Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

2 Corinthians 10:6

ἐν ἑτοίμῳ ἔχοντες ἐκδικῆσαι πᾶσαν παρακοήν, κ.τ.λ. Being in readiness to avenge all disobedience, whenever your obedience shall be fulfilled, i.e. shall have been completed. The Apostle will give time for all Christians at Corinth to allow themselves to be ‘led captive to the obedience of the Christ’; then disobedience of whatever kind will be punished. There is emphasis on ὑμῶν, implying that his readers are, or will soon be, obedient. For ἐν ἐτοίμῳ ἔχοντες, in promptu habentes (Vulg.), Wetstein gives parallels from Philo, Polybius, and Dionysius Hal. For ἐκδικῆσαι, ‘to do justice,’ comp. Luke 18:5; 1Ma 6:22 : it is one of the legal words which are rather frequent in this letter; comp. 2 Corinthians 1:22; 2 Corinthians 2:6; 2 Corinthians 2:8; 2 Corinthians 7:11-12. The aor. after verbs of readiness or expectation is in accordance with N.T. usage; 2 Corinthians 12:14; Acts 21:13 : after ἐλπίζω the pres. is never found (Luke 6:34; Philippians 2:23; &c.). In ὑπακοή and παρακοή, as in καθαιροῦντες and ἐπαιρόμενον, we have another play on words: comp. 2 Corinthians 1:13; 2 Corinthians 3:2; 2 Corinthians 8:22, &c). Only here, Romans 5:19 and Hebrews 2:2, does παρακοή occur in the N.T.: not in the LXX. It means ‘failing to listen,’ or ‘hearing amiss,’ and is akin to ἀμέλεια, incuria, as Bengel on Romans 5:19 points out. In Hebrews 2:2 it is joined with παράβασις. See Trench, Syn. § lxvi. Comp. παρακούειν Matthew 18:17; Isaiah 65:12; Esther 3:3; Esther 3:8; Esther 7:4; 1Es 4:11; Tob 3:4. In Mark 5:36 παρακούειν is used of Christ’s ignoring an interruption. There is no carelessness implied in ἀπειθία or ἀπείθεια (Romans 11:30; Romans 11:32; Ephesians 2:2; Ephesians 5:6; Colossians 3:6; Hebrews 4:6; Hebrews 4:11), and S. Paul would perhaps have used it here, but for the desire of a verbal contrast to ὑπακοή.

Assuming that 10–13 is part of the lost letter, 2 Corinthians 2:9 may be a reference to what is said here: see note there.

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Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

2 Corinthians 10:6

Old Testament

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