2 Corinthians 12

2 Corinthians · Chapter 12

2 Corinthians 12:16

1It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.2I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.3And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)4How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.5Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities.6For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me.7And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.8For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.9And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.10Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.11I am become a fool in glorying; ye have compelled me: for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I be nothing.12Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.13For what is it wherein ye were inferior to other churches, except it be that I myself was not burdensome to you? forgive me this wrong.14Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be burdensome to you: for I seek not yours, but you: for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children.15And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.16But be it so, I did not burden you: nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you with guile.17Did I make a gain of you by any of them whom I sent unto you?18I desired Titus, and with him I sent a brother. Did Titus make a gain of you? walked we not in the same spirit? walked we not in the same steps?19Again, think ye that we excuse ourselves unto you? we speak before God in Christ: but we do all things, dearly beloved, for your edifying.20For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not: lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults:21And lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and that I shall bewail many which have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
16But be it so, I did not burden you: nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you with guile.Be that as it may, I was not a burden to you; but crafty as I am, I caught you by trickery.But be it so, I did not myself burden you; but, being crafty, I caught you with guile.

In context

AI-assisted, sourced

2 Corinthians 12:11-21The signs of an apostle; a third visit

About 2 Corinthians 12Paul tells of "a man in Christ" who "was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words," and then of "a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan" given to him "lest I should be exalted above measure." He asked the Lord three times to remove it, and the Lord said, "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness," so Paul concludes, "when I am weak, then am I strong." Preparing to come "the third time," he says, "I seek not yours, but you," and fears he may find sin unrepented of among them. 2 Corinthians 12:22 Corinthians 12:42 Corinthians 12:72 Corinthians 12:82 Corinthians 12:92 Corinthians 12:102 Corinthians 12:142 Corinthians 12:202 Corinthians 12:21

Who, where and when in this chapter

Original Greek words

EnglishGreekSay itStrong'sMeaning
it should beἔστωestōG1510
you are

εἶ (ei) εἰμί, with various uses and significations, like the English verb to be. I. As substantive verb. 1. Of persons and things, to be, exist: Act.17:28, Jhn.1:1, 8:58, 17:5, al; ὁ ὢν καὶ ὁ ἦν (for past ptcp.), Rev.1:4, 8, 4:8, 11:17, 16:5 (see Swete, Ap., 5; M, Pr., 228); τὰ (μὴ) ὄντα, Rom.4:17, 1Co.1:28. 2. Of times, events, etc., to be, happen, take place: Mat.24:3, Mrk.14:2, 15:42, Luk.21:23, Jhn.4:6, 23, 5:10, al. …

however,δέ,deG1161
then

δέ (de) δέ (before vowels δ᾽; on the general neglect of the elision in NT, see WH, App., 146; Tdf., Pr., 96), post-positive conjunctive particle; 1. copulative, but, in the next place, and, now (Abbott, JG, 104): Mat.1:2ff., 2Co.6:15, 16, 2Pe.1:5-7; in repetition for emphasis, Rom.3:21, 22, 9:30, 1Co.2:6, Gal.2:2, Php.2:8; in transition to something new, Mat.1:18, 2:19, Luk.13:1, Jhn.7:14, Act.6:1, Rom.8:28, 1Co.7:1 8:1, al.; in explanatory parenthesis or addition, Jhn.3:19, Rom.5:8, 1Co.1:12, Eph.2:4, 5:32, al.; ὡς δέ, Jhn.2:9; καὶ . . . δέ, but also, Mat.10:18, Luk.1:76, Jhn.6:51, Rom.11:23, al.; …

I myselfἐγὼegōG1473
I/we

ἐγώ (egō) ἐγώ, genitive, etc., ἐμοῦ, ἐμοί, ἐμέ (enclitic μου, μοι, με), pl. ἡμεῖς, -ῶν, -ῖν, -ᾶς, of person(s) pron. I. (a) The nom. is usually emphatic, when expressed as subjc, as in Mat.3:11, Mrk.1:8, Luk.3:16, al. But often there is no apparent emphasis, as Mat.10:16, Jhn.10:17; ἰδοὺ ἐ. (= Heb. הִנֵּנִי, cf. 1Ki.3:8), Act.9:10; ἐ. (like Heb. אֲנִי), I am, Jhn.1:23 (LXX), Act.7:32 (LXX). …

notοὐouG3756
no

οὐ (ou) οὐ, before a vowel with smooth breathing οὐκ, before one with rough breathing οὐχ (but improperly οὐχ ἰδού, Act.2:7, WH, mg.; cf. WH, Intr., §409; M, Pr., 44, 244), [in LXX for אֵין ,אַיִן ,לֹא ;] neg. particle, not, no, used generally with indic, and for a denial of fact (cf . μή); 1. absol. (accented), οὔ, no: Mat.13:29 Jhn.1:21 21:5; οὒ οὕ, Mat.5:37 Jas.5:12. …

did burdenκατεβάρησαkatebarēsaG2599
to burden

καταβαρέω (katabareō) κατα-βαρέω, -ῶ to weigh down: metaphorically, with accusative of person(s), 2Co.12:16.† (AS)

