Bible Strands
2 Corinthians 6:17
“Therefore come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Paul addresses the Corinthian believers, citing a string of Old Testament texts (Isaiah 52:11, 2:6; Exodus 6:7; 2 Samuel 7:14) to press separation from unbelievers as a logical consequence of their identity as God's temple (v. 16).
The words — ἀφορισθητε (aphoristhēte), aorist passive imperative of ἀφορίζω, carries the force of "be set apart, be marked off" — a word of deliberate, visible distinction, not mere avoidance.
The thread — The verse quotes Isaiah 52:11 almost verbatim; Revelation 18:4 reissues the "come out" command to a church facing Babylon, and 2 Corinthians 7:1 turns the same promise into a call to self-purification.
Why it lands — It pairs a command ("come out," "be separate," "touch no unclean thing") with a promise ("I will receive you"), making separation a condition of relationship rather than a penalty, and demanding a concrete, active decision rather than passive drift.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
Cross-references
- Isaiah 52:11 Depart, depart, go out from there! Touch no unclean thing; come out from it, purify yourselves, you who carry the vessels of the LORD.
- Revelation 18:4 Then I heard another voice from heaven say: “Come out of her, My people, so that you will not share in her sins or contract any of her plagues.
- 2 Corinthians 7:1 Therefore, beloved, since we have these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that defiles body and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
- Psalms 1:1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or set foot on the path of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers.
- Numbers 16:26 And he warned the congregation, “Move away now from the tents of these wicked men. Do not touch anything that belongs to them, or you will be swept away because of all their sins.”
- Ezra 10:11 Now, therefore, make a confession to the LORD, the God of your fathers, and do His will. Separate yourselves from the people of the land and from your foreign wives.”
- Proverbs 9:6 Leave your folly behind, and you will live; walk in the way of understanding.”
- Acts 2:40 With many other words he testified, and he urged them, “Be saved from this corrupt generation.”
- Jeremiah 51:6 Flee from Babylon! Escape with your lives! Do not be destroyed in her punishment. For this is the time of the LORD’s vengeance; He will pay her what she deserves.
- John 6:37 Everyone the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will never drive away.