2 Corinthians 7:4
in 2 Corinthians 7Great is my confidence in you; great is my pride in you; I am filled with encouragement; in all our troubles my joy overflows.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying on your behalf: I am filled with comfort, I overflow with joy in all our affliction.
KJV
Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.
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This verse in 2 Corinthians 7
Commentary
12 notes on this verseGreat is my boldness of speech - He seems to refer to the manner in which he spoke of them to others. Great is my glorying of you - They had probably been very loving and affectionate previously to the time in which they were perverted by their false apostle. He therefore had boasted of them in all the Churches. I am filled with comfort - My affection for you has still the most powerful ascendancy in my soul. Here we may see the affection of the most tender father to his children.
This site's exposition
Make room for us in your hearts
on 2 Corinthians 7:2-4
Make room for us in your hearts renews the appeal of 6:11 through 13. Three denials answer charges his rivals had evidently pressed: we have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one.
This site's exposition
my joy overflows
Albert Barnes reads the verse as softening the charge of 6:12 that their affection was restrained. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown trace the comfort to the report of Titus in verses 6 and 7. The joy comes before the story that explains it.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
Paul is confident because of the way the Corinthians responded to his reproof in the first letter. The fact that they did not take it badly has given him the confidence to admonish them again. He also says that he has been consoled by this …
A commentator
Methodius of OlympusMethodius Oration Concerning Simeon and Anna · Written before 311.
proposed
Let the earth also cause compassion to spring up to its inhabitants; for I am filled with comfort; I am exceeding joyful since I have seen Thee, the Saviour of men.
"Great is my boldness of speech towards you." 'Therefore I venture upon such things,' he says, 'not to condemn you by what I say, but out of my great boldness of speech,' which also farther signifying, he said, "Great is my glorying on your behalf." 'For think not indeed,' he saith, 'that because I thus speak, I speak as though I had condemned you altogether; (for I am exceedingly proud of, and glory in, you;) but both out of tender concern and a desire that you should make greater increase unto virtue.' And so he said to the Hebrews also after much rebuke; "But we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak: and we desire that each one of you may show the same diligence to the fullness of hope even to the end." (Hebrews 6:9, 11) So indeed here also, "Great is my glorying on your behalf." 'We glory to others of you,' he says. Seest thou what genuine comfort he has given? 'And,' he saith, 'I do not simply glory, but also, greatly.' Accordingly he added these words; "I am filled with comfort." What comfort? 'That coming from you; because that ye, having been reformed, comforted me by your conduct.' This is the test of one that loveth, both to complain of not being loved and to fear lest he should inflict pain by complaining immoderately. Therefore he says, "I am filled with comfort, I overflow with joy." 'But these expressions,' saith one, 'seem to contradict the former.' They do not do so, however, but are even exceedingly in harmony with them. For these procure for the former a favorable reception; and the praise which they convey makes the benefit of those rebukes more genuine, by quietly abstracting what was painful in them. Wherefore he uses these expressions, but with great genuineness and earnestness. […]
The Medieval Church2 voices
Having given an admonition derived from what went before, the Apostle now gives his commendation. In regard to this he does two things: first, he commends them, secondly, he explains it (v. 5). He commends them by showing his love, which springs from the good …
It would seem that he offended them by saying "you are restricted in your own hearts" and "make room for us." Therefore now he both justifies himself and heals them, saying: I said this not in order to condemn you, but out of my great …
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
An he adds it was his great affection to them that made him use such boldness or freedom of speech towards them, and caused him to glory, or make his boast of them, in all places, and upon all occasions, being filled with comfort, and exceedingly joyful in all their tribulations.
