2 Corinthians 12:20

2 Corinthians 12:20

18 I urged Titus, and sent our ^abrother with him. Did Titus take advantage of you? Did we not walk in the same spirit? Did we not walk in the same steps?

19 ^aAgain,¹ do you think that we excuse ourselves to you? ^bWe speak before God in Christ. ^cBut we do all things, beloved, for your edification.

20 For I fear lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I wish, and that ^aI shall be found by you such as you do not wish; lest there be contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, backbitings, whisperings, conceits, tumults;

21 lest, when I come again, my God ^awill humble me among you, and I shall mourn for many ^bwho have sinned before and have not repented of the uncleanness, ^cfornication, and lewdness which they have practiced.

Commentaries:

Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)

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2 Corinthians 12:21 >>

Lest by any means, when I come, I should find you not such as I would (mh pwv elqwn oux oiouv qelw eurw umav). An idiomatic construction after the verb of fearing (foboumai) with mh pwv as the conjunction and with oux as the negative of the verb eurw (second aorist active subjunctive of euriskw), mh the conjunction, oux the negative. See Robertson, Grammar, p. 995.

And I be found (kagw eureqw). Same construction with first aorist passive subjunctive.

Such as ye would not (oion ou qelete). Neat change in voice just before and position of the negative here.

Lest by any means (mh pwv). Still further negative purpose by repeating the conjunction. With graphic pen pictures Paul describes what had been going on against him during his long absence.

Backbitings (katalaliai). Late and rare word. In N.T. only here and I Peter 2:1. If it only existed nowhere else!

Whisperings (yiqurismoi). Late word from yiqurizw, to whisper into one's ear. An onomatopoetic word for the sibilant murmur of a snake charmer (Ecclesiastes 10:11). Only here in N.T.

Swellings (fusiwseiv). From fusiow, to swell up, late word only here and in ecclesiastical writers. Did Paul make up the word for the occasion? See on I Corinthians 4:6 for verb.

Tumults (akatastasiai). See on II Corinthians 6:5.

**Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing 2 Corinthians 12:20:**

Romans 1:30
1 Corinthians 1:11
2 Corinthians 12:21
Philippians 1:17
1 Peter 2:1

<< 2 Corinthians 12:19

2 Corinthians 12:21 >>

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