Through a Glass Darkly with

Through a glass darkly is part of a famous verse in the King James Version of the New Testament of the Bible in English.

1 Corinthians Chapter 13 Verse 12


For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face. Now I know in part; but then I shall know even as I am known.

St Paul is referring to how when living we can comprehend only a tiny amount of reality, as opposed to when we make it to the kingdom of heaven when we shall comprehend far more.

Thank you very much for your help, dlowan. Now I understand what the authors implied with the connotation in the subtitles. Have a good one.

Icl, needa bitta context ?

It's about subtitles in chapters of a book. The chapters talk about the limitations of human cognitions. dlowan's answer has perfectly solved my questions. Thank you for your attention.

Notatall Water. Wish couldabeen of some help, but so many other a2k'ers so much better educated than me

It is worth noting, too, that in addition to DLowan's explanation, at the time that King James commissioned his translation of the bible, the word glass meant a mirror. So the verse is saying not only that what we see of the world is dim, but it is also a reflection and not a direct view of reality.

From the New International version: For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror . . .

AND the mirrors seriously sucked back in biblical and Jacobean times.

It’s worth reading Epistle to the Corinthians in whole because so much metaphor in English assumes you know it....and it’s beautiful in the King James Version.

Actually, you’ll never really get a lot of classical English literature without really knowing that version of the bible and, at least, Greek mythology...that version of the bible is normally a set text in university English these days because it’s no longer a part of daily life

Thank you for your interpretation, which is very helpful to me too.