2 Corinthians 3:7

2 Corinthians 3:7 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But 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:
• New International Version (NIV)Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, transitory though it was,
• English Standard Version (ESV)Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses' face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end,
• New King James Version (NKJV)But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away,

Context of 2 Corinthians 3:7

5By ourselves we are not qualified in any way to claim that we can do anything. Rather, God makes us qualified. 6He has also qualified us to be ministers of a new promise, a spiritual promise, not a written one. Clearly, what was written brings death, but the Spirit brings life. The ministry that brought death was inscribed on stone. Yet, it came with such glory that the people of Israel couldn’t look at Moses’ face. His face was shining with glory, even though that glory was fading. 8Won’t the ministry that brings the Spirit have even more glory? 9If the ministry that brings punishment has glory, then the ministry that brings God’s approval has an overwhelming glory.

2 Corinthians 3:7 word by word

εἰ δὲ ἡ διακονία τοῦ θανάτου ἐν γράμμασιν ἐντετυπωμένη λίθοις ἐγενήθη ἐν δόξῃ, ὥστε μὴ δύνασθαι ἀτενίσαι τοὺς υἱοὺς Ἰσραὴλ εἰς τὸ πρόσωπον Μωϋσέως διὰ τὴν δόξαν τοῦ προσώπου αὐτοῦ τὴν καταργουμένην,Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Butδέde · thenG1161
• ifεἰei · ifG1487
• the ministrationὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the ministrationδιακονίαdiakonia · serviceG1248
• of deathθάνατοςthanatos · deathG2288
• ·ἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• writtenγράμμαgramma · something writtenG1121
• engravenἐντυπόωentupoō · to engraveG1795
• stonesλίθοςlithos · stoneG3037
• wasγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
• gloriousδόξαdoxa · gloryG1391
• so thatὥστεhōste · soG5620
• the childrenυἱόςuihos · sonG5207
• of IsraelἸσραήλIsraēl · IsraelG2474
• couldδύναμαιdunamai · be ableG1410
• notμήmē · notG3361
• stedfastly beholdἀτενίζωatenizō · to gazeG816
• ·εἰςeis · towardG1519
• the faceπρόσωπονprosōpon · faceG4383
• of MosesΜωϋσῆς, ΜωσῆςMōseus Mōsēs Mōusēs · MosesG3475
• forδιάdia · through/because ofG1223
• of hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• was to be done awayκαταργέωkatargeō · to abateG2673

Cross-references for 2 Corinthians 3:7

• 2 Corinthians 3:6He has also qualified us to be ministers of a new promise, a spiritual promise, not a written one. Clearly, what was written brings death, but the Spirit brings life.
• Romans 7:10and I died. I found that the commandment which was intended to bring me life actually brought me death.
• 2 Corinthians 3:3It’s clear that you are Christ’s letter, written as a result of our ministry. You are a letter written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, a letter written not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
• Exodus 24:12The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain. Stay there, and I will give you the stone tablets with the teachings and the commandments I have written for the people’s instruction.”
• Exodus 31:18The Lord finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai. Then he gave him the two tablets with his words on them, stone tablets inscribed by God himself.
• Exodus 32:15Moses turned and went down the mountain carrying the two tablets with God’s words. They were written on both sides, front and back.
• Exodus 34:1The Lord said to Moses, “Cut two ⌞more⌟ stone tablets like the first ones, and I will write on them the words that were on the first tablets which you smashed.
• Deuteronomy 4:13The Lord told you about the terms of his promise, the ten commandments, which he commanded you to do. Then he wrote them on two stone tablets.
• Deuteronomy 5:22These are the commandments the Lord spoke to your whole assembly on the mountain. He spoke in a loud voice from the fire, the cloud, and the gloomy darkness. Then he stopped speaking. He wrote the commandments on two stone tablets and gave them to me.
• Deuteronomy 9:9When I went up on the mountain to get the stone tablets, the tablets of the promise that the Lord made to you, I stayed on the mountain 40 days and 40 nights without food or water.
• Deuteronomy 10:1At that time the Lord said to me, “Cut two ⌞more⌟ stone tablets like the first ones, and come up to me on the mountain. Also make an ark out of wood.
• Hebrews 9:4It contained the gold incense burner and the ark of the Lord’s promise. The ark was completely covered with gold. In the ark were the gold jar filled with manna, Aaron’s staff that had blossomed, and the tablets on which the promise was written.
• Deuteronomy 4:8Or what other great nation has such fair laws and rules as all these teachings I am giving you today?
• Nehemiah 9:13You came from heaven to Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven. You gave them fair rules, trustworthy teachings, and good laws and commandments.
• Psalms 19:7The teachings of the Lord are perfect. They renew the soul. The testimony of the Lord is dependable. It makes gullible people wise.
• Psalms 119:97Oh, how I love your teachings! They are in my thoughts all day long.

Commentaries on 2 Corinthians 3:7

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7The ministration of death - Here the apostle evidently intends the law. It was a ministration, or service of death. It was the province of the law to ascertain the duty of man; to assign his duties; to fix penalties for transgressions, etc.; and by it is the knowledge of sin. As man is prone to sin, and is continually committing it, this law was to him a continual ministration of death. Its letter killed; and it was only the Gospel to which it referred…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7But if the ministration of death - In the previous verses, Paul had referred incidentally to the institutions of Moses, and to the superiority of the gospel. He had said that the former were engraved on stones, but the latter on the heart 2 Corinthians 3:3; that the letter of the former tended to death, but the latter to life 2 Corinthians 3:6. This sentiment he proceeds further to illustrate, by showing in what the superior glory of the gospel consisted…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7-11The old covenant had moments of glory, like when the face of Moses shone from talking with the Lord (Exodus 34:29–35). The old way has been replaced by the new, eternal way (Hebrews 8:8–13).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 77. the ministration of death--the legal dispensation, summed up in the Decalogue, which denounces death against man for transgression. written and engraven in stones--There is no "and" in the Greek. The literal translation is, "The ministration of death in letters," of which "engraven on stones" is an explanation. The preponderance of oldest manuscripts is for the English Version reading. But one (perhaps the oldest existing manuscript) has "in the…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Corinthians 3:7

• Countenance
• Gospel
• Law
• Minister, Christian

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Moses
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Children of Israel
• Corinthians, Second Epistle to the
• Glory
• Plainness
• Sufficiency
• Untaken

Commentaries on 2 Corinthians 3

• 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
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• 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