2 Corinthians 5:4 kjv
For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.
2 Corinthians 5:4 nkjv
For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life.
2 Corinthians 5:4 niv
For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.
2 Corinthians 5:4 esv
For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened ? not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.
2 Corinthians 5:4 nlt
While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it's not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life.
2 Corinthians 5 4 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Cor 5:1 | For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved... | Our body as a temporary dwelling |
| 2 Pet 1:13 | Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle... | Peter's body as a temporary tent |
| Heb 11:9-10 | ...dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob... awaited a city with foundations | Faith's expectation of a permanent heavenly dwelling |
| Psa 39:12 | Hear my prayer, O LORD... for I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were. | Pilgrims on earth |
| Rom 8:22 | For we know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now. | Creation's suffering and longing |
| Rom 8:23 | And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves... | Believers' groaning for redemption |
| Php 1:23 | For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ... | Paul's personal longing for the Lord |
| Rom 7:24 | O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? | The burden of sin and mortality |
| 2 Cor 4:8 | We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair. | Living under constant pressure and suffering |
| Heb 12:1 | Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight... | Laying aside earthly burdens and sin |
| 1 Cor 15:53 | For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. | Transformation of mortal to immortal |
| 1 Cor 15:54 | So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. | Prophecy of death's ultimate defeat |
| Is 25:8 | He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces... | Prophetic vision of death overcome |
| Hos 13:14 | I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues... | God's triumph over death |
| Php 3:20-21 | For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body... | Transformation into a glorified body |
| Rom 8:11 | But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit... | The Spirit's power to quicken mortal bodies |
| Is 61:10 | I will greatly rejoice in the LORD... for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness... | Spiritual garments of salvation/righteousness |
| Zech 3:4-5 | ...Take away the filthy garments from him... Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. | Being reclothed with purity and new identity |
| Jn 11:25 | Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. | Jesus is the source of conquering life |
| Col 3:4 | When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. | Christ as the very source of our eternal life |
| Rev 21:4 | And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death... | Ultimate end of death and suffering |
| 2 Cor 5:17 | Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. | New creation in Christ |
| Tit 2:13 | Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. | The blessed hope of Christ's return and resurrection |
2 Corinthians 5 verses
2 Corinthians 5 4 Meaning
This verse articulates the believer's profound yearning for transformation. It describes our present earthly body as a temporary "tabernacle" within which we experience the difficulties of life, causing us to "groan" under its burden. This longing, however, is not a desire for the body's complete destruction, leaving us "unclothed" or disembodied, but rather an eager anticipation of being "clothed upon" with a new, glorified, spiritual body. The ultimate goal is for the perishable aspect of our being—"mortality"—to be completely absorbed and overwhelmed by the eternal, divine "life" of God, signifying victory over death.
2 Corinthians 5 4 Context
2 Corinthians 5:4 is situated within a broader discussion (2 Cor 5:1-10) where Paul contrasts our present, perishable earthly existence with the glorious, eternal future awaiting believers. Paul likens the mortal body to a temporary "tent" or "tabernacle" (σκῆνος - skēnos), highlighting its frailty and transient nature (2 Cor 5:1). This understanding naturally leads to a profound desire for something more permanent and enduring, referred to as our "house which is from heaven." The immediate preceding verses (2 Cor 5:2-3) explain that believers "groan" not out of a desire for pure disembodiment or spiritual nakedness, but rather to be "clothed upon" with this heavenly dwelling. This clarifies the longing as a yearning for resurrection and glorification, affirming the Christian hope in a new body, rather than simply shedding the old one. Historically, Paul addresses a Hellenistic culture where the body was sometimes viewed negatively, and release from it was the sole desire; Paul's teaching emphasizes a divinely designed bodily transformation, not just an escape.
