2 Corinthians 10:10
in 2 Corinthians 10For some say, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but his physical presence is unimpressive, and his speaking is of no account.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For, His letters, they say, are weighty and strong; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account.
KJV
For his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.
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This verse in 2 Corinthians 10
Commentary
9 notes on this verseFor they, namely, the false apostles, say that his letters, namely, Paul's, are weighty, i.e., punishing harshly and severely, and strong, i.e., without fear, but his bodily presence is not such, for it is weak, i.e., feeble and humble, and his speech, namely, his preaching …
This site's exposition
terrify you by letters
on 2 Corinthians 10:9-11
That I may not seem as if I would terrify you by letters. For his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible: Paul quotes the accusation directly, and the bench reads the charge as a real physical and rhetorical criticism, Paul unimpressive in person against orators trained in the sophistic style Corinth prized. Let such an one think this, that, such as we are in word by letters when we are absent, such will we be also in deed when we are present: he answers not by denying the description but by promising consistency, the letter's force will match the visit's force, and the commentators note this as a warning aimed at the specific offenders rather than the whole church.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"But that I may not seem as if I would terrify you: for his letters, say they, are weighty and strong: but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account. Let such a one reckon this, that what we are in word by letters when we are absent, such are we also in deed when we are present." What he says is this: 'I could boast indeed, but that they may not say the same things again, to wit, that I boast in my letters, and am contemptible when present, I will say nothing great.' And yet afterwards he did say something great, but not about this power by which he was formidable, but about revelations and at greater lengths about trials. 'Therefore, that I may not seem to be terrifying you, "let such an one reckon this, that what we are by letters when we are absent, such are we also in deed when we are present."' For since they said, 'he writes great things of himself, but when he is present he is worthy of no consideration,' therefore he says these things, and those again in a moderated form. For he did not say, 'as we write great things, so when we are present we also do great things,' but in more subdued phrase. For when he addressed himself to the others indeed, he stated it with vehemency, saying, "I beseech you that I may not when present show courage with the confidence wherewith I think to be bold against some:" but when to these, he is more subdued. And therefore he says, 'what we are when present, such too when absent, that is, lowly, modest, no where boasting. And it is plain from what follows.
The Medieval Church1 voice
As he is in words, so also in deed: I could boast, but do not think that I am frightening you with epistles, as my slanderers say: "he boasts in his epistles and sends threatening letters, but in personal presence he is insignificant and is …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
But the apostle declares he did not intend to frighten those who were obedient, nor did he write any thing in his letters that he was not able to make good by deeds against the disobedient; and he would have his adversaries know this (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
For his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
For his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful - He boasts of high powers, and that he can do great things. See on 2Co 10:1-2 (note). But his bodily presence is weak - When you behold the man, you find him a feeble, contemptible mortal; and when ye hear him speak, his speech, ὁ λογος, probably, his doctrine, εξουθενημενος, is good for nothing; his person, matter, and manner, are altogether uninteresting, unimpressive, and too contemptible to be valued by the wise and the learned. This seems to be the spirit and design of this slander.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
letters--implying that there had been already more letters of Paul received by the Corinthians than the one we have, namely, First Corinthians; and that they contained strong reproofs. say they--Greek, "says one," "such a one" (2Co 10:11) seems to point to some definite individual. Compare Ga 5:10; a similar slanderer was in the Galatian Church. weak-- (2Co 12:7;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase+unbalanced-parens
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
