the Lord," but "where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty," and we are "changed into the same image from glory to glory." 2 Corinthians 3:12 Corinthians 3:22 Corinthians 3:32 Corinthians 3:62 Corinthians 3:72 Corinthians 3:82 Corinthians 3:132 Corinthians 3:152 Corinthians 3:162 Corinthians 3:172 Corinthians 3:18

Who, where and when in this chapter

Original Greek words

EnglishGreekSay itStrong'sMeaning
Butἀλλ᾽all᾽G0235
but

ἀλλά (alla) ἀλλά (ἀλλ᾽ usually bef. α and υ, often bef. ε and η, rarely bef. ο and ω, never bef. ι; Tdf., Pr., 93 f.; WH, App., 146), adversative particle, stronger than δέ; prop. neuter pl. of ἄλλος, used adverbially, with changed accent; hence prop. otherwise, on the other hand (cf. Rom.3:31); …

untoἕωςhe'ōsG2193
until

ἕως (heōs) ἕως, relative particle (Lat. donee, usque), expressing the terminus ad quem (cf. Burton, §321ff.). I. As conjunction; 1. till, until; (a) of a fact in past time, with indic.: Mat.2:9, al. (Wis.10:14, al.); (b) ἕως ἄν, with subjc. aor.: Mat.2:13 5:18, Mrk.6:10, al.; without ἄν (M. Pr., 168f.; Lft., Notes, 115), Mrk.14:32 (Burton, §325), Luk.12:59, 2Th.2:7, al.; (with) with indic., present (Burton, §328; BL, §65, 10): Mrk.6:45, Jhn.21:22, 23 1Ti.4:13. 2. C. indic., as long as, while (Burton, §327): Jhn.9:4 (Plat., Phaedo, 89c). II. As an adverb (chiefly in late writers). …

this dayσήμερονsēmeronG4594
today

σήμερον (sēmeron) σήμερον (Att.. τήμερον), adv., [in LXX for יוֹם ;] to-day: Mat.6:11, Luk.4:21, Act.4:9, al.; opposite to αὔριον, Mat.6:30, Luk.12:28, Jas.4:13; χθὲς καὶ σ. καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας, Heb.13:8; ἡ σ. ἡμέρα, Act.20:20; ἕως (ἄχρι) τῆς σ. ἡμέρας, Rom.11:8, 2Co.3:14; μέχρι (ἕως) τῆς σ. (sc. ἡμέρας), Mat.11:23 27:8; as subst., τὸ σ., Heb.3:13; id. in appos., ὁρίζει ἡμὶραν, σ., Heb.4:7 R, mg., (see Westc., in l) (AS)

whenἡνίκαhēnikaG2259
when

ἡνίκα (hēnika) ἡνίκα rel. adv. of time, at which time, when; before αν, with subjc., whensoever: 2Co.3:15-16.† (AS)

may be readἀναγινώσκηταιanaginōskētaiG0314
to read

ἀναγινώσκω (anaginōskō) ἀνα-γινώσκω (Attic ἀναγιγν-), [in LXX chiefly for קָרָא ;] 1. to know certainly, know again, recognize. 2. Of written characters, to read: Mat.24:15, Mrk.13:14, Act.15:31 23:34, Eph.3:4; with accusative of thing(s), Mat.22:31, Mrk.12:10 Luk.6:3, Jhn.19:20, Act.8:30, 32, 2Co.1:13, Rev.1:3; with accusative of person(s), Ἠσαίαν τ. προφήτην, Act.8:28, 30; before ἐν, Mat.12:5 21:42, Mrk.12:26 (so. ἐν τ. νόμῳ), Luk.10:26; before ὅτι, Mat.19:4 21:16; τί ἐποίησε, Mat.12:3, Mrk.2:25; pass. 2Co.3:2; of reading aloud (MM, VGT, see word), Luk.4:16, Act.13:27 15:21, 2Co.3:15, Col.4:16, 1Th.5:27 (M, Th., …

