Attributed commentary excerpt
John Gill's Exposition on 2 Corinthians 3:7
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
But if the ministration of death, etc..] The apostle having observed the difference between the law and the Gospel, the one being a killing letter, the other a quickening spirit, enlarges upon it, and more, fully explains it; and proceeds to take notice of other things in which they differ; and to show the superior glory and excellency of the one to the other; for that by “the ministration of death”, he means the law, as delivered to Moses on Mount Sinai, is clear from its being said to be written and engraven in stones; as that was by the finger of God himself: rightly does the apostle say, that it was both “written” and “engraven”; for the two tables of the law are expressly said to be written with the finger of God, (<023118>Exodus 31:18) meaning either the Spirit of God, who is sometimes so called, (<421120>Luke 11:20) compared with (<401228>Matthew 12:28) or the power of God, which at once caused this writing to exist; and it is in so many words affirmed, that “the writing” was “the writing of God”; and not of man, nor of any creature, no not of an angel, (<023216>Exodus 32:16) yea, even the two tables which were hewn out by Moses, after the first were broken, were written upon by the Lord himself, and not Moses, (<023401>Exodus 34:1). So that as the work of the tables was the work of God, and wonderfully made, the form of the letters, as Abarbinel f22 observes, were miraculously made by him; for this law was, en grammasi, “in letters”, as the apostle here says; and as it was written in the Hebrew language, very likely it was in the same form of letters now in use with the Jews; though some have thought that the Samaritan letters are the original ones: moreover, the law was not only written, but “engraved”; for so it is said, that the writing was graven upon the tables, (<023216>Exodus 32:16) and though the word so rendered is no where else used but there, it is rightly rendered graven, as appears by the apostle in this place; and which may lie confirmed by the Targumist on that, who renders it by qyqj, “engraven”; and by the Septuagint kekolammenh, which signifies the same; and so in the book of Zohar f23, the letters are said to be wpylgta, “engraven” on the tables: and that the tables were tables of stone, it is certain; they are often so called, (<022412>Exodus 24:12 31:18 34:1 <050909>Deuteronomy 9:9,10 10:1) wherefore the apostle very properly says, that the law was engraven “in stones”; but what stones these tables were made of cannot be said; the Jews, who affect to know everything, will have them to be precious stones, but what they were they are not agreed in; for though they generally say f24 they were made of the sapphire stone, and sometimes say f25 they were hewed out of the sapphire of the glorious throne of God; yet at other times they call them marble tables f26; and Aben Ezra f27 was of opinion, that the tables which Moses hewed were not of any precious stone, for he asks where should a precious stone of such size be found? though others pretend to say f28, that Moses in a miraculous manner was shown a sapphire quarry in the midst of his tent, out of which he cut and hewed the stones; but very likely they were common ones; however, certain it is, that the tables of stone, as written and engraven by the Lord himself, were made, as the apostle here says, “in glory”, egenhye en doxh; and so Jarchi on (<023216>Exodus 32:16) “and the tables were the work of God”, says, this is to be understood literally wdwbkbw, “an…
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