Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

2 Corinthians 9:8

δυνατεῖ (אBCDG) rather than δυνατός (C2D2D3KLP).

8. δυνατεῖ δὲ ὁ θεός. Comp. δυνατεῖ γὰρ ὁ κύριος (Romans 14:4). In both places later authorities substitute δυνατός, because δυνατεῖ is an unusual word. The thought is, ‘Do not set this aside as an impossible standard; God can, and will (2 Corinthians 9:10), help.’

πᾶσαν χάριν περισσεῦσαι εἰς ὑμᾶς. A very comprehensive statement: χάριν includes, and here specially means, earthly blessings as opportunities of benevolence; comp. 2 Corinthians 8:6. Where there is the spirit of benevolence, the power to exercise benevolence is sure to be given. Chrysostom paraphrases; ἐμπλῆσαι ὑμᾶς τοσούτων ὡς δύνασθαι περιττεύειν ἐν τῇ φιλοτιμίᾳ ταύτῃ. For περισσεύειν transitive see on 2 Corinthians 4:15.

ἐν παντὶ πάντοτε πᾶσαν κ.τ.λ. In order to preserve the characteristic alliteration and repetition we may turn singulars into plurals without change of meaning; always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to all good works. Comp. 2 Corinthians 7:4; 2 Corinthians 8:22; Philippians 1:3-4; Acts 21:28; Acts 24:3; also διὰ παντὸς πᾶσαν πάντως προθυμίαν πειρᾶσθε ἔχειν (Plat. Menex. 347 A).

αὐτάρκειαν. ‘Self-sufficiency, being independent of help from others’—a word which has played a prominent part in Greek philosophy, especially in the tenets of the Cynics and Stoics. Aristotle is at pains to distinguish the true αὐτάρκεια from that which the Cynics advocated (Eth. Nic. I. vii. 6; comp. x. vi. 2; Pol. I. ii. 14). The occurrence of this term in such close proximity to προαιρεῖσθαι (another word which is frequent in the Nicomachean Ethics, but occurs nowhere else in the N.T.) has led to the surmise that S. Paul was acquainted with the Aristotelian philosophy. See last note on 2 Corinthians 9:10. In 1 Timothy 6:6 αὐτάρκεια is rendered ‘contentment,’ the subjective feeling of self-sufficiency and independence. For αὐτάρκης comp. Philippians 4:11, where see Lightfoot’s note. Here the point is that the less a man wants, the greater his self-sufficiency and his power of helping other people.

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Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

2 Corinthians 9:8

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