2 Corinthians 5:1–8
Paul contrasts the earthly tent with an eternal house, and would rather be at home with the Lord
Study it word by word1For we know that if our earthly house of the tent is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal, in the heavens.
2For indeed in this tent we groan, longing to put on our dwelling that is from heaven,
3if indeed, having put it on, we will not be found naked.
4For indeed we who are in the tent groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to put on the other over it, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.
5And the one who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who gave us the down payment of the Spirit.
6So, always being of good courage and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord
7—for we walk by faith, not by sight—
8and we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
In its context
…
9Therefore we also make it our aim, whether at home or away, to be pleasing to him.
10For we all must be made manifest before the judgment seat of the Messiah, so that each one may receive the things done through the body, according to what he did, whether good or bad.
Its words in the original
- ΟἴδαμενOidamen· know
Know, understand; also see.
- ἐπίγειοςepigeios· earthly
Earthly, of the earth.
- οἰκίαoikia· house
House, home.
- σκήνουςskēnous· tent
Tent; used as an image of the present body, which does not last.
- καταλυθῇkatalythēi· tear down, destroy
Tear down, destroy; do away with a law. It can also mean to stop for the night, to lodge.
- οἰκοδομὴνoikodomēn· building
Building, structure; also building up.
- θεοῦtheou· God, god
God. In the plural or in another sense, "gods".
- ἔχομενechomen· have
Have, possess, hold.
- ἀχειροποίητονacheiropoiēton· not made by hands
Not made by human hands.
- αἰώνιονaiōnion· eternal
Eternal: belonging to God's age and without end.
- οὐρανοῖςouranois· heaven, sky
Heaven: the sky and, above all, the place of God. "The heavens" is sometimes a respectful way of saying "God".
- στενάζομενstenazomen· groan, sigh
Groan, sigh; complain.
- οἰκητήριονoikētērion· dwelling
Dwelling, the place where someone lives: in 2 Corinthians 5:2, the new body God gives; in Jude 1:6, the angels' own place.
- ἐπενδύσασθαιependysasthai· put on over
Put on clothing over other clothing; be clothed over.
- ἐπιποθοῦντεςepipothountes· long for
Long for, desire greatly.
- ἐνδυσάμενοιendysamenoi· put on, clothe
Dress, put on clothing; be clothed.
- γυμνοὶgymnoi· naked
Naked; also poorly clothed.
- εὑρεθησόμεθαheurethēsometha· find
Find; in the passive, turn out to be, be found to be so.
- ὄντεςontes· be
Be, exist.
- βαρούμενοιbaroumenoi· be heavy, weigh down
Weigh down, burden; in the passive, be heavy, be weighed down.
- θέλομενthelomen· want, wish
Want, wish, be willing.
- ἐκδύσασθαιekdysasthai· strip
Take off clothing, strip.
- καταποθῇkatapothēi· swallow, devour
Swallow, gulp down, devour; swallow up.
- θνητὸνthnēton· mortal
Mortal: subject to death.
- ζωῆςzōēs· life
Life; the true life that God gives.
- κατεργασάμενοςkatergasamenos· accomplish, produce, do
Bring about, accomplish, produce; also carry out or commit a deed.
- δοὺςdous· give
Give.
- ἀρραβῶναarrabōna· pledge, down payment
Pledge, down payment: an advance that guarantees full payment.
- πνεύματοςpneumatos· spirit, Spirit
Spirit; also wind and breath. With "holy", the Holy Spirit of God.
- ΘαρροῦντεςTharrountes· be confident, take courage
Be of good courage, be confident and unafraid; also be bold toward someone.
- πάντοτεpantote· always
Always.
- ἐνδημοῦντεςendēmountes· be at home
Be at home, live in one's own place; also be present.
- σώματιsōmati· body
Body.
- ἐκδημοῦμενekdēmoumen· be away from home
Be away from home, be absent or traveling far away.
- κυρίουkyriou· Lord, lord
Lord, master, owner. Said of God, the Lord; in Old Testament quotations it stands for the name YHWH.
- πίστεωςpisteōs· faith
Faith: firm trust in God; also faithfulness.
- περιπατοῦμενperipatoumen· walk
Walk; also live in a certain way.
- εἴδουςeidous· form
Form, appearance.
- εὐδοκοῦμενeudokoumen· be pleased
Be pleased with, delight in someone; also gladly decide.
- μᾶλλονmallon· more, rather
More, rather.