For his letters - The letters which he has sent to the church when absent. Reference is had here probably to the First Epistle to the Corinthians. They might also have seen some of Paul’s other epistles, and been so well acquainted with them as to he able to make the general remark that he had the power of writing in an authoritative and impressive manner. Say they - Margin, “Said he.” Greek (φησὶν phēsin) in the singular. This seems to have referred to some one person who had uttered the words - perhaps some one who was the principal leader of the faction opposed to Paul. Are weighty and powerful - Tyndale renders this: “Sore and strong.” The Greek is, “heavy and strong” (βαρεῖαι καὶ ἰσχυραί bareiai kai ischurai. The sense is, that his letters were energetic and powerful. They abounded with strong argument, manly appeals, and impressive reproof. This even his enemies were compelled to admit, and this no one can deny who ever read them. Paul’s letters comprise a considerable portion of the New Testament; and some of the most important doctrines of the New Testament are those which are advocated and enforced by him; and his letters have done more to give shape to the theological doctrines of the Christian world than any other cause whatever. He wrote 14 epistles to churches and individuals on various occasions and on a great variety of topics; and his letters soon rose into very high repute among even the inspired ministers of the New Testament (see 2Pe 3:15, 2Pe 3:16), and were regarded as inculcating the most important doctrines of religion. The general characteristics of Paul’s letters are: (1) They are strongly argumentative. […]
The words behind it
18 Greek wordsEvery 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.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ὅτι | hoti | For | G3754 → | 1292 times |
| αἱ | hai | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἐπιστολαὶ | epistolai | letters | G1992 → | 24 times |
| μέν | men | indeed | G3303 → | 176 times |
| φησιν | phesin | they say | G5346 → | |
| βαρεῖαι | bareiai | [are] weighty | G926 → | |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἰσχυραί, | ischurai | strong, | G2478 → | |
| ἡ | he | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δὲ | de | however | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| παρουσία | parousia | the presence | G3952 → | 24 times |
| τοῦ | tou | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| σώματος | somatos | body | G4983 → | 142 times |
| ἀσθενὴς | asthenes | weak | G772 → | |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ὁ | ho | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| λόγος | logos | speech | G3056 → | 329 times |
| ἐξουθενημένος. | exouthenemenos | ignored. | G1848 → |
ὅτιFor
hotiG3754 →1292 times
αἱthe
haiG3588 →19766 times
ἐπιστολαὶletters
epistolaiG1992 →24 times
μένindeed
menG3303 →176 times
φησινthey say
phesinG5346 →
βαρεῖαι[are] weighty
bareiaiG926 →
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἰσχυραί,strong,
ischuraiG2478 →
ἡ<the>
heG3588 →19766 times
δὲhowever
deG1161 →2765 times
παρουσίαthe presence
parousiaG3952 →24 times
τοῦof the
touG3588 →19766 times
σώματοςbody
somatosG4983 →142 times
ἀσθενὴςweak
asthenesG772 →
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ὁthe
hoG3588 →19766 times
λόγοςspeech
logosG3056 →329 times
ἐξουθενημένος.ignored.
exouthenemenosG1848 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach 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
1 Corinthians 1:17For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with words of wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 2:1
When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.
- 1 Corinthians 2:13
And this is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.
- 2 Peter 1:16
For we did not follow cleverly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty.
- 1 Corinthians 2:1
Through
Exodus 4:10“Please, Lord,” Moses replied, “I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since You have spoken to Your servant, for I am slow of speech and tongue.”
it leads to
- Exodus 6:12
But in the LORD’s presence Moses replied, “If the Israelites will not listen to me, then why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I am unskilled in speech?”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Jeremiah 1:6
“Ah, Lord GOD,” I said, “I surely do not know how to speak, for I am only a child!”
- Exodus 6:12
Through
Jeremiah 1:6“Ah, Lord GOD,” I said, “I surely do not know how to speak, for I am only a child!”
it leads to
- Exodus 4:10–16
“Please, Lord,” Moses replied, “I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since You have spoken to Your servant, for I am slow of speech and tongue.”
- Exodus 4:10–16
Through
2 Corinthians 11:6Although I am not a polished speaker, I am certainly not lacking in knowledge. We have made this clear to you in every way possible.
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 1:17
For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with words of wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
- Ephesians 3:4
In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,
- 1 Corinthians 1:17
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About 2 Corinthians
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Frederic Godet, Commentary on the Epistles to the Corinthians; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily 22 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.