2 Corinthians 12:7
King James Version (1769)
Other translations
| Verse | KJV | BSB | ASV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | And 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. | or because of these surpassingly great revelations. So to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. | And by reason of the exceeding greatness of the revelations, that I should not be exalted overmuch, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, that I should not be exalted overmuch. |
In context
AI-assisted, sourced2 Corinthians 12:7-10The thorn in the flesh
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
Why this verse matters here"There was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure." 2 Corinthians 12:7
Original Greek words
| English | Greek | Say it | Strong's | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| and | καὶ | kai | G2532 | andκαί (kai) καί, conj., and I. Copulative. 1. Connecting single words; (a) in general: Mat.2:18, 16:1, Mrk.2:15, Luk.8:15, Heb.1:1, al. mult.; repeated before each of the terms in a series, Mat.23:23, Luk.14:21, Rom.7:12, 9:4, al. (b) connecting numerals (WM, §37, 4): Jhn.2:20, Act.13:20; (with) joining terms which are not mutually exclusive, as the part with the whole: Mat.8:33, 26:59, Mrk.16:17, Act.5:29, al. 2. Connecting clauses and sentences: Mat.3:12, Act.5:21, al. mult.; esp. … |
| by surpassingness | ὑπερβολῇ | huperbolēa | G5236 | surpassingὑπερβολή (huperbolē) ὑπερ-βολή, -ῆς, ἡ (ὑπερβάλλω), [in LXX: καθ᾽ ὑ., 4Ma.3:18 * ;] a throwing beyond. Metaphorical, excess, superiority, excellence: 2Co.4:7 12:7; καθ᾽ ὑπερβολήν, beyond measure, exceedingly, Rom.7:13, 1Co.12:31, 2Co.1:8, Gal.1:13; κ. ὑ. εἰς ὑ., beyond all measure, 2Co.4:17.† (AS) |
| revelations. | ἀποκαλύψεων.¶ | apokalupseōn | G0602 | revelationἀποκάλυψις (apokalupsis) ἀπο-κάλυψις, -εως, ἡ (ἀποκαλύπτω), [in LXX: 1Ki.20:30 (עֶרְוָה), Sir.11:27 22:22 42:1 * ;] an uncovering, laying bare (Plut.). Metaphorical, a revealing, revelation: a disclosure of divine truth, or a manifestion from God: Luk.2:32 Rom.2:5 8:19 16:25, 1Co.1:7 14:6 14:26, 2Co.12:1 12:7, Gal.1:12 2:2, Eph.1:17 3:3 2Th.1:7 1Pe.1:7 1:13 4:13, Rev.1:1.† SYN.: ἐπιφάνεια, παρουσία, φανέρωσις (see Tr., Syn., xciv; Lft., Notes, 102, 178; Westc, Eph., 178 f.; M, Th., 145 ff.; Cremer, 343) (AS) |
| that | ἵνα | ina | G2443 | in order that/toἵνα (hina) ἵνα, I. adverb (poët., Hom., al.), 1. of place, where, whither. 2. of circumstance, when. II. Conjunction, 1. prop., final, denoting purpose or end (cl.), that, in order that, usually the first word in the clause, but sometimes (cl. also) preceded by an emphatic word (Act.19:4, Rom.11:31 (?), Gal.2:10, al.); (a) with optative (so in cl. after historic tenses): after a pres., Eph.1:17 (but WH, mg., subjc.; see Burton, §225, Rem., 2); … |
