Focused Passage

2 Corinthians 3:7-18

Letters of Christ, New Covenant Ministry, and Unveiled Glory

Paul moves from refusing the need for self-commendation, to identifying the Corinthians as a Spirit-written letter of Christ, to contrasting letter-and-death with Spirit-and-life, to showing that the fading Mosaic glory gives way to the surpassing glory of new covenant ministry, and finally to the unveiled freedom and transformation found in the Lord by the Spirit.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

7Now if the ministry of death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at the face of Moses because of its fleeting glory,

8will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious?

9For if the ministry of condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry of righteousness!

10Indeed, what was once glorious has no glory now in comparison to the glory that surpasses it.

11For if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which endures!

12Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold.

13We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at the end of what was fading away.

14But their minds were closed. For to this day the same veil remains at the reading of the old covenant. It has not been lifted, because only in Christ can it be removed.

15And even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts.

16But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

17Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

18And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into His image with intensifying glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 7

Original words

NowδὲG1161ConjunctionifΕἰG1487ConjunctiontheG3588Article - Nominative Feminine SingularministryδιακονίαG1248Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine Singularof deathθανάτουG2288Noun - Genitive Masculine Singularwhich was engravedἐντετυπωμένηG1795Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Feminine SingularinἐνG1722PrepositionlettersγράμμασινG1121Noun - Dative Neuter Pluralon stoneλίθοιςG3037Noun - Dative Masculine PluralcameἐγενήθηG1096Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person SingularwithἐνG1722Preposition{such} gloryδόξῃG1391Noun - Dative Feminine SingularthatὥστεG5620ConjunctiontheτοὺςG3588Article - Accusative Masculine PluralvvvυἱοὺςG5207Noun - Accusative Masculine PluralIsraelitesἸσραὴλG2474Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularcouldδύνασθαιG1410Verb - Present Infinitive Middle or PassivenotμὴG3361AdverbgazeἀτενίσαιG816Verb - Aorist Infinitive ActiveatεἰςG1519PrepositiontheτὸG3588Article - Accusative Neuter SingularfaceπρόσωπονG4383Noun - Accusative Neuter Singularof MosesΜωϋσέωςG3475Noun - Genitive Masculine Singularbecause ofδιὰG1223Preposition-τὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine SingularvvvτοῦG3588Article - Genitive Neuter SingularvvvαὐτοῦG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular[its]προσώπουG4383Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular-τὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine SingularfleetingκαταργουμένηνG2673Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Accusative Feminine SingulargloryδόξανG1391Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Verse 8

Original words

-πῶςG4459AdverbwillἔσταιG1510Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 3rd Person SingularnotοὐχὶG3780AdverbtheG3588Article - Nominative Feminine SingularministryδιακονίαG1248Noun - Nominative Feminine Singularof theτοῦG3588Article - Genitive Neuter SingularSpiritπνεύματοςG4151Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular{be} even moreμᾶλλονG3123AdverbvvvἐνG1722PrepositiongloriousδόξῃG1391Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Verse 9

Original words

ForγὰρG1063ConjunctionifεἰG1487Conjunctiontheτῇ*G3588Article - Dative Feminine SingularministryδιακονίαG1248Noun - Dative Feminine Singular-τῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine Singularof condemnationκατακρίσεωςG2633Noun - Genitive Feminine Singularwas gloriousδόξαG1391Noun - Nominative Feminine Singularhow muchπολλῷG4183Adjective - Dative Neuter SingularmoreμᾶλλονG3123Adverb. . .περισσεύειG4052Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingulargloriousδόξῃG1391Noun - Dative Feminine Singular{is} theG3588Article - Nominative Feminine SingularministryδιακονίαG1248Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular-τῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine Singularof righteousnessδικαιοσύνηςG1343Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Verse 10

Original words

IndeedκαὶG2532Conjunction. . .γὰρG1063ConjunctionwhatτὸG3588Article - Nominative Neuter Singularwas once gloriousδεδοξασμένονG1392Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Neuter SingularvvvοὐG3756Adverbhas no glory nowδεδόξασταιG1392Verb - Perfect Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person SingularinἐνG1722Preposition-τούτῳG3778Demonstrative Pronoun - Dative Neuter Singular-τῷG3588Article - Dative Neuter Singularcomparison toμέρειG3313Noun - Dative Neuter Singular. . .εἵνεκενG1752PrepositiontheτῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine Singularglory [that]δόξηςG1391Noun - Genitive Feminine Singularsurpasses [it]ὑπερβαλλούσηςG5235Verb - Present Participle Active - Genitive Feminine Singular
Verse 11

Original words

ForγὰρG1063ConjunctionifεἰG1487ConjunctionwhatτὸG3588Article - Nominative Neuter Singularwas fading awayκαταργούμενονG2673Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Neuter Singular[came] withδιὰG1223PrepositiongloryδόξηςG1391Noun - Genitive Feminine Singularhow much greaterπολλῷG4183Adjective - Dative Neuter Singular. . .μᾶλλονG3123Adverb[is the]ἐνG1722PrepositiongloryδόξῃG1391Noun - Dative Feminine Singularof that whichτὸG3588Article - Nominative Neuter SingularenduresμένονG3306Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Neuter Singular
Verse 12

Original words

ThereforeοὖνG3767Conjunctionsince we haveἜχοντεςG2192Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine PluralsuchτοιαύτηνG5108Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Feminine Singulara hopeἐλπίδαG1680Noun - Accusative Feminine Singularwe areχρώμεθαG5530Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 1st Person PluralveryπολλῇG4183Adjective - Dative Feminine SingularboldπαρρησίᾳG3954Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Verse 13

