2 Corinthians 4:7

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

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

📖 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

Referenced Verses

• 2 Cor 5:1 : 1 For we know that if the earthly house of our tabernacle be dissolved, 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 account anything as from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God; 6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of a new covenant; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
• Eph 2:8-9 : 8 for by grace have ye been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, [it is] the gift of God; 9 not of works, that no man should glory.
• Lam 4:2 : 2 The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, How are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!
• 1 Cor 1:28 : 28 and the base things of the world, and the things that are despised, did God choose, [yea] and the things that are not, that he might bring to nought the things that are:
• Col 2:3 : 3 in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden.
• 1 Thess 1:5 : 5 how that our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and [in] much assurance; even as ye know what manner of men we showed ourselves toward you for your sake.
• Col 1:27 : 27 to whom God was pleased to 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 the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to that working of the strength of his might 20 which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly [places],
• Eph 2:5 : 5 even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace have ye been saved),
• 2 Cor 4:1 : 1 Therefore seeing we have this ministry, even as we obtained mercy, we faint not:
• 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 strong; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account.
• 2 Cor 12:7-9 : 7 And by reason of the exceeding greatness of the revelations, that I should not be exalted overmuch, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, that I should not be exalted overmuch. 8 Concerning this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 9 And he hath said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for [my] power is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
• 2 Cor 13:4 : 4 for {G2532} he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth through the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him through the power of God toward you.
• Gal 4:13-14 : 13 but ye know that because of an infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you the first time: 14 and that which was a temptation to you in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but ye received me as an angel of God, [even] as Christ Jesus.
• 1 Cor 2:3-5 : 3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching were not in persuasive words of {G442} wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: 5 that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
• 1 Cor 4:9-9 : 9 For, I think, {G3754} God hath set forth us the apostles last of all, as men doomed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, both to angels and men. 10 We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye have glory, but we have dishonor. 11 Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling-place; 12 and we toil, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; 13 being defamed, we entreat: we are made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things, even until now.
• Matt 13:44 : 44 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a treasure hidden in the field; which a man found, and hid; and in his joy he goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.
• Matt 13:52 : 52 And he said unto them, Therefore every scribe who hath been made a disciple to the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a householder, who bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.
• Judg 7:2 : 2 And Jehovah said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.
• Judg 7:13-14 : 13 And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man telling a dream unto his fellow; and he said, Behold, I dreamed a dream; and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian, and came unto the tent, and smote it so that it fell, and turned it upside down, so that the tent lay flat. 14 And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: into his hand God hath delivered Midian, and all the host.
• Judg 7:16-20 : 16 And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put into the hands of all of them trumpets, and empty pitchers, with torches within the pitchers. 17 And he said unto them, Look on me, and do likewise: and, behold, when I come to the outermost part of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall ye do. 18 When I blow the trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, For Jehovah and for Gideon. 19 So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outermost part of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch, when they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and brake in pieces the pitchers that were in their hands. 20 And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the torches in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands wherewith to blow; and they cried, The sword of Jehovah and of Gideon.
• 2 Tim 2:20 : 20 Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some unto honor, and some unto dishonor.
• Col 2:12 : 12 having been buried with him in baptism, wherein {G1722} ye were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.
• Eph 3:8 : 8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, was this grace given, to preach unto the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
• Job 4:19 : 19 How much more them that dwell in houses of clay, Whose foundation is in the dust, Who are crushed before the moth!
• Job 10:9 : 9 Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast fashioned me as clay; And wilt thou bring me into dust again?