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2 Corinthians 9:4

in 2 Corinthians 9

Otherwise, if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we—to say nothing of you—would be ashamed of having been so confident.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

lest by any means, if there come with me any of Macedonia and find you unprepared, we (that we say not, ye) should be put to shame in this confidence.

KJV

Lest haply if they of Macedonia come with me, and find you unprepared, we (that we say not, ye) should be ashamed in this same confident boasting.

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This verse in 2 Corinthians 9

Commentary

12 notes on this verse

A commentator

Theophylact of Ohrid

Commentary on 2 Corinthians · Written before 1107.

Again he returns to the same subject and expresses his concern with greater force, persuading them with human considerations. For there is greater shame when one is disgraced before the faces of strangers. Perhaps, he says, you are counting on me as someone familiar to …

This site's exposition

I am sending the brothers

on 2 Corinthians 9:3-5

Paul sends the brothers so that our boasting about you in this matter should not prove empty. Verse 5 calls the promised gift eulogia, blessing, the same term behind verse 6.

This site's exposition

find you unprepared

The shame Paul fears would fall on both sides. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown read his aside as tact, since the Corinthians would feel the shame for themselves more than Paul would. John Chrysostom notes that Paul says only that Macedonians may come, so the warning would not seem staged.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers2 voices

A commentator

Ambrosiaster

COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES · Written before 384.

proposed

It is obvious that if Paul arrives and finds that the Corinthians are not what they have been expected to be, he will be chagrined and they will feel even more frustrated.

A commentator

John Chrysostom

Homily 19 on 2 Corinthians · Written before 407.

proposed

"Lest by any means if there come with me any from Macedonia, we, (that we say not ye,) should be put to shame in this confidence." The shame is greater when the spectators he has arrayed against them are many, even those same persons who had heard his boasting. And he did not say, 'for I am bringing with me Macedonians;' 'for there are Macedonians coming with me;' lest he should seem to do it on purpose; but how said he? "Lest by any means, if there come with me any from Macedonia?" 'For this may happen,' he says, 'it is matter of possibility.' For thus he also made what he said unsuspected, but had he expressed himself in that other way, he would have even made them the more contentious. See how he leads them on, not from spiritual motives only, but from human ones as well. 'For,' says he, 'though you make no great account of me, and reckon confidently on my excusing you, yet think of them of Macedonia,' "lest by any means, if they come and find you;" and he did not say 'unwillingly,' but "unprepared," not having got all completed. But if this be a disgrace, not to contribute quickly; consider how great it were to contribute either not at all, or less than behoved. Then he lays down what would thereupon follow, in terms at once gentle and pungent, thus saying, "We, (that we say not ye,) should be put to shame." And he tempers it again, saying, "in this confidence" not as making them more listless, but as showing that they who were approved in all other respects, ought in this one also to have great fearlessness.

The Medieval Church1 voice

A commentator

Thomas Aquinas

Commentary on 2 Corinthians · Written before 1274.

proposed

Secondly, when he says, so that you may be ready, as I said you would be, he urges them to give in the proper way. First, he urges them to give readily; secondly, that they may give abundantly (v. 5); thirdly, that they may give …

The Reformation1 voice

A commentator

John Calvin

1509–1564

Commentaries (1554)

In this confidence The Greek term being hupostasis the Old Interpreter has rendered it substantiam, (substance.) Erasmus renders it argumentum, (subject-matter,) but neither is suitable.

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

), and proceeds to give directions about the acceptable way and manner of performing it, namely, bountifully, deliberately, and freely; and gives good encouragement for so doing,

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens

4 more voices on this verse

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

13 Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men; 14 And by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you.

quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture

Lest haply if they of Macedonia come with me,....

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

Lest haply if they of Macedonia - If any of the Macedonians should happen to come with me, and should find that you had done nothing. He does not say that they would come with him, but it was by no means improbable that they would. It was customary for some of the members of the churches to travel with Paul from place to place, and the conversation was constant between Macedonia and Achaia. Paul had, therefore, every reason to suppose that some of the Macedonians would accompany him when he should go to Corinth.

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

if they of Macedonia--rather as Greek, "if Macedonians." unprepared--with your collection; see 2Co 9:2, "ready," Greek, "prepared." we, not to say ye--Ye would naturally feel more ashamed for yourselves, than we (who boasted of you) would for you. confident boasting--The oldest manuscripts read simply "confidence," namely, in your liberality.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase

The words behind it

21 Greek words

Every Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

8 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Hebrews 11:1Now faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see.19 worksPhilippians 1:6being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.14 works2 Corinthians 11:17In this confident boasting of mine, I am not speaking as the Lord would, but as a fool.3 works2 Corinthians 8:1Now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the churches of Macedonia.3 worksRomans 15:26For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem.2 works2 Corinthians 9:2For I know your eagerness to help, and I have been boasting to the Macedonians that since last year you in Achaia were prepared to give. And your zeal has stirred most of them to do likewise.2 works
The other 2 cross-references, with their words ▾
2 Corinthians 8:24In full view of the churches, then, show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our boasting about you.2 works2 Thessalonians 1:4That is why we boast among God’s churches about your perseverance and faith in the face of all the persecution and affliction you are enduring.2 works

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    2 Corinthians 9:2

    For I know your eagerness to help, and I have been boasting to the Macedonians that since last year you in Achaia were prepared to give. And your zeal has stirred most of them…

    it leads to

    • 2 Corinthians 8:8

      I am not making a demand, but I am testing the sincerity of your love in comparison to the earnestness of others.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • 2 Corinthians 8:10

      And this is my opinion about what is helpful for you in this matter: Last year you were the first not only to give, but even to have such a desire.

  • Through

    2 Corinthians 11:17

    In this confident boasting of mine, I am not speaking as the Lord would, but as a fool.

    it leads to

    • 1 Corinthians 7:12

      To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If a brother has an unbelieving wife and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her.

  • Through

    Romans 15:26

    For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem.

    it leads to

    • 2 Corinthians 8:1–9

      Now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the churches of Macedonia.

    • Acts 11:27–30

      In those days some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.

    • 2 Corinthians 9:2

      For I know your eagerness to help, and I have been boasting to the Macedonians that since last year you in Achaia were prepared to give. And your zeal has stirred most of them…

  • Through

    2 Corinthians 8:24

    In full view of the churches, then, show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our boasting about you.

    it leads to

    • 2 Corinthians 7:14

      Indeed, I was not embarrassed by anything I had boasted to him about you. But just as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting to Titus has proved to be true…

    • 2 Corinthians 7:4

      Great is my confidence in you; great is my pride in you; I am filled with encouragement; in all our troubles my joy overflows.

Where this verse is studied

About 2 Corinthians

The Apostle Paul in Prison, Rembrandt, 1627. Public domain.
The Apostle Paul in Prison, Rembrandt, 1627. Public domain.
2 Corinthians: the study guide →Read 2 Corinthians 9 →
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works

This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrosiaster, COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES; Frederic Godet, Commentary on the Epistles to the Corinthians; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentaries; John Chrysostom, Homily 19 on 2 Corinthians; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 2 Corinthians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on 2 Corinthians.

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