2 Corinthians 12:7

2 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 2 Corinthians 12:7 a thorn was given me (by God, who is sovereign over all things) in the flesh, a messenger of Satan. The nature of this “thorn” or “messenger” is uncertain. The most frequently proposed possibilities include: (1) Paul’s inner psychological struggles (such as grief over his earlier persecution of the church, sorrow over Israel’s unbelief, or continuing temptations); (2) Paul’s opponents, who continued to persecute him (compare Numbers 33:55 and Ezekiel 28:24, where thorns refer to Israel’s enemies); (3) some kind of physical affliction (possibly poor eyesight, malaria, or severe migraine headaches); or (4) some kind of demonic harassment (“a messenger of Satan”). Most commentators prefer the third view, since “thorn in the flesh” would seem to suggest a physical condition.