Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

2 Corinthians 12:9

καὶ εἴρηκέ μοι κ. τ. λ.: and He hath said (note the perf. as expressing the abiding validity of the Divine promise; so often in quotations from the O.T., e.g., Acts 13:34; Hebrews 4:4; Hebrews 10:9) to me, “My grace is sufficient for thee (cf. Isaiah 43:2), for My power is being made perfect (τελεῖσθαι is found here only; the tense indicates a continuous fact in St. Paul's life) in weakness ”. So it is said of Christ that He was “made perfect through sufferings” (Hebrews 2:10); and of the power which He communicates from Himself the same law holds good. Cf. Isaiah 40:29-31. ἥδιστα οὖν κ. τ. λ.: most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my weaknesses (sc., rather than that they should be removed), that the power of Christ (see on 2 Corinthians 6:7 and reff. there) may rest upon me, lit., “may spread a tabernacle over me”. The image is that of the Shechinah or σκηνή, the glory which was the symbol of the Divine presence in the Holy of Holies, descending upon the faithful (cf. John 1:14; Revelation 7:15; Revelation 21:3). The two renderings (“strength” and “power”) of δύναμις in the A.V. of this verse are preserved (although interchanged) in the R.V. by a curious inadvertence on the part of the Revisers, who are generally scrupulous even to pedantry in maintaining uniformity in such matters.

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Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

2 Corinthians 12:9

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