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

5not that we are competent in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our competence is from God. 6He also made us competent as servants of a new covenant—not of the letter, but of the Ruach. For the letter kills, but the Ruach gives life. Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that Bnei-Yisrael could not look intently upon Moses’ face because of its glory—although it was passing away— 8how will the ministry of the Ruach not be even more glorious? 9For if there is glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness overflows even more in 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 also made us competent as servants of a new covenant—not of the letter, but of the Ruach. For the letter kills, but the Ruach gives life.
• Romans 7:10and I died. The commandment meant for life was found to cause death.
• 2 Corinthians 3:3It is clear that you are a letter from Messiah delivered by us—written not with ink but with the Ruach of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
• Exodus 24:12Then Adonai said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and stay there, and I will give you the tablets of stone with the Torah and the mitzvot, which I have written so that you may instruct them.”
• Exodus 31:18When He had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave the two tablets of the Testimony to Moses—tablets of stone, written by the finger of God.
• Exodus 32:15Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain, with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hand, tablets that were written on both sides, on one and on the other.
• Exodus 34:1Adonai said to Moses, “Carve for yourself two tablets of stone like the first ones, and I will write upon them the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke.
• Deuteronomy 4:13He declared to you His covenant, which He commanded you to do—the Ten Words—and He wrote them on two tablets of stone.
• Deuteronomy 5:22Now then, why should we die? For this great fire will consume us! If we hear the voice of Adonai our God any more, then we will die.
• Deuteronomy 9:9When I went up the mountain to receive the tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant that Adonai cut with you, I stayed on the mountain 40 days and 40 nights; I did not eat bread or drink water.
• Deuteronomy 10:1“At that time Adonai said to me, ‘Carve for yourself two tablets of stone like the first ones and come up to Me on the mountain. Make yourself an ark of wood.
• Hebrews 9:4It held a golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant, completely covered with gold. In the ark was a golden jar holding the manna , Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant—
• Deuteronomy 4:8What great nation is there that has statutes and ordinances that are righteous—like all of this Torah that I am setting before you today?
• Nehemiah 9:13“You descended on Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven. You gave them just judgments, reliable laws, and good statutes and mitzvot.
• Psalms 19:7It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other end. Nothing is hidden from its heat.
• Psalms 119:97O how I love Your Torah! It is my meditation all day.

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