2 Corinthians 5 4 Word analysis
For (γάρ - gar): Connective particle, indicates a reason or explanation, linking back to the "groaning" and longing mentioned in 2 Cor 5:2.
we (ἡμεῖς - hēmeis): Emphatic personal pronoun, referring to Paul and all believers.
that are in (ὄντες ἐν - ontes en): "Being in," describing the present condition and dwelling place.
this tabernacle (τῷ σκήνει τοῦτῳ - tō skēnei toutō): σκῆνος (skēnos - tent, booth, temporary dwelling). This vividly portrays the earthly body as transient, fragile, and not our permanent home, a stark contrast to a sturdy house (οἰκοδομή - oikodomē) in 2 Cor 5:1.
do groan (στενάζομεν - stenazomen): Present active indicative, "we groan," "we sigh deeply." Not mere complaining, but an intense yearning or deep aspiration often tied to distress and future hope (Rom 8:22-23).
being burdened (βαρούμενοι - baroumenoi): Present passive participle, "being weighed down," "oppressed," "heavily loaded." This conveys the sense of pressure, difficulties, and weakness inherent in mortal existence and its sufferings (2 Cor 4:8-12).
not for that we would be unclothed (οὐ θέλομεν ἐκδύσασθαι - ou thelomen ekdysasthai): "Not that we desire to strip off." ἐκδύσασθαι (ekdysasthai - to put off, divest, strip off) implies becoming completely disembodied or naked of a body. Paul rejects the notion that the ultimate hope is to become a disembodied spirit or for annihilation of being.
but clothed upon (ἀλλ᾽ ἐπενδύσασθαι - all' ependysasthai): "But rather to be clothed over." ἐπενδύσασθαι (ependysasthai - to put on a garment over another, to clothe upon) signifies the new, glorified body seamlessly covering or subsuming the present, mortal one. It’s a transformation, a covering of the old by the new, rather than simply removing the old.
that mortality (τὸ θνητόν - to thnēton): Neuter adjective used as noun, "the mortal part," "that which is subject to death." Refers specifically to the perishable aspect of the physical body.
might be swallowed up (καταποθῇ - katapothē): Aorist passive subjunctive, "might be completely absorbed," "consumed," "overwhelmed," "annihilated." This is a strong image of definitive victory, where mortality is not just replaced, but utterly vanquished (Echoes Is 25:8; 1 Cor 15:54).
of life (ἐκ τῆς ζωῆς - ek tēs zōēs): "By life" or "from life." ζωή (zōē - life, often denoting eternal, divine life, especially spiritual vitality). This "life" is the active agent that completely conquers and subsumes "mortality," portraying an ultimate triumph of imperishable existence.
"we that are in this tabernacle do groan": Emphasizes the universal experience of suffering and limitation within our temporary physical bodies, fueling a deeper spiritual longing.
"being burdened": Further explains the nature of the groaning, connecting it to the tangible difficulties, weaknesses, and constraints of our mortal existence.
"not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon": This is a critical distinction. It explicitly refutes the idea of simply shedding the body and desiring a purely disembodied state. Instead, it asserts the Christian hope of a complete bodily transformation, where the old is covered and transformed by the new, glorious, spiritual body, maintaining continuity of personhood.
"that mortality might be swallowed up of life": States the ultimate purpose and result of this desired transformation. It is the definitive defeat of death and everything perishable, totally absorbed and superseded by God's eternal, vivifying "life." This signifies triumph, immortality, and complete restoration.
2 Corinthians 5 4 Bonus section
The intense imagery of "mortality might be swallowed up of life" suggests a dramatic and total victory. This is not just replacement, but absorption and nullification of mortality's power. It underscores the ultimate and decisive triumph of God's new creation over all effects of sin and death. This hope has profound implications for how believers endure suffering; they know their trials are temporary, leading to a permanent, glorified state where death no longer has dominion. It reinforces the bodily nature of resurrection, which differentiates Christian hope from purely philosophical spiritualism. The "groaning" reflects a spiritual discontent with the fallen world and an anticipation of cosmic renewal, connecting the individual believer's experience with the groaning of creation itself (Rom 8:22-23).
2 Corinthians 5 4 Commentary
2 Corinthians 5:4 masterfully condenses the believer's eschatological hope: not merely escape from suffering, but radical transformation. Our present bodies are temporary dwellings, subjected to burden and decay, prompting a profound "groaning." This longing is not for annihilation or a purely disembodied spiritual existence (being "unclothed"), a concept distinct from some Hellenistic philosophical thought. Rather, Paul reveals the Christian yearning for resurrection—to be "clothed upon" with an imperishable, spiritual body that wholly absorbs our mortal state. This signifies the complete victory of God's eternal life over death, erasing every trace of perishability and suffering, ushering in full and unending life in Christ. It provides both comfort for present afflictions and a steadfast anchor for future hope.