2 Corinthians 4:7

KJV1611 – Modern English

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God, and not of us.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Ἔχομεν δὲ τὸν θησαυρὸν τοῦτον ἐν ὀστρακίνοις σκεύεσιν, ἵνα ἡ ὑπερβολὴ τῆς δυνάμεως ᾖ τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ μὴ ἐξ ἡμῶν.

Transliteration

Echomen de ton thēsauron touton en ostrakinois skeuesin, that the hyperbolē tēs dynameōs ē tou Theou, and not from us.

Grammar Details

• *Echomen*: present active indicative, 1st person plural - we have
• *de*: postpositive conjunction - but/and/now
• *thēsauron*: accusative masculine singular - treasure
• *touton*: demonstrative pronoun, accusative masculine singular - this
• *en*: preposition + dative - in
• *ostrakinois*: dative neuter plural adjective - earthen/clay
• *skeuesin*: dative neuter plural - vessels/containers
• *hyperbolē*: nominative feminine singular - excellence/surpassing greatness
• *dynameōs*: genitive feminine singular - power/might
• *ē*: present subjunctive, 3rd person singular - may be
• *tou Theou*: genitive masculine singular - of God
• *ex*: preposition + genitive - from/out of
• *hēmōn*: genitive, 1st person plural pronoun - of us

Word Meanings

• *thēsauron*: treasure/wealth/valuable thing
• *ostrakinois*: earthen/made of clay/fragile
• *skeuesin*: vessels/containers/jars
• *hyperbolē*: excellence/surpassing greatness/exceeding
• *dynameōs*: power/might/strength/ability

Other Translations

• Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

  But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  But{G1161} we have{G2192} this{G5126} treasure{G2344} in{G1722} earthen{G3749} vessels,{G4632} that{G2443} the exceeding greatness{G5236} of the power{G1411} may be{G5600} of God,{G2316} and{G2532} not{G3361} from{G1537} ourselves;{G2257}

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  But{G1161} we have{G2192}{(G5719)} this{G5126} treasure{G2344} in{G1722} earthen{G3749} vessels{G4632}, that{G2443} the excellency{G5236} of the power{G1411} may be{G5600}{(G5753)} of God{G2316}, and{G2532} not{G3361} of{G1537} us{G2257}.

• Tyndale Bible (1526/1534)

  But we have this treasure in erthe vessels that ye excellent power of it myght appere to be of God and not of vs.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  But this treasure haue we in earthen vessels, that ye power which excelleth might be of God, and not of vs.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  But we haue this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellencie of that power might be of God, and not of vs.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  But we haue this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellencie of the power be Gods, and not ours.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  But we have this treasure in clay vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God, and not from ourselves.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  And we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us;

• American Standard Version (1901)

  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God, and not from ourselves;

• American Standard Version (1901)

  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God, and not from ourselves;

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  But we have this wealth in vessels of earth, so that it may be seen that the power comes not from us but from God;

• World English Bible (2000)

  But we have this treasure in clay vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God, and not from ourselves.

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  An Eternal Weight of Glory But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that the extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.

Referenced Verses

• 2 Cor 5:1 : 1 For we know that if our earthly body, this tabernacle, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
• 2 Cor 3:5-6 : 5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God, 6 Who also made us able ministers of the new covenant; not of the letter, but of the Spirit: for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
• Eph 2:8-9 : 8 For by grace you are saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
• Lam 4:2 : 2 The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they regarded as clay pots, the work of the hands of the potter!
• 1 Cor 1:28 : 28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, God has chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are:
• Col 2:3 : 3 In whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
• 1 Thess 1:5 : 5 For our gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power, in the Holy Spirit, and in full conviction; as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.
• Col 1:27 : 27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
• Eph 1:19-20 : 19 And what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power, 20 Which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,
• Eph 2:5 : 5 Even when we were dead in sins, made us alive together with Christ, (by grace you are saved;)
• 2 Cor 4:1 : 1 Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart;
• 2 Cor 6:10 : 10 As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.
• 2 Cor 10:10 : 10 For his letters, they say, are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.
• 2 Cor 12:7-9 : 7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 8 For this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times, that it might depart from me. 9 And He said to me, My grace is sufficient for you; for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
• 2 Cor 13:4 : 4 For though He was crucified through weakness, yet He lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God toward you.
• Gal 4:13-14 : 13 You know that because of physical infirmity I preached the gospel to you at the first. 14 And my trial which was in my flesh you did not despise or reject, but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.
• 1 Cor 2:3-5 : 3 And I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
• 1 Cor 4:9-9 : 9 For I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last, as men condemned to death; for we have been made a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. 10 We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are honored, but we are despised. 11 Even to this present hour we both hunger and thirst, and we are poorly clothed, and beaten, and homeless. 12 And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure it. 13 Being defamed, we entreat. We have been made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now.
• Matt 13:44 : 44 The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.
• Matt 13:52 : 52 He said to them, Therefore every teacher of the law who is instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.
• Judg 7:2 : 2 And the LORD said to Gideon, The people with you are too many for me to hand the Midianites over to you, lest Israel boast against me, saying, My own hand has saved me.
• Judg 7:13-14 : 13 And when Gideon came, behold, there was a man telling a dream to his friend; and he said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the Midianite camp, and came to a tent, and struck it that it fell, and overturned it, so that the tent lay flat. 14 And his friend answered and said, This is nothing else but the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel; for God has delivered Midian and all the army into his hand.
• Judg 7:16-20 : 16 And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet in every man's hand, with empty pitchers and lamps inside the pitchers. 17 And he said to them, Look at me, and do likewise. Behold, when I come to the outside of the camp, as I do, so shall you do. 18 When I blow the trumpet, I and all who are with me, then blow your trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, The sword of the LORD and of Gideon. 19 So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outside of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, and they had just set the watch, and they blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers that were in their hands. 20 And the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands to blow with, and they cried, The sword of the LORD and of Gideon.
• 2 Tim 2:20 : 20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor.
• Col 2:12 : 12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also you are raised with him through the faith of the working of God, who has raised him from the dead.
• Eph 3:8 : 8 To me, who am less than the least of all saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
• Job 4:19 : 19 How much less in those who dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed before the moth?
• Job 10:9 : 9 Remember, I beseech You, that You have made me as the clay; and will You bring me into dust again?