Groaning in the Tent: Verbal Tensions in 2 Corinthians 5:4

καὶ γὰρ οἱ ὄντες ἐν τῷ σκήνει στενάζομεν, βαρούμενοι ἐφ’ ᾧ οὐ θέλομεν ἐκδύσασθαι, ἀλλ’ ἐπενδύσασθαι, ἵνα καταποθῇ τὸ θνητὸν ὑπὸ τῆς ζωῆς. (2 Corinthians 5:4)

For indeed we who are in the tent groan, being burdened—not that we want to be unclothed, but to be further clothed, so that the mortal may be swallowed up by life.

Six Verbs of Mortal Longing

This densely packed verse describes the Christian’s yearning for resurrection glory through six Greek verbs. They capture existential pressure, hope, and eschatological transformation. These verbs are:

• ὄντες — present participle, “being”
• στενάζομεν — present indicative, “we groan”
• βαρούμενοι — present participle, “being burdened”
• θέλομεν — present indicative, “we want” (with a negation)
• ἐκδύσασθαι — aorist middle infinitive, “to be unclothed”
• ἐπενδύσασθαι — aorist middle infinitive, “to be clothed over”
• καταποθῇ — aorist passive subjunctive, “might be swallowed up”

Grammatical Dissection of the Verbs

Verb Tenses and Theology in Motion

– Present tense verbs describe our current human condition: we are groaning, burdened, and desiring something more.
– Aorist infinitives convey decisive acts: either being unclothed (death) or clothed over (resurrection).
– The aorist passive subjunctive καταποθῇ expresses divine intent—that the mortal might be swallowed up by life itself.

Voice as Inner Perspective

– Middle voice in the infinitives suggests personal, reflective involvement—we are participants in the putting off or putting on.
– Passive voice in καταποθῇ signals that this swallowing up is not our doing—it is a divine act upon us.

What the Verb Meant to Say

This verse is not a mere description of mortality—it’s a morphology of hope. From ongoing groaning to the final swallowing up of death, the Greek verbs embody a tension between present suffering and future transformation. Grammar gives shape to longing, and tense gives voice to the eternal.