2 Corinthians 6:17
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
2 Corinthians 6:17 in other translations
| BSB | “Therefore come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” |
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| WEB | Therefore “‘Come out from among them, and be separate,’ says the Lord. ‘Touch no unclean thing. I will receive you. |
| ASV | Wherefore Come ye out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, And touch no unclean thing; And I will receive you, |
| YLT | wherefore, come ye forth out of the midst of them, and be separated, saith the Lord, and an unclean thing do not touch, and I--I will receive you, |
| DARBY | Wherefore come out from the midst of them, and be separated, saith the Lord, and touch not what is unclean, and I will receive you; |
| BBE | For which cause, Come out from among them, and be separate, says the Lord, and let no unclean thing come near you; and I will take you for myself, |
| Webster | Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you; |
What does 2 Corinthians 6:17 mean?
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain
Barnes' Notes
Come out from among them. That is, from among idolaters and unbelievers; from a gay and vicious world. These words are taken, by a slight change, from Isa 52:11. They are there applied to the Jews in Babylon, and are a solemn call which God makes on them to leave the place of their exile, to come out from among the idolaters of that city, and return to their own land. Isa 52:11. Babylon, in the Scriptures, is the emblem of whatever is proud, arrogant, wicked, and opposed to God; and Paul, therefore, applies the words here with great beauty and force to illustrate the duty of Christians in separating themselves from a vain, idolatrous, and wicked world.
And be ye separate. Separate from the world, and all its corrupting influences.
Saith the Lord. See Isa 52:11. Paul does not use this language as if it had original reference to Christians, but he applies it as containing an important principle that was applicable to the case which he was considering, or as language that would appropriately express the idea which he wished to convey. The language of the Old Testament is often used in this manner by the writers of the New.
And touch not the unclean thing. In Isaiah, "touch no unclean thing;" that is, they were to be pure, and to have no connexion with idolatry in any of its forms. So Christians were to avoid all unholy contact with a vain and polluted world. The sense is, "Have no close connexion with an idolater, or an unholy person. Be pure; and feel that you belong to a community that is under its own laws, and that is to be distinguished in moral purity from all the rest of the world."
And I will receive you. That is, I will receive and recognize you as my friends and my adopted children. This could not be done until they were separated from an idolatrous and wicked world. The fact of their being received by God, and recognized as his children, depended on their coming out from the world. These words, with the verse following, though used evidently somewhat in the form of a quotation, yet are not to be found in any single place in the Old Testament. In 2Sam 7:14, God says of Solomon, "I will be his Father, and he shall be my son." In Jer 31:9, God says, "For I am a Father to Israel, and Ephraim is my first-born." It is probable that Paul had such passages in his eye, yet he doubtless designed rather to express the general sense of the promises of the Old Testament than to quote any single passage. Or why may it not be that we should regard Paul here himself as speaking as an inspired man directly, and making a promise then first communicated immediately from the Lord? Paul was inspired as well as the prophets; and it may be that he meant to communicate a promise directly from God. Grotius supposes that it was not taken from any particular place in the Old Testament, but was a part of a hymn that was in use among the Hebrews.
(c) "come out from" Isa 52:11, 2Cor 7:1, Rev 18:4
Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain
Adam Clarke's Commentary
Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 2 Corinthians 6:11-18
It is wrong for believers to join with the wicked and profane. The word unbeliever applies to all destitute of true faith. True pastors will caution their beloved children in the gospel, not to be unequally yoked. The fatal effects of neglecting Scripture precepts as to marriages clearly appear. Instead of a help meet, the union brings a snare. Those whose cross it is to be unequally united, without their wilful…
2 Corinthians 6:17 in the original Greek
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Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).
Cross references for 2 Corinthians 6:17
- Isaiah 52:11
Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord.
- Revelation 18:4
And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
- 2 Corinthians 7:1
Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
- Psalms 1:1-3
Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
- Numbers 16:26
And he spake unto the congregation, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye be consumed in all their sins.
- Ezra 10:11
Now therefore make confession unto the Lord God of your fathers, and do his pleasure: and separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from the strange wives.
- Proverbs 9:6
Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.
- Acts 2:40
And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.
- Jeremiah 51:6
Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul: be not cut off in her iniquity; for this is the time of the Lord’s vengeance; he will render unto her a recompence.
- John 6:37-38
All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
- Numbers 16:21
Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.
- Ezra 6:21
And the children of Israel, which were come again out of captivity, and all such as had separated themselves unto them from the filthiness of the heathen of the land, to seek the Lord God of Israel, did eat,
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Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Context
- 2 Corinthians 6:16
And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
- 2 Corinthians 6:17
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
- 2 Corinthians 6:18
And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
2 Corinthians 6:17 in other languages
| Spanish Reina-Valera 1909 | Por lo cual salid de en medio de ellos, y apartaos, dice el Señor, y no toquéis lo inmundo; y yo os recibiré, |
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| French Bible J.N. Darby 1885 | « C’est pourquoi sortez du milieu d’eux, et soyez séparés, dit le ✶Seigneur, et ne touchez pas à ce qui est impur, et moi, je vous recevrai »; |
| German Elberfelder 1871 | Darum gehet aus aus ihrer Mitte und sondert euch ab, spricht der Herr, und rühret Unreines nicht an, und ich werde euch aufnehmen; |
| Latin Clementine Vulgate | Propter quod exite de medio eorum, et separamini, dicit Dominus, et immundum ne tetigeritis: |