Moses,Μωϋσῆς,MōusēsG3475
Moses

Μωϋσῆς, Μωσῆς (Mōusēs, Mōsēs) Μωυσῆς (Μωϋσῆς, T; Μωσῆς, Rec.), -έως, dative - (as LXX: Exo.5:20, al.), and -εῖ, accusative -ῆν (ac LXX) and -έα (Luk.16:29 only) (Heb. מֹשֶׁה), Moses: Mat.8:4 17:3-4, al.; νόμος Μωυσέως, Luk.2:22 24:44, Jhn.7:23, Act.13:39 15:5 28:23, 1Co.9:9, Heb.10:28; by meton., of the books of Moses, Luk.16:29 24:27, Act.15:21, 2Co.3:15 (AS)

a veilκάλυμμαkalummaG2571
veil

κάλυμμα (kalumma) κάλυμμα, -τος, τό (καλύπτω), [in LXX: Num.3:25 4:8 ff. (מְכַסֶּה), Exo_34:33 ff. (מַסְוֶה), etc. ;] a covering, veil: 2Co.3:13-16 † (AS)

overἐπὶepiG1909
upon/to/against

ἐπί (epi) ἐπί (before a smooth breathing ἐπ᾽, before a rough breathing ἐφ᾽), prep. with genitive, dative, accusative (accusative most frequently in NT), with primary sense of superposition, on, upon. I. C. genitive, 1. of place, answering the question, where? …

heartκαρδίανkardianG2588
heart

καρδία (kardia) καρδία, -ας, ἡ, [in LXX chiefly for לֵבָב ,לֵב ;] the heart, 1. the bodily organ which is regarded as the seat of life ( 2Ki.18:14, 4Ki.9:24, al.). 2. In a psychological sense, the seat of man's collective energies, the focus of personal life, the seat of the rational as well as the emotional and volitional elements in human life, hence that wherein lies the moral and religious condition of the man (DB, ii, 317f.; DGG, ii, 344a); (a) of the seat of physical life ( Jdg.19:5, Psa.101 (102):5 103 (104):15): Act.14:17, Jas.5:5; …

of themαὐτῶνautōnG0846
it/s/he

αὐτός (autos) αὐτός, -ή, -ό, determinative pron., in late Gk. much more frequently than in cl. (WM, 178f.; Jannaris, HGG, §1399). 1. Emphatic (so always in nom. exc. when preceded by the art., see infr., iii); (1) self (ipse), expressing opposition, distinction, exclusion, etc., αὐ. ἐκχυθήσεται, Luk.5:37; αὐ. ἐγινώσκεν, Jhn.2:25; αὐ.ὑμεῖς, Jhn.3:28; καὶ αὐ. ἐγώ, Rom.15:14; αὐ. Ἰησοῦς, Jhn.2:24; αὐ. καὶ οἱ μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ, Mrk.2:25; ὑμεῖς αὐ., Mrk.6:31; esp. (as freq in cl.) αὐ. ὁ, Mat.3:4, Mrk.6:17, Jhn.16:27, 1Th.3:11, al.; in late Gk., sometimes weakened, ἐν αὐτῇ τ. ὥρᾳ, in that hour, Luk.10:21 (M, Pr., 91; …

lies;κεῖται·keitaiG2749
to lay/be appointed

κεῖμαι (keimai) κεῖμαι [in LXX: Jer.24:1 (יָעַד hoph,), al. ;] used as passive of τίθημι (LS, see word), to be laid, to lie; (a) of persons: an infant, Luk.2:12, 16; a dead body, Mat.28:6, Luk.23:53, Jhn.20:12; (b) of things, to lie, be laid or set, stand: Mat.5:14, Jhn.2:6 19:29 20:5-7 21:9, Rev.4:2 21:16; trop., Θεμέλιος, 1Co.3:11; before prep. with accusative, πρός, Mat.3:10, Luk.3:9; εἰς, Luk.12:19; ἐπί, trop., κάλυμμα, 2Co.3:15. Metaphorical, ὁ κόσμος ἐν τ. πονηριῷ κ., 1Jn.5:19; to be laid down, appointed: of law, with dative of person(s), 1Ti.1:9; before εἰς with accusative (of purpose), Luk.2:34, P …

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.