| not | μὴ | mē | G3361 | notμή (mē) μή, subjective negative particle, used where the negation depends on a condition or hypothesis, expressed or understood, as distinct from οὐ, which denies absolutely. μή is used where one thinks a thing is not, as distinct from an absolute negation. As a general rule, οὐ negatives the indic, μή the other moods, incl, ptcp. [In LXX for אֵין ,אַיִן ,אַל ] I. As a neg. adv., not; 1. with ref. to thought or opinion: Jhn.3:18, Tit.1:11, 2Pe.1:9. 2. In delib. questions, with subjc. (M, Pr., 185): Mrk.12:14, Rom.3:8. … |
| I may become conceited, | ὑπεραίρωμαι, | huperairōmai | G5229 | be haughtyὑπεραίρω (huperairō) ὑπερ-αίρω [in LXX: 2Ch.32:23 (נָשָׂא ni.), etc. ;] to lift or raise over. Mid., to uplift oneself: 2Co.12:7; before ἐπί, with accusative, of person(s), 2Th.2:4 (cf. 2Ma.5:23).† (AS) |
| was given | ἐδόθη | edothē | G1325 | to giveδίδωμι (didōmi) δίδωμι, [in LXX chiefly for נָתַן (53 words in all) ;] to give—in various senses, accusative to context—bestow, grant, supply, deliver, commit, yield: absol., Act.20:35; with accusative of thing(s) and dative of person(s), Mat.4:9 5:31, Jhn.1:12, al. mult.; with dative of person(s), before ἐκ, Mat.25:8; id. with genitive part.. Rev.2:17; with accusative of person(s), Jhn.3:16, Rev.20:13, al.; δεξιάς, Gal.2:9; φίλημα, Luk.7:45; γνῶσιν, Luk.1:77; κρίσιν, Jhn.5:22; of seed yielding fruit, Mrk.4:7, 8; ἐργασίαν (Deiss., LAE, 117f.), Luk.12:58; with inf. fin., Mat.27:34, Mrk.5:43, Luk.8:55, Jhn.6: … |
| to me | μοι | moi | G3165 | meμέ (me) 1. apostrophe for με. 2. rarely for μοι, (Homer) (ML) |
| a thorn | σκόλοψ | skolops | G4647 | thornσκόλοψ (skolops) σκόλοψ, -οπος, ὁ [in LXX: Num.33:55 (שֵׂךְ), Hos.2:6 (8) (סִיר), Eze.28:24 (סִלּוֹן), Sir.43:19 * ;] anything pointed, esp. 1. in cl., a stake 2. In Hellenistic vernacular, a thorn (cf. LXX, ll. with): σ. τῇ σαρκί, 2Co.12:7 (cf. MM, i., xxiii; DB, iii, 700 f.; Deiss., St. Paul, 62 f.; Field, Notes, 187).† (AS) |
| in [my] flesh, | σαρκί, | sarki | G4561 | fleshσάρξ (sarx) σάρξ, σαρκός, ἡ [in LXX chiefly for בָּשָׂר ;] flesh; 1. as in cl. generally, (a) prop., of the soft substance of the animal body: 1Co.15:39, 2Co.12:7, Gal.6:13, al.; σ. καὶ αἷμα, 1Co.5:50; σ. καὶ ὀστέα, Luk.24:39; pl., of the flesh of many or parts of the flesh of one (cl.), Rev.17:16 19:18; φαγεῖν, Re, ll. with (cf. κατεσθίειν, 4Ki.9:36, al., and βιβρώσκειν, frequently in l.); metaphorically, Jas.5:3; mystically, φ. (τρώγειν) τὴν σ. τοῦ υἱοῦ τ. ἀνθρώπου, Jhn.6:52-56; … |
| a messenger | ἄγγελος | angelos | G0032H | angelἄγγελος (angelos) ἄγγελος, -ου, ὁ, [in LXX chiefly for מַלְאָךְ ;] 1. a messenger, one sent: Mat.11:10, Jas.22:25. 2. As in LXX, in the special sense of angel, a spiritual, heavenly being, attendant upon God and employed as his messenger to men, to make known his purposes, as Luk.1:11, or to execute them, as Mat.4:6. The ἄ. in Rev.1:20-2:1, al., is variously understood as (1) a messenger or delegate, (2) a bishop or ruler, (3) a guardian angel, (4) the prevailing spirit of each church, i.e. the Church itself. (Cf. Swete, Ap)., in l.; DB, iv, 991; Thayer, see word; Cremer, 18; MM, VGT, see word) (AS) |
