2 Corinthians 4:18
New International Version
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

New Living Translation
So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

English Standard Version
as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

Berean Standard Bible
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Berean Literal Bible
We are not looking at the things being seen, but the things not being seen. For the things being seen are temporary, but the things not being seen are eternal.

King James Bible
While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

New King James Version
while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

New American Standard Bible
while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

NASB 1995
while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

NASB 1977
while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Legacy Standard Bible
while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Amplified Bible
So we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are unseen; for the things which are visible are temporal [just brief and fleeting], but the things which are invisible are everlasting and imperishable.

Christian Standard Bible
So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

American Standard Version
while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
For we do not rejoice in those things that are seen, but in these things that are unseen. For things seen are time related, but those things that are unseen are eternal.

Contemporary English Version
Things that are seen don't last forever, but things that are not seen are eternal. This is why we keep our minds on the things that cannot be seen.

Douay-Rheims Bible
While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen, are temporal; but the things which are not seen, are eternal.

English Revised Version
while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
We don't look for things that can be seen but for things that can't be seen. Things that can be seen are only temporary. But things that can't be seen last forever.

Good News Translation
For we fix our attention, not on things that are seen, but on things that are unseen. What can be seen lasts only for a time, but what cannot be seen lasts forever.

International Standard Version
because we do not look for things that can be seen but for things that cannot be seen. For things that can be seen are temporary, but things that cannot be seen are eternal.

Literal Standard Version
we [are] not looking to the things seen, but to the things not seen; for the things seen [are] temporary, but the things not seen [are] continuous.

Majority Standard Bible
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

New American Bible
as we look not to what is seen but to what is unseen; for what is seen is transitory, but what is unseen is eternal.

NET Bible
because we are not looking at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen. For what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.

New Revised Standard Version
because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.

New Heart English Bible
while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are everlasting.

Webster's Bible Translation
While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Weymouth New Testament
while we look not at things seen, but things unseen; for things seen are temporary, but things unseen are eternal.

World English Bible
while we don’t look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Young's Literal Translation
we not looking to the things seen, but to the things not seen; for the things seen are temporary, but the things not seen are age-during.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Treasures in Jars of Clay
17For our light and momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory that is far beyond comparison. 18So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Cross References
Romans 8:24
For in this hope we were saved; but hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he can already see?

2 Corinthians 5:7
For we walk by faith, not by sight.

Hebrews 9:11
But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that have come, He went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made by hands and is not a part of this creation.

Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see.

Hebrews 11:13
All these people died in faith, without having received the things they were promised. However, they saw them and welcomed them from afar. And they acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.


Treasury of Scripture

While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

we.

2 Corinthians 5:7
(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

Romans 8:24,25
For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? …

Hebrews 11:1,25-27
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen…

for.

Matthew 25:46
And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

Leviticus 16:25,26
And the fat of the sin offering shall he burn upon the altar…

2 Thessalonians 2:16
Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,

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2 Corinthians 4
1. Paul declares how he has used all sincerity and diligence in preaching the gospel,
7. and how his troubles and persecutions did redound to the praise of God's power,
12. to the benefit of the church,
16. and to the apostle's own eternal glory.














(18) While we look not at the things which are seen.--The "while we look" is, according to the Greek idiom, the condition of what had been stated in the preceding verse. The "look" is that of one who contemplates this or that as the end or goal for which he strives. The "things that are seen" are, of course, all the incidents and circumstances of the present life; the "things that are not seen" (the very phrase of Hebrews 11:1) are the objects of faith, immortality, eternal life, the crown of righteousness, the beatific vision. These things are subject to no time-limits, and endure through all the ages of God's purposes. The others are but for a brief season, and then are as though they had not been. Striking as the words are, they find an echo in the words of a contemporary seeker after wisdom: "These things (the things which most men seek after)," says Seneca (Ep. lix.), "are but objects of the imagination, and present a show of being but for a time . . . Let us give our minds to the things which are eternal."

Verse 18. - While we look not at the things which are seen. The Greek suggests more of a reason, "Since we are not gazing at things visible" (see 2 Corinthians 5:7). Things which are not seen. The negative is the subjective negative. It expresses not only the fact that now these things are not seen, but that it is their nature to be unseen by the bodily eyes. Temporal. That is, temporary, transitory, phantasmal, a passing world; for which reason we do not fix our gaze or our aim upon it. But the things which are not seen are eternal The clause is important, as showing that eternity is not a mere extension of time, but a condition qualitatively different from time. The "things eternal" exist as much now as they will ever do. We are as much living in eternity now as we ever shall be. The only difference will be that we shall then see him who is now unseen, and realize the things which now are only visible to the eye of faith. This is one of the passages of St. Paul which finds a close parallel in Seneca ('Ep.,' 59). "Invisibilia non decipiunt" was, as Bishop Wordsworth tells us, the inscription put at the end of his garden arcade by Dr. Young, the poet.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
[So] we
ἡμῶν (hēmōn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Plural
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

fix our eyes
σκοπούντων (skopountōn)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 4648: To look at, regard attentively, take heed, beware, consider. From skopos; to take aim at, i.e. regard.

not
μὴ (mē)
Adverb
Strong's 3361: Not, lest. A primary particle of qualified negation; not, lest; also (whereas ou expects an affirmative one) whether.

on what
τὰ (ta)
Article - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

is seen,
βλεπόμενα (blepomena)
Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 991: (primarily physical), I look, see, perceive, discern. A primary verb; to look at.

but
ἀλλὰ (alla)
Conjunction
Strong's 235: But, except, however. Neuter plural of allos; properly, other things, i.e. contrariwise.

on what
τὰ (ta)
Article - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

is unseen.
βλεπόμενα (blepomena)
Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 991: (primarily physical), I look, see, perceive, discern. A primary verb; to look at.

For
γὰρ (gar)
Conjunction
Strong's 1063: For. A primary particle; properly, assigning a reason.

what
τὰ (ta)
Article - Nominative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

is seen
βλεπόμενα (blepomena)
Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Neuter Plural
Strong's 991: (primarily physical), I look, see, perceive, discern. A primary verb; to look at.

[is] temporary,
πρόσκαιρα (proskaira)
Adjective - Nominative Neuter Plural
Strong's 4340: For a season, temporary. From pros and kairos; for the occasion only, i.e. Temporary.

but
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

what
τὰ (ta)
Article - Nominative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

is unseen
βλεπόμενα (blepomena)
Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Neuter Plural
Strong's 991: (primarily physical), I look, see, perceive, discern. A primary verb; to look at.

[is] eternal.
αἰώνια (aiōnia)
Adjective - Nominative Neuter Plural
Strong's 166: From aion; perpetual.


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NT Letters: 2 Corinthians 4:18 While we don't look at the things (2 Cor. 2C iiC 2Cor ii cor iicor)
2 Corinthians 4:17
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