you;ὑμᾶς·humasG4771
you

σέ (se) αὐτός, -ή, -ό, determinative pron., in late Gk. much more frequently than in cl. (WM, 178f.; Jannaris, HGG, §1399). 1. Emphatic (so always in nom. exc. when preceded by the art., see infr., iii); (1) self (ipse), expressing opposition, distinction, exclusion, etc., αὐ. ἐκχυθήσεται, Luk.5:37; αὐ. ἐγινώσκεν, Jhn.2:25; αὐ.ὑμεῖς, Jhn.3:28; καὶ αὐ. ἐγώ, Rom.15:14; αὐ. Ἰησοῦς, Jhn.2:24; αὐ. καὶ οἱ μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ, Mrk.2:25; ὑμεῖς αὐ., Mrk.6:31; esp. (as freq in cl.) αὐ. ὁ, Mat.3:4, Mrk.6:17, Jhn.16:27, 1Th.3:11, al.; in late Gk., sometimes weakened, ἐν αὐτῇ τ. ὥρᾳ, in that hour, Luk.10:21 (M, Pr., 91; …

butἀλλ᾽all᾽G0235
but

ἀλλά (alla) ἀλλά (ἀλλ᾽ usually bef. α and υ, often bef. ε and η, rarely bef. ο and ω, never bef. ι; Tdf., Pr., 93 f.; WH, App., 146), adversative particle, stronger than δέ; prop. neuter pl. of ἄλλος, used adverbially, with changed accent; hence prop. otherwise, on the other hand (cf. Rom.3:31); …

beingὑπάρχωνhuparchōnG5225
possession

ὑπάρχοντα (huparchonta) to have, possess; (n.) possessions; to be, exist to begin; to come into existence; to exist; to be, subsist, Acts 19:40; 28:18; to be in possession, to belong, Acts 3:6; 4:37; goods, possessions, property, Mt. 19:21; Lk. 8:3; to be, Lk. 7:25; 8:41

craftyπανοῦργοςpanourgosG3835
crafty

πανοῦργος (panourgos) πανοῦργος, -ον [in LXX chiefly for עָרוּם ;] ready to do anything; (a) in cl., chiefly in bad sense, knavish, crafty: 2Co.12:16; (b) in good sense, skilful, clever (Pro.13:1 28:2).† (AS)

by trickeryδόλῳdolōG1388
deceit

δόλος (dolos) δόλος, -ου, ὁ, [in LXX chiefly for מִרְמָה;] 1. in Hom., a bait. 2. a snare. 3. In the abstract, craft, deceit: Mat.26:4, Mrk.7:22 14:1, Jhn.1:47, Act.13:10, Rom.1:29, 2Co.12:16, 1Th.2:3, 1Pe.2:1 2:22 3:10" (LXX) (λαλῆσαι δ.).† (AS)

youὑμᾶςhumasG4771
you

σέ (se) αὐτός, -ή, -ό, determinative pron., in late Gk. much more frequently than in cl. (WM, 178f.; Jannaris, HGG, §1399). 1. Emphatic (so always in nom. exc. when preceded by the art., see infr., iii); (1) self (ipse), expressing opposition, distinction, exclusion, etc., αὐ. ἐκχυθήσεται, Luk.5:37; αὐ. ἐγινώσκεν, Jhn.2:25; αὐ.ὑμεῖς, Jhn.3:28; καὶ αὐ. ἐγώ, Rom.15:14; αὐ. Ἰησοῦς, Jhn.2:24; αὐ. καὶ οἱ μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ, Mrk.2:25; ὑμεῖς αὐ., Mrk.6:31; esp. (as freq in cl.) αὐ. ὁ, Mat.3:4, Mrk.6:17, Jhn.16:27, 1Th.3:11, al.; in late Gk., sometimes weakened, ἐν αὐτῇ τ. ὥρᾳ, in that hour, Luk.10:21 (M, Pr., 91; …

I caught.ἔλαβον.elabonG2983
to take

λαμβάνω (lambanō) λαμβάνω, [in LXX chiefly for לקח, also for אחז ,לכד ,נשׂא, etc. ;] 1. to take, lay hold of: absol., Mat.26:26, Mrk.14:22; with accusative of thing(s), Mat.5:40 26:52, al. mult.; with accusative of person(s), Mat.21:35, Mrk.12:3, al.; pleonastic λαβών (M, Pr., 230; Bl., §74, 2), Mat.13:31 14:19, al.; so also indic., Mrk.7:27, Jhn.19:1, 40 Rev.8:5, al.; metaphorically, with accusative of thing(s), ἀφορμήν, Rom.7:8, 11; ὑδόδειγμα, Jas.5:10; id. with accusative of person(s), φόβος, Luk.7:16; πνεῦμα, Luk.9:39; πειρασμός, 1Co.10:13; aoristic pf. (M, Pr., 145, 238; BL, §59, 4), Rev.5:7 8:5, al. …

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.