| of Satan | σατανᾶ | satana | G4567 | SatanΣατανᾶς (Satanas) Σατανᾶς, -ᾶ (so also Sir 21:30, but in 3Ki.11:14, σατάν indecl.; Heb. שָׂטָן; Aram. סָטָנָא, whence the inflected Gk. form), ό, Satan (i.e. the adversary, as in LXX, ll. with): Mat.4:10 12:26, Mrk.1:13 3:23, 26 4:15 Luk.10:18 11:18 13:16 22:3, 31, Jhn.13:27, Act.5:3 26:18, Rom.16:20, 1Co.5:5 7:5, 2Co.2:11 11:14, 1Th.2:18, 2Th.2:9, 1Ti.1:20 5:15, Rev.2:9, 13 2:24 3:9 12:9 20:2, 7; addressed in person of Peter, Mat.16:23 Mrk.8:33; ἄγγελος Σατανᾶ, 2Co.12:7.† (AS) |
| that | ἵνα | ina | G2443 | in order that/toἵνα (hina) ἵνα, I. adverb (poët., Hom., al.), 1. of place, where, whither. 2. of circumstance, when. II. Conjunction, 1. prop., final, denoting purpose or end (cl.), that, in order that, usually the first word in the clause, but sometimes (cl. also) preceded by an emphatic word (Act.19:4, Rom.11:31 (?), Gal.2:10, al.); (a) with optative (so in cl. after historic tenses): after a pres., Eph.1:17 (but WH, mg., subjc.; see Burton, §225, Rem., 2); … |
| me | με | me | G3165 | meμέ (me) 1. apostrophe for με. 2. rarely for μοι, (Homer) (ML) |
| he may buffet | κολαφίζῃ | kolaphizē | G2852 | to beatκολαφίζω (kolaphizō) κολαφίζω (κόλαφος = Att.., κόνδυλοι, the knuckles, the closed fist) to strike with the fist, to buffet: Mat.26:67, Mrk.14:65, 2Co.12:7; pass., 1Co.4:11, 1Pe.2:20.† (AS) |
| so that | ἵνα | ina | G2443 | in order that/toἵνα (hina) ἵνα, I. adverb (poët., Hom., al.), 1. of place, where, whither. 2. of circumstance, when. II. Conjunction, 1. prop., final, denoting purpose or end (cl.), that, in order that, usually the first word in the clause, but sometimes (cl. also) preceded by an emphatic word (Act.19:4, Rom.11:31 (?), Gal.2:10, al.); (a) with optative (so in cl. after historic tenses): after a pres., Eph.1:17 (but WH, mg., subjc.; see Burton, §225, Rem., 2); … |
| not | μὴ | mē | G3361 | notμή (mē) μή, subjective negative particle, used where the negation depends on a condition or hypothesis, expressed or understood, as distinct from οὐ, which denies absolutely. μή is used where one thinks a thing is not, as distinct from an absolute negation. As a general rule, οὐ negatives the indic, μή the other moods, incl, ptcp. [In LXX for אֵין ,אַיִן ,אַל ] I. As a neg. adv., not; 1. with ref. to thought or opinion: Jhn.3:18, Tit.1:11, 2Pe.1:9. 2. In delib. questions, with subjc. (M, Pr., 185): Mrk.12:14, Rom.3:8. … |
| I may become conceited. | ὑπεραίρωμαι. | huperairōmai | G5229 | be haughtyὑπεραίρω (huperairō) ὑπερ-αίρω [in LXX: 2Ch.32:23 (נָשָׂא ni.), etc. ;] to lift or raise over. Mid., to uplift oneself: 2Co.12:7; before ἐπί, with accusative, of person(s), 2Th.2:4 (cf. 2Ma.5:23).† (AS) |
Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.