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2 Corinthians 3:7

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:

KJV

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,

Greek NT

Quod si ministratio mortis litteris deformata in lapidibus fuit in gloria, ita ut non possent intendere filii Israël in faciem Moysi propter gloriam vultus ejus, quæ evacuatur :

Vulgate

But if the ministration of death, written, and engraven on stones, came with glory, so that the children of Israel could not look stedfastly upon the face of Moses for the glory of his face; which glory was passing away:

ASV

Now if the ministration of death, engraven with letters upon stones, was glorious (so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses, for the glory of his countenance), which is made void:

Douay-Rheims

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In this verse

People Moses

In the original Greek

23 distinct Greek words appear in this verse.

Μωσεύς
moseus
noun · 81×
αὐτός
autos
pronoun · 5564×
γίνομαι
ginomai
verb · 667×
γράμμα
gramma
noun · 14×
δέ
de
conjunction · 2781×
διά
dia
preposition · 633×
διακονία
diakonia
noun · 34×
δόξα
doxa
noun · 166×
δύναμαι
dunamai
verb · 209×
εἰ
ei
conditional · 491×
εἰς
eis
preposition · 1769×
θάνατος
thanatos
noun · 120×
καταργέω
katargeo
verb · 27×
λίθος
lithos
noun · 60×
μή
me
particle · 1033×
πρόσωπον
prosopon
noun · 77×
υἱός
uios
noun · 375×
ἀτενίζω
atenizo
verb · 14×
ἐν
en
preposition · 2743×
ἐντυπόω
entupoo
verb · 1×
Ἰσραήλ
israel
noun · 68×
o
article · 19778×
ὥστε
oste
conjunction · 85×

Intertextual echoes

This verse quotes or alludes to 1 earlier text.

  • Exod 34:29 · allusion
    "And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses’ hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him."
    Exodus: Moses' face shone — Paul on the fading glory of the old covenant

Textual variants

2 variant units attested by manuscript witnesses and modern critical editions.

minor
SBLGNT: γράμμασιν | WH/NIV/RP: γράμμασιν | Treg: γράμματι
  • γράμμασινSBLGNT
  • γράμμασινWestcott-Hort, Reader's GNT (NA27), Robinson-Pierpont
  • γράμματιTregelles
source: sblgnt-apparatus
notable
SBLGNT: ἐντετυπωμένη | WH/Treg/NIV: ἐντετυπωμένη | RP: + ἐν
  • ἐντετυπωμένηSBLGNT
  • ἐντετυπωμένηWestcott-Hort, Tregelles, Reader's GNT (NA27)
  • + ἐνRobinson-Pierpont
source: sblgnt-apparatus

Themes

Historic Christian voices

4 passages from patristic writers, Reformers, and church catechisms citing this verse.

1. The Parable of the Tares: the House of Jesus. Then He left the multitudes and went into His house, and His disciples came unto Him saying, Declare to us the parable of the tares of the field. Matthew 13:36 When Jesus then is with the multitudes, He is not in His house, for the multitudes are outside of the house, and it is an act which springs from His love of men to leave t…

Cross-references

  • 1Cor 13:10 — But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
  • 2Cor 3:3 — Forasmuch 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 h
  • 2Cor 3:6 — Who 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.
  • 2Cor 3:6 — Who 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.
  • 2Cor 3:9 — For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.
  • 2Cor 3:13 — And 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:
  • 2Cor 3:13 — And 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:
  • Acts 6:15 — And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.
  • Acts 6:15 — And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.
  • Deut 4:13 — And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone.
  • Deut 9:15 — So I turned and came down from the mount, and the mount burned with fire: and the two tables of the covenant were in my two hands.
  • Deut 10:1 — At that time the LORD said unto me, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first, and come up unto me into the mount, and make thee an ark of wood.
  • Deut 33:2 — And he said, The LORD came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery law for them.
  • Exod 24:12 — And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.
  • Exod 24:12 — And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.
  • Exod 31:18 — And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.
  • Exod 31:18 — And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.
  • Exod 34:28 — And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.
  • Exod 34:29 — And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses’ hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while
  • Heb 8:10 — For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, an
  • Jer 31:33 — But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God
  • John 1:17 — For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
  • John 5:45 — Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust.
  • Luke 9:29 — And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering.
  • Luke 9:30 — And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias:
  • Ps 119:97 — O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.
  • Ps 119:174 — I have longed for thy salvation, O LORD; and thy law is my delight.
  • Rom 2:12 — For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;
  • Rom 4:15 — Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.
  • Rom 4:15 — Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.
  • Rom 5:20 — Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
  • Rom 7:10 — And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.
  • Rom 7:10 — And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.
  • Rom 10:4 — For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.