God’s Word Translation
2 Corinthians 4:6
6We are his servants because the same God who said that light should shine out of darkness has given us light. For that reason we bring to light the knowledge about God’s glory which shines from Christ’s face.
2 Corinthians 4:6 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
- New International Version (NIV)For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.
- English Standard Version (ESV)For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
- New King James Version (NKJV)For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Context of 2 Corinthians 4:6
4The god of this world has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. As a result, they don’t see the light of the Good News about Christ’s glory. It is Christ who is God’s image. 5Our message is not about ourselves. It is about Jesus Christ as the Lord. We are your servants for his sake. We are his servants because the same God who said that light should shine out of darkness has given us light. For that reason we bring to light the knowledge about God’s glory which shines from Christ’s face. 7Our bodies are made of clay, yet we have the treasure of the Good News in them. This shows that the superior power of this treasure belongs to God and doesn’t come from us. 8In every way we’re troubled, but we aren’t crushed by our troubles. We’re frustrated, but we don’t give up.
Read all of 2 Corinthians 42 Corinthians 4:6 word by word
ὅτι ὁ θεὸς ὁ εἰπὼν ἐκ σκότους φῶς λάμψει, ὃς ἔλαμψεν ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ἡμῶν πρὸς φωτισμὸν τῆς γνώσεως τῆς δόξης τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν προσώπῳ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Forὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
- Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- whoὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
- commandedλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- the lightφῶςphōs · lightG5457
- to shineλάμπωlampō · to shineG2989
- out ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
- darknessσκότοςskotos · darknessG4655
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- ourἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- heartsκαρδίαkardia · heartG2588
- toπρόςpros · to/withG4314
- the lightφωτισμόςphōtismos · lightG5462
- of the knowledgeγνῶσιςgnōsis · knowledgeG1108
- of the gloryδόξαdoxa · gloryG1391
- the faceπρόσωπονprosōpon · faceG4383
- of JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
- ChristΧριστόςChristos · ChristG5547
Cross-references for 2 Corinthians 4:6
- Genesis 1:3Then God said, “Let there be light!” So there was light.
- Psalms 74:16The day and the night are yours. You set the moon and the sun in their places.
- Psalms 136:7to the one who made the great lights— because his mercy endures forever.
- Isaiah 45:7I make light and create darkness. I make blessings and create disasters. I, the Lord, do all these things.
- Ephesians 1:17I pray that the glorious Father, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, would give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know Christ better.
- Ephesians 5:8Once you lived in the dark, but now the Lord has filled you with light. Live as children who have light.
- 2 Peter 1:19So we regard the words of the prophets as confirmed beyond all doubt. You’re doing well by paying attention to their words. Continue to pay attention as you would to a light that shines in a dark place as you wait for day to come and the morning star to rise in your hearts.
- 2 Corinthians 4:4The god of this world has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. As a result, they don’t see the light of the Good News about Christ’s glory. It is Christ who is God’s image.
- 2 Corinthians 3:18As all of us reflect the Lord’s glory with faces that are not covered with veils, we are being changed into his image with ever-increasing glory. This comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
- Exodus 33:18Then Moses said, “Please let me see your glory.”
- Exodus 34:5The Lord came down in a cloud and stood there with him and called out his name “the Lord.”
- Psalms 63:2So I look for you in the holy place to see your power and your glory.
- Psalms 90:16Let ⌞us,⌟ your servants, see what you can do. Let our children see your glorious power.
- Isaiah 6:1In the year King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a high and lofty throne. The bottom of his robe filled the temple.
- Isaiah 35:2Like a lily the land will blossom. It will rejoice and sing with joy. It will have the glory of Lebanon, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. Everyone will see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God.
- Isaiah 40:5Then the Lord’s glory will be revealed and all people will see it together. The Lord has spoken.”
Commentaries on 2 Corinthians 4:6
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness - The apostle refers here to Genesis 1:3. For when God created the heavens and the earth Darkness was on the face of the deep; and God said, Let There Be Light; and there was light. Thus he caused the light to shine out of darkness. Hath shined in our hearts - He has given our hearts the glorious light of the Gospel, as he has given the world the glorious light of the sun. As sure, therefore, as…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6For God, who commanded - The design of this verse seems to be, to give a reason why Paul and his fellow-apostles did not preach themselves, but Jesus Christ the Lord, 2 Corinthians 4:5. That reason was, that their minds had been so illuminated by that God who had commanded the light to shine out of darkness, that they had discerned the glory of the divine perfections shining in and through the Redeemer, and they therefore gave themselves. to the work of…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 66. For--proof that we are true servants of Jesus unto you. commanded the light--Greek, "By speaking the word, commanded light" (Ge 1:3). hath shined--rather, as Greek, "is He who shined." (It is God) who commanded light, &c., that shined, &c., (Job 37:15): Himself our Light and Sun, as well as the Creator of light (Mal 4:2; Joh 8:12). The physical world answers to the spiritual. in our hearts--in themselves dark. to give the light--that is, to propagate…Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Corinthians 4:6
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 2 Corinthians 4
- 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
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