2 Corinthians 4:17

Contextual Overview

⁸We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; ⁸ We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; ⁸We are surrounded by things that could kill us, but we ain't even been whipped yet. We may not know what we're doing, but we know better than to give up. ⁸ we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; ⁸in every way afflicted, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; ⁸ Troubles are round us on every side, but we are not shut in; things are hard for us, but we see a way out of them; ⁸ every way afflicted, but not straitened; seeing no apparent issue, but our way not entirely shut up; ⁸ We are pressured in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; ⁸ We are pressed on every side, yet not crushed; perplexed, yet not to despair; ