2 Corinthians 10:4 BSB

2 Corinthians 10:4

The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the world. Instead, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

(for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the casting down of strongholds);

KJV

(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

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Commentary

2 voices

John Gill

1697–1771

Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748)

For the weapons of our warfare,.... By "warfare" is here meant, not that which is common to all believers, who are enlisted as volunteers under the captain of their salvation, and fight his battles, and are more than conquerors through him; but what is peculiar to the ministers of the Gospel; and designs the ministerial function, or office, and the discharge of it. So the Levitical function, or the ministerial service of the Levites, is called העבדה צבא, "the warfare of the service", Num 8:

The record, by era

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible (1832)

The weapons of our warfare - The apostle often uses the metaphor of a warfare to represent the life and trials of a Christian minister. See Eph 6:10-17; 1Ti 1:18; 2Ti 2:3-5. Are not carnal - Here he refers to the means used by the false apostle in order to secure his party; he calumniated St. Paul, traduced the truth, preached false and licentious doctrines, and supported these with sophistical reasonings.

Voices on this verse

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Original language & word study

15 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
τὰ	ta	The	G3588 →
γὰρ	gar	for	G1063 →
ὅπλα	hopla	weapons	G3696 →
τῆς	tēs	of the	G3588 →
στρατείας	strateias	warfare	G4752 →
ἡμῶν	hēmōn	of us	G3165 →
οὐ	ou	[are] not	G3756 →
σαρκικὰ	sarkika	fleshly	G4559 →
ἀλλὰ	alla	but	G235 →
δυνατὰ	dunata	powerful	G1415 →
τῷ	tō	<the>	G3588 →
θεῷ	theō	divinely	G2316 →
πρὸς	pros	to	G4314 →
καθαίρεσιν	kathairesin	[the] demolition	G2506 →
ὀχυρωμάτων,	ochurōmatōn	of strongholds,	G3794 →

Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread: the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.

The walk

The walk8

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
Jeremiah 1:10
See, I have appointed you today over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and plant.”
leads to
- 2 Corinthians 10:4–5
  The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the world. Instead, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
  Reached by 2 independent paths from here.
- Jeremiah 31:28
  Just as I watched over them to uproot and tear down, to demolish, destroy, and bring disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant,” declares the LORD.
- Isaiah 44:26–28
  who confirms the message of His servant and fulfills the counsel of His messengers, who says of Jerusalem, ‘She will be inhabited,’ and of the cities of Judah, ‘They will be rebuilt, and I…
- Jeremiah 31:4–5
  Again I will build you, and you will be rebuilt, O Virgin Israel. Again you will take up your tambourines and go out in joyful dancing.
- Ezekiel 36:36
  Then the nations around you that remain will know that I, the LORD, have rebuilt what was destroyed, and I have replanted what was desolate. I, the LORD, have spoken, and I will do…
Through
1 Corinthians 2:5
so that your faith would not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.
leads to
- 2 Corinthians 4:7
  Now we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this surpassingly great power is from God and not from us.
- 2 Corinthians 12:9
  But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of…
Through
2 Corinthians 6:7
in truthful speech and in the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left;
leads to
- 2 Corinthians 4:2
  Instead, we have renounced secret and shameful ways. We do not practice deceit, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by open proclamation of the truth, we commend ourselves to…

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The Whole Armour

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The Crown of Thorns — Gustave Doré (engraving, public domain)

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01Commentary

The record, by era

Voices on this verse

02Original language & word study

03The walk

Where the connections lead

04Related verses

05Featured studies on this passage

06About 2 Corinthians

The record, by era

Where the connections lead

Commentary

Original language & word study

The walk

Related verses

Featured studies on this passage

About 2 Corinthians