2 Corinthians 2:16 BSB

2 Corinthians 2:16

To the one, we are an odor of death and demise; to the other, a fragrance that brings life. And who is qualified for such a task?

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

to the one a savor from death unto death; to the other a savor from life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?

KJV

To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?

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Commentary

3 voices

Theophylact of Ohrid

Commentary on 2 Corinthians (1107)

Since he said: "we are a fragrance even among those who are perishing," lest you think that those who perish are also pleasing and acceptable to God, he added the following: smelling this fragrance, some are saved, while others perish. Just as myrrh, they say, …

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

Those who are willingly ignorant, and wilfully obstinate, disrelish the gospel, as men dislike an ill savour, and therefore they are blinded and hardened by it: it stirs up their corruptions, and exasperates their spirits. They reject the gospel, to their ruin, even to spiritual and eternal death. (2.) Unto others the gospel is a savour of life unto life.

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

The Greek order puts prominently foremost the momentous and difficult task assigned to him, "For these things, who is sufficient?" He answers his own question (2Co 3:5, 6), "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God, who hath made us able (Greek, 'sufficient') ministers," &c.

Voices on this verse

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Original language & word study

19 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
οἷς	hois	to one	G3739 →
μὲν	men	indeed	G3303 →
ὀσμὴ	osmē	an odor	G3744 →
ἐκ	ek	from	G1537 →
θανάτου	thanatou	death	G2288 →
εἰς	eis	to	G1519 →
θάνατον,	thanaton	death,	G2288 →
οἷς	hois	to one	G3739 →
δὲ	de	however	G1161 →
ὀσμὴ	osmē	a fragrance	G3744 →
ἐκ	ek	from	G1537 →
ζωῆς	zōēs	life	G2222 →
εἰς	eis	to	G1519 →
ζωήν.	zōēn	life.	G2222 →
καὶ	kai	And	G2532 →
πρὸς	pros	for	G4314 →
ταῦτα	tauta	these things	G3778 →
τίς	tis	who [is]	G5101 →
ἱκανός;	hikanos	sufficient?	G2425 →

Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread: the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.

The walk

The walk8

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
1 Corinthians 15:10
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not in vain. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of…
leads to
- Philippians 4:13
  I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.
- 2 Corinthians 3:5
  Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim that anything comes from us, but our competence comes from God.
- Philippians 2:13
  For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose.
- Ephesians 3:7–8
  I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace, given me through the working of His power.
- Ephesians 2:7–8
  in order that in the coming ages He might display the surpassing riches of His grace, demonstrated by His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
Through
John 9:39
Then Jesus declared, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind may see and those who see may become blind.”
leads to
- John 3:19
  And this is the verdict: The Light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness rather than the Light because their deeds were evil.
Through
Luke 2:34
Then Simeon blessed them and said to His mother Mary: “Behold, this Child is appointed to cause the rise and fall of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken…
leads to
- 1 Corinthians 1:23
  but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,
- 1 Peter 2:7–8
  To you who believe, then, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,”

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About 2 Corinthians

The Crown of Thorns — Gustave Doré (engraving, public domain)

2 Corinthians: the study guide →Read chapter 2 →The featured study →

Continue: 2 Corinthians 2 →

01Commentary

The record, by era

Voices on this verse

02Original language & word study

03The walk

Where the connections lead

04Related verses

05Featured studies on this passage

06About 2 Corinthians

The record, by era

Where the connections lead

Commentary

Original language & word study

The walk

Related verses

Featured studies on this passage

About 2 Corinthians