lest by any means, if anyone from Macedonia comes there with me and finds you unprepared, we (to say nothing of you) would be disappointed in this confident boasting.
Parallel Translations
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lest by any means, if anyone from Macedonia comes there with me and finds you unprepared, we (to say nothing of you) would be disappointed in this confident boasting.
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lest paraveture yf they of Macedonia come with me and fynde you vnprepared the boost that I made in this matter shuld be a shame to vs: I saye not vnto you.
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Lest if they of Macedonia come with me, and finde you vnprepared, we (that wee may not say, you) should be ashamed in this my constant boasting.
Cross-references (5)
Passages linked to 2 Corinthians 9:4 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Romans 15:26 For it has been the good pleasure of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints who are at Jerusalem.
- 2 Corinthians 8:1-5 Moreover, brothers, we make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the assemblies of Macedonia, how in much proof of affliction, the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded to the riches of their generosity. For according to their power, I testify, yes and beyond their power, they gave of their own accord, begging us with much entreaty to receive this grace and the fellowship in the service to the saints. This was not as we had expected, but first they gave their own selves to the Lord, and to us through the will of God.
- 2 Corinthians 8:24 Therefore show the proof of your love to them before the assemblies, and of our boasting on your behalf.
- 2 Corinthians 9:2 for I know your readiness, of which I boast on your behalf to those of Macedonia, that Achaia has been prepared for the past year. Your zeal has stirred up very many of them.
- 2 Corinthians 11:17 That which I speak, I don’t speak according to the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (13 sources)
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John Calvin 1540 · Public Domain 4. In this confidence The Greek term being ὑπόστασις…
4. In this confidence The Greek term being ὑπόστασις the Old Interpreter has rendered it substantiam, (substance.) Erasmus renders it argumentum, (subject-matter,) but neither is suitable. Budaeus, however, observes, that this term is sometimes taken to mean boldness, or confidence, as it is used by Polybius when he says, ὀυχ οὑτω την δύναμιν ὡς τὴν ὑπόστασιν καὶ τόλμαν αὐτοῦ καταπεπληγμένον τῶν εναντίων — “It was not so much his bodily strength, as his boldness and intrepidity, that proved confounding to the enemy.” Hence ὑποτατικός sometimes means one that is bold and confident. Now every one must see, how well this meaning accords with Paul’s thread of discourse. Hence it appears, that other interpreters have, through inadvertency, fallen into a mistake.
John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain The word which he useth, signifieth such a stayedness…
The word which he useth, signifieth such a stayedness and settledness of mind, as cannot be moved with any terror or fear.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 3 Yet have I sent the brethren, lest our…
3 Yet have I sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this behalf; that, as I said, ye may be ready:
4 Lest haply if they of Macedonia come with me, and find you unprepared, we (that we say not, ye) should be ashamed in this same confident boasting.
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Ver. 4. In this same confident boasting] Gr. "in this confidence of glorying." A metaphor from. hunters, who confidently expect the beast, and valiantly set upon him. Sic Latini dicunt, subsistere aprum. So the Latins say that the boar stands.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain For if I should come, and any of the…
For if I should come, and any of the members of the churches of Macedonia, who have heard me boasting of you as a people very forward in this charitable work, and when they are come they should find you had done nothing, only talked much of your readiness, both I should be ashamed, and you also might see some cause to blush, which I, who consult your honour and reputation equally with my own, would prevent.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain Lest haply if they of Macedonia come with me,....…
Lest haply if they of Macedonia come with me,.... The apostle had determined to come himself, though he was afterwards prevented by Providence, but could not be certain of the coming of the Macedonian brethren with him; however, as it was probable that some of them would come, whose hearts were so much in this work, therefore he judged it fit and proper to send the brethren before hand, in case they should come:
and find you unprepared; not so ready for this service as had been boasted of, and the collection not finished, which had been begun a year ago.
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We (that we say not, ye) should be ashamed in this same confident boasting; or "in this same substance", or "subsistence of boasting": a boasting, which, he thought, they had the most solid and substantial ground and foundation to proceed upon; which, should it come to nothing, must cause shame both in the apostles, who had so largely, and with so much assurance, boasted of them; and in the Corinthians, who must be put to the blush, when it should be told them how much they had been boasted of with respect to their readiness, and yet were unprepared: so "hope", expectation, confidence, is rendered by the Septuagint "boasting", Pro 11:7 and in Psa 39:5 the word here used. And some copies, and also the Vulgate Latin version, only read, "in this substance", or glorying, and leave out boasting as superfluous.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain Lest haply if they of Macedonia - If any…
Lest haply if they of Macedonia - If any of the Macedonians should happen to come with me, and should find that you had done nothing. He does not say that they would come with him, but it was by no means improbable that they would. It was customary for some of the members of the churches to travel with Paul from place to place, and the conversation was constant between Macedonia and Achaia. Paul had, therefore, every reason to suppose that some of the Macedonians would accompany him when he should go to Corinth. At all events it was probable that the Macedonians would learn from some quarter whether the Corinthians were or were not ready when Paul should go to them.