Great is my boldness of speech towards you,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
boldness of speech--(compare 2Co 6:11). glorying of you--Not only do I speak with unreserved openness to you, but I glory (boast) greatly to others in your behalf, in speaking of you. filled with comfort--at the report of Titus (2Co 7:6, 7, 9, 13;
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
Great is my boldness of speech toward you - This verse seems designed to soften the apparent harshness of what he had said 2Co 6:12, when he intimated that there was a lack of love in them toward him (Bloomfield), as well as to refer to the plainness which he had used all along in his letters to them. He says, therefore, that he speaks freely; he speaks as a friend; he speaks with the utmost openness and frankness; he conceals nothing from them. He speaks freely of their faults, and he speaks freely of his love to them; and he as frankly commends them and praises them. It is the open, undisguised language of a friend, when he throws open his whole soul and conceals nothing. Great is my glorying of you - I have great occasion to commend and praise you, and I do it freely. He refers here to the fact that he had boasted of their liberality in regard to the proposed collection for the poor saints of Judea 2Co 9:4; that he had formerly boasted much of them to Titus, and of their readiness to obey his commands 2Co 7:14; and that now he had had abundant evidence, by what he had heard from Titus (verses 5ff), that they were disposed to yield to his commands, and obey his injunctions. He had probably often had occasion to boast of their favorable regard for him. I am filled with comfort - That is, by the evidence which I have received of your readiness to obey me. I am exceeding joyful - I am overjoyed. The word used here occurs nowhere else in the New Testament except in Rom 5:20. It is not found in the classic writers; and is a word which Paul evidently compounded (from ὑπὲρ huper and περισσεύω perisseuō), and means to superabound over, to superabound greatly, or exceedingly. It is a word which would be used only when the heart was full, and when it would be difficult to find words to express its conceptions. […]
The words behind it
21 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| πολλή | polle | Great [is] | G4183 → | 367 times |
| μοι | moi | my | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| παρρησία | parresia | boldness | G3954 → | |
| πρὸς | pros | toward | G4314 → | 700 times |
| ὑμᾶς, | humas | you, | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| πολλή | polle | great | G4183 → | 367 times |
| μοι | moi | my | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| καύχησις | kauchesis | boasting | G2746 → | 11 times |
| ὑπὲρ | huper | on behalf of | G5228 → | 155 times |
| ὑμῶν· | humon | you; | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| πεπλήρωμαι | pepleromai | I have been filled | G4137 → | |
| τῇ | tea | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| παρακλήσει, | paraklesei | with encouragement, | G3874 → | 29 times |
| ὑπερπερισσεύομαι | huperperisseuomai | I overabound | G5248 → | |
| τῇ | tea | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| χαρᾷ | chara | with joy | G5479 → | 58 times |
| ἐπὶ | epi | upon | G1909 → | 883 times |
| πάσῃ | pase | all | G3956 → | 1235 times |
| τῇ | tea | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θλίψει | thlipsei | affliction | G2347 → | 44 times |
| ἡμῶν. | hemon | of us. | G3165 → | 1936 times |
πολλήGreat [is]
polleG4183 →367 times
μοιmy
moiG3165 →1936 times
παρρησίαboldness
parresiaG3954 →
πρὸςtoward
prosG4314 →700 times
ὑμᾶς,you,
humasG4771 →2973 times
πολλήgreat
polleG4183 →367 times
μοιmy
moiG3165 →1936 times
καύχησιςboasting
kauchesisG2746 →11 times
ὑπὲρon behalf of
huperG5228 →155 times
ὑμῶν·you;
humonG4771 →2973 times
πεπλήρωμαιI have been filled
pepleromaiG4137 →
τῇ<the>
teaG3588 →19766 times
παρακλήσει,with encouragement,
parakleseiG3874 →29 times
ὑπερπερισσεύομαιI overabound
huperperisseuomaiG5248 →
τῇ<the>
teaG3588 →19766 times
χαρᾷwith joy
charaG5479 →58 times
ἐπὶupon
epiG1909 →883 times
πάσῃall
paseG3956 →1235 times
τῇthe
teaG3588 →19766 times
θλίψειaffliction
thlipseiG2347 →44 times
ἡμῶν.of us.
hemonG3165 →1936 times
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
James 1:2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds,
it leads to
- James 1:12
Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Corinthians 12:9–10
But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Peter 1:6–8
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in various trials
- Matthew 5:10–12
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
- Luke 6:22–23
Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil because of the Son of Man.
- James 1:12
Through
Romans 5:3Not only that, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;
it leads to
- James 1:2–3
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds,
- 1 Peter 3:14
But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear what they fear; do not be shaken.”
- James 1:2–3
Through
2 Corinthians 1:4who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.
it leads to
- 1 Thessalonians 5:11
Therefore encourage and build one another up, just as you are already doing.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:11
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 2 Corinthians
This page draws on 12 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Second Epistle to the Corinthians; 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 Chrysostom, Homily 14 on 2 Corinthians; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Methodius of Olympus, Methodius Oration Concerning Simeon and Anna; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 2 Corinthians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on 2 Corinthians.