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Selected Verse: 2 Corinthians 9:5 - King James
Verse |
Translation |
Text |
2Co 9:5 |
King James |
Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness. |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
that they would go before--Translate, "that they should," &c.
whereof ye had notice before--rather, "promised before"; "long announced by me to the Macedonians" (Co2 9:2) [BENGEL]. "Your promised bounty" [ELLICOTT and others].
not as of covetousness--Translate, "not as matter of covetousness," which it would be, if you gave niggardly. |
Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
Therefore I thought it necessary ... - In order to secure the collection, and to avoid all unpleasant feeling on all hands.
That they would go before unto you - Before I should come.
And make up beforehand your bounty - Prepare it before I come. The word "bounty" is in the margin, rendered "blessing." The Greek (εὐλογία eulogia) means properly commendation, eulogy. Then it means blessing, praise applied to God. Then that which blesses - a gift, donation, favor, bounty - whether of God to human beings, or of one man to another. Here it refers to their contribution as that which would be adapted to confer a blessing on others, or suited to produce happiness.
That the same might be ready as a matter of bounty - That it may truly appear as a liberal and voluntary offering; as an act of generosity and not as wrung or extorted from you. That it may be truly a blessing - a thank-offering to God and adapted to do good to people.
And not as of covetousness - "And not like a sort of extortion, wrung from you by mere dint of importunity" - Doddridge. The word used here (πλεονεξία pleonexia) means usually covetousness, greediness of gain, which leads a person to defraud others. The idea here is, that Paul would have them give this as an act of bounty, or liberality on their part, and not as an act of covetousness on his part, not as extorted by him from them. |
Vincent's Word Studies, by Marvin R. Vincent [1886] |
Go before
Notice the thrice repeated before, emphasizing the injunction to have everything ready before Paul's arrival.
Make up beforehand (προκαταρτίσωσιν)
Adjust. See on Mat 4:21; see on Mat 21:16; see on Luk 6:40; see on Pe1 5:10.
Bounty (εὐλογίαν)
Lit., blessing. In this sense only here in the New Testament. In the Septuagint indifferently of gift or blessing. See Gen 33:11; Jdg 1:15; Eze 34:26. In Pro 11:25, liberal soul is rendered by Sept., εὐλογούμενη blessed.
Whereof ye had notice before (προεπηγγελημένην)
Rev., better, your afore-promised bounty. The bounty promised by you, or by me on your behalf. |
Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
Spoken of before - By me, to the Macedonians. Not as a matter of covetousness - As wrung by importunity from covetous persons. |
Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
Whereof ye had notice before - Instead of προκατηγγελμενην, spoken of before, BCDEFG, several others, with the Coptic, Vulgate, Itala, and several of the fathers, have προεπηγγελμενην, what was promised before. The sense is not very different; probably the latter reading was intended to explain the former. See the margin.
Bounty, and not as of covetousness - Had they been backward, strangers might have attributed this to a covetous principle; as it would appear that they were loth to give up their money, and that they parted with it only when they could not for shame keep it any longer. This is the property of a covetous heart; whereas readiness to give is the characteristic of a liberal mind. This makes a sufficiently plain sense; and we need not look, as some have done, for any new sense of πλεονεξια, covetousness, as if it were here to be understood as implying a small gift. |
2 For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal hath provoked very many.
25 The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.
26 And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing.
15 And she said unto him, Give me a blessing: for thou hast given me a south land; give me also springs of water. And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the nether springs.
11 Take, I pray thee, my blessing that is brought to thee; because God hath dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough. And he urged him, and he took it.
10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
40 The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.
16 And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?
21 And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.