should be ashamed ...}We (that we say not, ye) should be ashamed ... - “In this,” says Bloomfield, “one cannot but recognize a most refined and delicate turn, inferior to none of the best Classical writers.” Paul had boasted confidently that the Corinthians would be ready with their collection. He had excited and stimulated the Macedonians by this consideration. He had induced them in this way to give liberally, 2Co 8:1-4. If now it should turn out after all that the Corinthians had given nothing, or had given stintedly, the character of Paul would suffer. His veracity and his judgment would be called in question, and he would be accused of trick, and artifice, and fraud in inducing them to give. Or if he should not be charged with dishonesty, yet he would be humbled and mortified himself that he had made representations which had proved to be so unfounded. But this was not all. The character of the Corinthians was also at stake. They had purposed to make the collection. They had left the impression in the mind of Paul that it would be done. They had hitherto evinced such a character as to make Paul confident that the collection would be made. If now by any means this should fail, their character would suffer, and they would have occasion to be ashamed that they had excited so confident expectations of what they would do.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain if they of Macedonia--rather as Greek, "if Macedonians."
if they of Macedonia--rather as Greek, "if Macedonians."
unprepared--with your collection; see Co2 9:2, "ready," Greek, "prepared."
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we, not to say ye--Ye would naturally feel more ashamed for yourselves, than we (who boasted of you) would for you.
confident boasting--The oldest manuscripts read simply "confidence," namely, in your liberality.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 4. Haply—Perhaps. We…
4. Haply—Perhaps. We…
ye—A happy stroke of delicacy!
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 4. lest haply] The earlier editions have happily (paraventure,…
4. lest haply] The earlier editions have happily (paraventure, Tyndale), with the same meaning as in the text.
they of Macedonia] We should rather say in English any Macedonians. From this it has been inferred that the brethren sent previously were not Macedonians. See ch. 2Co_8:17-24.
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we (that we say not, you)] The ‘we’ is emphatic. We have another instance here of what we might call the gentlemanly instinct of the Apostle. See note on ch. 2Co_7:3. ‘I should be ashamed of my confidence, and, might I not add, you also would be ashamed that I should have expressed it.’
confident boasting] The word ‘boasting’ is omitted by most recent editors. It is absent from the best MSS. and versions, and has probably been introduced from ch. 2Co_11:17. The rendering in this case must be ‘in this confidence’ i.e. which I have had in you. Some would render by ‘foundation’ or ‘substance’ (in hoc substantia, Vulg.), the latter being the literal rendering of the word (see Heb_11:1, also 2Co_1:3 where it is translated person); but in Heb_3:14, as in Classical Greek and in the LXX., it means and is rendered confidence. It means originally (1) that on which one takes one’s stand; or (2) that which stands beneath us. Hence in later Greek theology it came to mean person, as the underlying entity at the root of all apparent being. Compare our English words understand, understanding, which however, like the Latin substantia, have had a different history, and have arrived at a different signification.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (4) Lest haply if they of Macedonia . .…
(4) Lest haply if they of Macedonia . . .—The Greek for “Macedonians” has no article, and the word is meant to stir up something like an esprit de corps. “Surely you Achaians won’t allow Macedonians to come and see that you fall short of what I told them about?” It is a probable, but not, as some have thought, a necessary inference, that neither of the two unnamed brethren of 2Co_8:18; 2Co_8:22, were of that province. What he now indicates is, that it is, at all events, probable that when he comes to pay his deferred visit he will be accompanied by Macedonians. If, then, they were still not ready, there would be shame for him; how much more for them!
In this same confident boasting.—Literally, in this confidence of boasting; but the better MSS. give “in this confidence” only. The word so translated (hypostasis), literally, “that which stands under, the base or ground of anything,” has the interest of a long subsequent history in metaphysical and theological controversies, of which we find, perhaps, the first trace in Heb_1:3, where it appears as “person,” and Heb_11:1, where it is rendered “substance.” (See Notes on those passages.) In Heb_3:14, it has the same meaning as in this passage.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain They of Macedonia; rather, Macedonians; i.e. any friends from…
They of Macedonia; rather, Macedonians; i.e. any friends from Macedonia. (Act_20:4) Shall Achaians have to blush before Macedonians? We, that we say not ye. Nothing can exceed the delicacy of this touch. St. Paul asks them to be ready with their contributions for his sake, not for their own; that he may not have to blush for his generous words respecting them, whereas really the discredit would be simply theirs. Confident boasting; rather, confidence. The reading "of boasting" is not genuine here. For the word hypostasis in the sense of "confidence," see 2Co_11:17; Heb_3:4. The use of the word to represent the "Persons" of the Blessed Trinity is later. The other sense of the word, "substance" (or underlying base of attributes) is found in Heb_1:3.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
B. W. Johnson 1891 · Public Domain 4. Lest haply if they of Macedonia. Acts 20:4…
4. Lest haply if they of Macedonia. Acts 20:4 named certain brethren of Macedonia who did attend him. If these should find Corinth unprepared with the collection when Paul came, after what he had said, it would fill him with shame.
B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.
J. W. McGarvey 1914 · Public Domain lest by any means, if there come with me…
lest by any means, if there come with me any of Macedonia and find you unprepared, we (that we say not, ye) should be put to shame in this confidence . [I have gloried or boasted concerning you in many respects, and have hitherto had to retract nothing which I said. That my glorying concerning your liberality may not prove an exception and require a retraction, I have sent these messengers that they might gather together the collection which you pledged, and perhaps began to take up last year. For if any Macedonians should come with me to Corinth and find the collection ungathered, I would be ashamed for having represented you as better than you were, and you would be ashamed of having been held up as a model for the emulation of those who were, in fact, better than you.]
J. W. McGarvey (with Philip Y. Pendleton), Commentaries on the New Testament (The Fourfold Gospel, 1914; Acts; and the epistles) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.