God & Savior

2 Corinthians 4:18

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:18
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Study notes

We fix our eyes not on what is seen but on what is unseen, because what is seen is temporary and what is unseen is eternal.

Explanation

Paul explains how he does not lose heart (4:16). He looks beyond present troubles to what God has promised but cannot yet be seen.

Original language
  • σκοπούντων (skopountōn): to watch out
    Greek · Verb, present, active, participle, genitive, plural, masculine · Strong's G4648 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Looking at, focusing on.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, 2 Corinthians 4:18, word 2

  • βλεπόμενα (blepomena): to see
    Greek · Verb, present, passive, participle, accusative, plural, neuter · Strong's G0991 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Being seen.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, 2 Corinthians 4:18, word 5

  • πρόσκαιρα (proskaira): temporary
    Greek · Adjective, nominative, plural, neuter · Strong's G4340 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Temporary.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, 2 Corinthians 4:18, word 13

  • αἰώνια (aiōnia): eternal
    Greek · Adjective, nominative, plural, neuter · Strong's G0166 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Eternal.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, 2 Corinthians 4:18, word 18

Cross-references
Sources

Original language and places

Reference data from open datasets, shown as published by their sources. Word-by-word English is a literal guide, not a translation.

Original language (Greek)

μὴ σκοπούντων ἡμῶν τὰ βλεπόμενα ἀλλὰ τὰ μὴ βλεπόμενα· τὰ γὰρ βλεπόμενα πρόσκαιρα, τὰ δὲ μὴ βλεπόμενα αἰώνια.

  1. μὴmē“not”
    Particle, negative · from μή · “not” · Strong's G3361
  2. σκοπούντωνskopountōn“are looking at”
    Verb, present, active, participle, genitive, plural, masculine · from σκοπέω · “to watch out” · Strong's G4648
  3. ἡμῶνhēmōn“we”
    Personal pronoun, 1st person, genitive, plural · from ἐγώ · “I/we” · Strong's G3165
  4. τὰta“the [things]”
    Article, accusative, plural, neuter · from ὁ · “the/this/who” · Strong's G3588
  5. βλεπόμεναblepomena“being seen”
    Verb, present, passive, participle, accusative, plural, neuter · from βλέπω · “to see” · Strong's G0991
  6. ἀλλὰalla“but”
    Conjunction · from ἀλλά · “but” · Strong's G0235
  7. τὰta“the [things]”
    Article, accusative, plural, neuter · from ὁ · “the/this/who” · Strong's G3588
  8. μὴmē“not”
    Particle, negative · from μή · “not” · Strong's G3361
  9. βλεπόμενα·blepomena“being seen;”
    Verb, present, passive, participle, accusative, plural, neuter · from βλέπω · “to see” · Strong's G0991
  10. τὰta“The [things]”
    Article, nominative, plural, neuter · from ὁ · “the/this/who” · Strong's G3588
  11. γὰρgar“for”
    Conjunction · from γάρ · “for” · Strong's G1063
  12. βλεπόμεναblepomena“being seen [are]”
    Verb, present, passive, participle, nominative, plural, neuter · from βλέπω · “to see” · Strong's G0991
  13. πρόσκαιρα,proskaira“temporary,”
    Adjective, nominative, plural, neuter · from πρόσκαιρος · “temporary” · Strong's G4340
  14. τὰta“the [things]”
    Article, nominative, plural, neuter · from ὁ · “the/this/who” · Strong's G3588
  15. δὲde“however”
    Conjunction · from δέ · “but/and” · Strong's G1161
  16. μὴmē“not”
    Particle, negative · from μή · “not” · Strong's G3361
  17. βλεπόμεναblepomena“being seen”
    Verb, present, passive, participle, nominative, plural, neuter · from βλέπω · “to see” · Strong's G0991
  18. αἰώνια.aiōnia“[are] eternal.”
    Adjective, nominative, plural, neuter · from αἰώνιος · “eternal” · Strong's G0166
  • Prepared by the God & Savior team. Not yet reviewed by an editor.
  • Greek words: STEP Bible (STEPBible.org), based on work at Tyndale House, Cambridge. CC BY 4.0. Source (version ed476a8)