2COR 10:4 Parallel View

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Key: yellow:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, orange:accusative/object, pink:genitive/possessor, cyan:dative/indirect object, red:negative.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT For the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly, but are powerful to God for the tearing down of strongholds, tearing down strategies

UST In fact, what we use to defend ourselves is not what humans normally use. Rather, God empowers what we use to defend ourselves so that we can defeat what other people powerfully argue.

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

BLB For the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly, but divinely powerful toward the demolition of strongholds,

AICNT for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but powerful for God for the demolition of strongholds, destroying reasonings[fn]

10:4, reasonings: Or sophistries. That is, thoughts and sentiments. In this context “sophistries,” is an appropriate meaning (BDAG). Later manuscripts include “destroying reasonings” at the beginning of verse 5.

OEB The weapons for our warfare are not earthly, but, under God, are powerful enough to pull down strongholds.

WEB for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the throwing down of strongholds,

MSG ^(3-6)The world is unprincipled. It’s dog-eat-dog out there! The world doesn’t fight fair. But we don’t live or fight our battles that way—never have and never will. The tools of our trade aren’t for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity.

NET for the weapons of our warfare are not human weapons, but are made powerful by God for tearing down strongholds. We tear down arguments

LSV for the weapons of our warfare [are] not fleshly, but powerful to God for bringing down of strongholds,

FBV Our weapons are not of this world but God's mighty power that destroys fortresses of human thinking, demolishing misleading theories.

TCNT For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but are powerful in God for tearing down strongholds.

T4T I will tell you what I mean by that: Just like soldiers use various weapons to fight their enemies [MET], I ◄fight against/oppose► those who oppose God’s message, but I do it in a different way. I do not use human arguments and clever/sweet talk, like unbelievers do. Instead, I fight against my opponents with the powerful means that God has given me. With that power I destroy their arguments against God’s message and against me, just like soldiers destroy [MET] the fortresses of their enemies.

LEB for the weapons of our warfare are not merely human, but powerful to God for the tearing down of fortresses, tearing down arguments

BBE (For the arms with which we are fighting are not those of the flesh, but are strong before God for the destruction of high places);

MOF No MOF 2COR book available

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

DRA For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty to God unto the pulling down of fortifications, destroying counsels,

YLT for the weapons of our warfare [are] not fleshly, but powerful to God for bringing down of strongholds,

DBY For the arms of our warfare [are] not fleshly, but powerful according to [fn]God to [the] overthrow of strongholds;

10.4 Elohim

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

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

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

BB For the weapons of our warfare are not carnall, but myghtie through God, to cast downe strong holdes,
(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnall, but mightie through God, to cast down strong holdes,)

GNV (For the weapons of our warrefare are not carnall, but mightie through God, to cast downe holdes)
((For the weapons of our warrefare are not carnall, but mighty through God, to cast down holdes) )

CB For the wapens of oure warre are not fleshly, but mightie before God to cast downe stroge holdes,
(For the wapens of our war are not fleshly, but mighty before God to cast down stroge holdes,)

TNT For the weapes of oure warre are not carnall thinges but thynges myghty in god to cast doune stronge holdes
(For the weapes of our war are not carnal things but things mighty in god to cast down stronge holdes )

WYC For the armuris of oure knyythod ben not fleischli, but myyti bi God to the distruccioun of strengthis. And we distrien counsels,
(For the armuris of our knyythod been not fleshli, but myyti by God to the distruccioun of strengthis. And we distrien counsels,)

LUT Denn die Waffen unserer Ritterschaft sind nicht fleischlich, sondern mächtig vor GOtt, zu zerstören die Befestungen,
(Because the Waffen unserer Ritterschaft are not fleischlich, rather mächtig before/in_front_of God, to zerstören the Befestungen,)

CLV Nam arma militiæ nostræ non carnalia sunt, sed potentia Deo ad destructionem munitionum, consilia destruentes,[fn]
(Nam arma militiæ nostræ not/no carnalia are, but potentia Deo to destructionem munitionum, consilia destruentes,)

10.4 Ad destructionem munitionum. Ut destruantur consilia diversis calliditatibus hominum seu dæmonum munita. Munitiones, etc. Munitiones sunt corda infidelium, quæ diabolus obtinet, et munit diversis erroribus, ne verbum Dei possit intrare per fidem, vel per similitudinem munitionum. Et ad hæc devincendum valeant arma militiæ Apostoli, et ostendit munitionis illius partes, scilicet, consilia.

