2 Corinthians 9:4 BSB

2 Corinthians 9:4

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

Parallel translations (2) ▾

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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Commentary

3 voices

Theophylact of Ohrid

Commentary on 2 Corinthians (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 …

The record, by era

The Reformation1 voice

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 Nineteenth Century1 voice

Albert Barnes

1798–1870

Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)

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.

Voices on this verse

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Original language & word study

21 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
μή	mē	lest	G3361 →
πως	pōs	perhaps	G4458 →
ἐὰν	ean	maybe	G1437 →
ἔλθωσιν	elthōsin	shall come	G2064 →
σὺν	sun	with	G4862 →
ἐμοὶ	emoi	me myself	G1473 →
Μακεδόνες	Makedones	Macedonians	G3110 →
καὶ	kai	and	G2532 →
εὕρωσιν	heurōsin	shall find	G2147 →
ὑμᾶς	humas	you	G4771 →
ἀπαρασκευάστους,	aparaskeuastous	unprepared,	G532 →
καταισχυνθῶμεν	kataischunthōmen	shall be put to shame	G2617 →
ἡμεῖς,	hēmeis	we ourselves —	G3165 →
ἵνα	ina	that	G2443 →
μὴ	mē	not	G3361 →
λέγω	legō	I may say	G3004 →
ὑμεῖς,	humeis	you yourselves —	G4771 →
ἐν	en	in	G1722 →
τῇ	tēa	<the>	G3588 →
ὑποστάσει	hupostasei	confidence	G5287 →
ταύτῃ	tautē	this	G3778 →

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
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…
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 independent 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.
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.
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.
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.

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About 2 Corinthians

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

2 Corinthians: the study guide →Read chapter 9 →The featured study →

Continue: 2 Corinthians 9 →

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