Original words

[We are]καὶG2532ConjunctionnotοὐG3756AdverblikeκαθάπερG2509AdverbMosesΜωϋσῆςG3475Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular[who] would putἐτίθειG5087Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singulara veilκάλυμμαG2571Noun - Accusative Neuter SingularoverἐπὶG1909PrepositionhisαὐτοῦG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular-τὸG3588Article - Accusative Neuter SingularfaceπρόσωπονG4383Noun - Accusative Neuter Singularto keepπρὸςG4314PrepositiontheτοὺςG3588Article - Accusative Masculine PluralvvvυἱοὺςG5207Noun - Accusative Masculine PluralIsraelitesἸσραὴλG2474Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular[from]μὴG3361Adverb-τὸG3588Article - Accusative Neuter SingulargazingἀτενίσαιG816Verb - Aorist Infinitive ActiveatεἰςG1519PrepositiontheτὸG3588Article - Accusative Neuter SingularendτέλοςG5056Noun - Accusative Neuter Singularof whatτοῦG3588Article - Genitive Neuter Singularwas fading awayκαταργουμένουG2673Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Genitive Neuter Singular
Verse 14

Original words

ButἈλλὰG235ConjunctiontheirαὐτῶνG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural-τὰG3588Article - Nominative Neuter PluralmindsνοήματαG3540Noun - Nominative Neuter Pluralwere closedἐπωρώθηG4456Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person SingularForγὰρG1063ConjunctiontoἄχριG891Preposition-τῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine Singular[this]σήμερονG4594AdverbdayἡμέραςG2250Noun - Genitive Feminine SingulartheτὸG3588Article - Nominative Neuter SingularsameαὐτὸG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative Neuter 3rd Person SingularveilκάλυμμαG2571Noun - Nominative Neuter SingularremainsμένειG3306Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularatἐπὶG1909PrepositiontheτῇG3588Article - Dative Feminine SingularreadingἀναγνώσειG320Noun - Dative Feminine Singularof theτῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingularoldπαλαιᾶςG3820Adjective - Genitive Feminine SingularcovenantδιαθήκηςG1242Noun - Genitive Feminine SingularvvvμὴG3361AdverbIt has not been liftedἀνακαλυπτόμενονG343Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Neuter Singular[because] onlyὅτιG3754ConjunctioninἐνG1722PrepositionChristΧριστῷG5547Noun - Dative Masculine Singularcan it be removedκαταργεῖταιG2673Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Verse 15

Original words

And evenἀλλ’G235ConjunctiontoἕωςG2193Prepositionthis dayσήμερονG4594AdverbwhenἡνίκαG2259Adverb. . .ἂνG302ParticleMosesΜωϋσῆςG3475Noun - Nominative Masculine Singularis readἀναγινώσκηταιG314Verb - Present Subjunctive Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singulara veilκάλυμμαG2571Noun - Nominative Neuter SingularcoversκεῖταιG2749Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular. . .ἐπὶG1909PrepositiontheirαὐτῶνG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural-τὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine SingularheartsκαρδίανG2588Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Verse 16

Original words

ButδὲG1161ConjunctionwheneverἡνίκαG2259Adverb. . .ἐὰνG1437Conjunction[anyone] turnsἐπιστρέψῃG1994Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person SingulartoπρὸςG4314Preposition[the] LordΚύριονG2962Noun - Accusative Masculine SingulartheτὸG3588Article - Nominative Neuter SingularveilκάλυμμαG2571Noun - Nominative Neuter Singularis taken awayπεριαιρεῖταιG4014Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Verse 17

Original words

NowδὲG1161ConjunctiontheG3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularLordΚύριοςG2962Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularisἐστινG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingulartheτὸG3588Article - Nominative Neuter SingularSpiritΠνεῦμάG4151Noun - Nominative Neuter SingularandδὲG1161ConjunctionwhereοὗG3757AdverbtheτὸG3588Article - Nominative Neuter SingularSpiritΠνεῦμαG4151Noun - Nominative Neuter Singularof [the] Lord [is]ΚυρίουG2962Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular[there is] freedomἐλευθερίαG1657Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Verse 18

Original words

AndδὲG1161Conjunctionwe, [who]ἡμεῖςG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person Pluralwith unveiledἀνακεκαλυμμένῳG343Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Dative Neuter SingularfacesπροσώπῳG4383Noun - Dative Neuter SingularallπάντεςG3956Adjective - Nominative Masculine PluralreflectκατοπτριζόμενοιG2734Verb - Present Participle Middle - Nominative Masculine PluraltheτὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine SingulargloryδόξανG1391Noun - Accusative Feminine Singularof [the] LordΚυρίουG2962Noun - Genitive Masculine Singularare being transformed intoμεταμορφούμεθαG3339Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 1st Person Plural-τὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine Singular[His]αὐτὴνG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Feminine 3rd Person SingularimageεἰκόναG1504Noun - Accusative Feminine SingularvvvἀπὸG575PrepositionvvvδόξηςG1391Noun - Genitive Feminine SingularvvvεἰςG1519Prepositionwith intensifying gloryδόξανG1391Noun - Accusative Feminine Singularwhich comesκαθάπερG2509AdverbfromἀπὸG575Preposition[the] LordΚυρίουG2962Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular[who is the] SpiritΠνεύματοςG4151Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.