10.4 Ad destructionem munitionum. Ut destruantur consilia diversis calliditatibus hominum seu dæmonum munita. Munitiones, etc. Munitiones are corda infidelium, which diabolus obtinet, and munit diversis erroribus, ne verbum Dei possit intrare per fidem, or per similitudinem munitionum. And to this devincendum valeant arma militiæ Apostoli, and ostendit munitionis illius partes, scilicet, consilia.

UGNT τὰ γὰρ ὅπλα τῆς στρατείας ἡμῶν οὐ σαρκικὰ, ἀλλὰ δυνατὰ τῷ Θεῷ πρὸς καθαίρεσιν ὀχυρωμάτων, λογισμοὺς καθαιροῦντες,
(ta gar hopla taʸs strateias haʸmōn ou sarkika, alla dunata tōi Theōi pros kathairesin oⱪurōmatōn, logismous kathairountes,)

SBL-GNT τὰ γὰρ ὅπλα τῆς στρατείας ἡμῶν οὐ σαρκικὰ ἀλλὰ δυνατὰ τῷ θεῷ πρὸς καθαίρεσιν ὀχυρωμάτων— λογισμοὺς καθαιροῦντες
(ta gar hopla taʸs strateias haʸmōn ou sarkika alla dunata tōi theōi pros kathairesin oⱪurōmatōn— logismous kathairountes )

TC-GNT τὰ γὰρ ὅπλα τῆς στρατείας ἡμῶν οὐ σαρκικά, ἀλλὰ δυνατὰ τῷ Θεῷ πρὸς καθαίρεσιν ὀχυρωμάτων—
(ta gar hopla taʸs strateias haʸmōn ou sarkika, alla dunata tōi Theōi pros kathairesin oⱪurōmatōn— )

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs, red:words differ (from our SR-GNT base).

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-words-phrases

γὰρ

for

Here, the word For introduces a further explanation of what Paul said in the previous verse (10:3) about waging war not according to the flesh. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a different word or phrase that introduces further explanation, or you could leave For untranslated. Alternate translation: “Indeed,”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / exmetaphor

τὰ & ὅπλα τῆς στρατείας ἡμῶν οὐ σαρκικὰ, ἀλλὰ δυνατὰ τῷ Θεῷ πρὸς καθαίρεσιν ὀχυρωμάτων, λογισμοὺς καθαιροῦντες

the & weapons ˱of˲_the warfare ˱of˲_us_‹are› not fleshly but powerful ¬the ˱to˲_God to /the/_tearing_down ˱of˲_strongholds arguments taking_down

Here, just as in 10:3, Paul speaks as if he and his fellow workers were involved in warfare. In this verse, he specifically speaks about their weapons and about their enemies’ strongholds. He defines the strongholds as strategies or arguments against him and the gospel. Paul means by this that God empowers him and his fellow workers to prove that these arguments are false. Paul does not mean that they are physically fighting against people or destroying physical strongholds. Preserve the metaphor if it is clear in your language or express the idea with a simile. Alternate translation: “what we use to defend ourselves are like weapons of warfare that are not fleshly but are powerful to God for overcoming strategies and arguments, which are like strongholds” or “we do not fight with fleshly weapons but with arguments that are powerful to God for the defeating of powerful enemies and strategies”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

τὰ & ὅπλα τῆς στρατείας ἡμῶν

the & weapons ˱of˲_the warfare ˱of˲_us_‹are›

Here, Paul is using the possessive form to describe weapons that are used to fight in warfare. If this is not clear in your language, you could use a different form. Alternate translation: “our weapons for fighting” or “the weapons with which we wage war”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

τῆς στρατείας ἡμῶν

˱of˲_the warfare ˱of˲_us_‹are›

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of warfare, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: “with which we fight” or “we use to wage war”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

σαρκικὰ

fleshly

Here, fleshly represents what is natural and human as opposed to what is spiritual and godly. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression from your language or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “not according to natural human wisdom”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

δυνατὰ τῷ Θεῷ

powerful ¬the ˱to˲_God

Here, the phrase powerful to God indicates that the weapons are powerful because God makes them powerful. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea in another way. Alternate translation: “are made powerful by God” or “have God’s power”

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / doublet

πρὸς καθαίρεσιν ὀχυρωμάτων, λογισμοὺς καθαιροῦντες,

to /the/_tearing_down ˱of˲_strongholds arguments taking_down

The phrases the tearing down of strongholds and tearing down strategies mean similar things. Paul is using the two phrases together for emphasis, with the the second phrase defining the first phrase. If it would be clearer for your readers, you could express the emphasis with a single phrase. Alternate translation: “for the tearing down of powerful strategies”

Parallel 2COR 10:4