2 Corinthians 5:8

2 Corinthians 5:8 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
• New International Version (NIV)We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
• New King James Version (NKJV)We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

Context of 2 Corinthians 5:8

6Because God's Spirit is with us, we continue to be brave. While we still live here on earth, we know that we are not yet at home with the Lord. 7As we live here, we have to trust God. We do not yet see the things that belong to heaven. We are brave because we trust God. We would like to go away from our body here on earth. Then we would go to be at home with the Lord. And that would be better! 9But all the time we want to please the Lord. We want to do that while we are still at home in our body here on earth. We also want to please him when we go away from these bodies. 10Because all of us must go and stand in front of Christ as our judge. He will decide about the things that we have done during our lives here on earth. Whether we have done good things or bad things, we will receive what is right for us.

2 Corinthians 5:8 word by word

θαρροῦμεν δὲ καὶ εὐδοκοῦμεν μᾶλλον ἐκδημῆσαι ἐκ τοῦ σώματος καὶ ἐνδημῆσαι πρὸς τὸν κύριον.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·δέde · thenG1161
• We are confidentθαρρέωtharrheō · be confidentG2292
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• willingεὐδοκέωeudokeō · to delightG2106
• ratherμᾶλλονmallon · more: ratherG3123
• to be absentἐκδημέωekdēmeō · be awayG1553
• fromἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• the bodyὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the bodyσῶμαsōma · bodyG4983
• to be presentἐνδημέωendēmeō · be homeG1736
• withπρόςpros · to/withG4314
• the Lordκύριοςkurios · lord: GodG2962

Cross-references for 2 Corinthians 5:8

• 2 Corinthians 5:6Because God's Spirit is with us, we continue to be brave. While we still live here on earth, we know that we are not yet at home with the Lord.
• 2 Corinthians 12:2I know a certain man who belongs to Christ. 14 years ago, God quickly took this man up to the third heaven. Perhaps this man was still in his body. Perhaps he had gone away from his body. I do not know. Only God knows.
• Luke 2:29‘Master, I am your servant. You have done what you promised to me. Now I can die with no trouble in my mind.
• Acts 21:13But Paul answered, ‘Stop crying like this! You are making me very sad! I am ready for men in Jerusalem to take hold of me. They may tie me up, and I may even die there. I am ready for all this because I believe in the Lord Jesus.’
• Philippians 1:20I never want to do anything that will cause me to be ashamed. I hope very much that I will never do that. I want to be brave now, as I always have been. In the way that I live, I want to show that Christ is very great. I want to do that if I continue to live. And I want to do that if I die.
• 2 Timothy 4:7I have worked to serve Christ well. I have finished everything that God wanted me to do. I am like a runner who has run to the end of the race. I have continued to believe God's true message.
• 2 Peter 1:14I know that I will die soon. Our Lord Jesus Christ has shown me that clearly.
• 2 Peter 3:11Certainly, God will destroy everything in this way one day. So think about how you should live now. You should be the kind of people that God is happy about. You should show that you belong to God.
• 2 Corinthians 5:9But all the time we want to please the Lord. We want to do that while we are still at home in our body here on earth. We also want to please him when we go away from these bodies.
• Psalms 16:11You will lead me along the path of life. Because you are with me, I am very happy. I know that I will be with you for ever, and that makes me very happy!
• Psalms 17:15As for me, Lord, I am not guilty of sin. So I will see your face. When I wake up, I will see you clearly, and I will be really happy!
• Psalms 73:23But I am always near to you. You hold my right hand, as my guide.
• Matthew 25:21The master said to this servant, “You are a good servant and you have done really well. You were careful with a small amount of money. Now I will give you authority over many more things. I am really happy about this and I want you to be happy with me.”
• John 14:3After I have prepared a place for you, I will return. Then I will take you so that you will be with me. You will be where I am.
• John 17:24Father, you have given these people to me. I want them to be with me where I am. Then they will see how great I am. You made me great because you loved me. You loved me even before the world began.
• 1 Thessalonians 4:17After that, those of us who are still alive will join together with them. God will suddenly take us up into the clouds. In that way, we will all meet the Lord in the sky. So we will all be with the Lord for ever.

Commentaries on 2 Corinthians 5:8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8We are confident - We are of good courage, notwithstanding our many difficulties; because we have this earnest of the Spirit, and the unfailing testimony of God. And notwithstanding this, we are willing rather to be absent from the body - we certainly prefer a state of glory to a state of suffering, and the enjoyment of the beatific vision to even the anticipation of it by faith and hope; but, as Christians, we cannot desire to die before our time.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8We are confident - 2 Corinthians 5:6. We are cheerful, and courageous, and ready to bear our trial. Tyndale renders it: “we are of good comfort.” And willing rather to be absent from the body - We would prefer to die. The same idea occurs in Philemon 1:23. “Having a desire to depart and to be with Christ; which is far better.” The sense is, that Paul would have preferred to die, and to go to heaven; rather than to remain in a world of sin and trial. To be…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-10The idea of eternal hope is promising, with heavenly bodies replacing our dying ones. The God of resurrection will raise us and present us with all believers (4:14). Paul faced challenges in Ephesus, which inspired this statement about resurrection hope (1:8–11). His body's weakness reminded him of life after death, when our earthly body will be taken down in death and decay (see 1 Corinthians 15:42–57; Philippians 3:20–21).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. willing--literally, "well content." Translate also, "To go (literally, migrate) from our home in the body, and to come to our home with the Lord." We should prefer to be found alive at the Lord's coming, and to be clothed upon with our heavenly body (2Co 5:2-4). But feeling, as we do, the sojourn in the body to be a separation from our true home "with the Lord," we prefer even dissolution by death, so that in the intermediate disembodied state we may…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Corinthians 5:8

• Death
• Love
• Man

In the dictionaries

• Appear
• Constrain
• Corinthians, Second Epistle to the
• Earthly
• Faith
• Groan
• Man
• Pray
• Reconcile
• Sin

Commentaries on 2 Corinthians 5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings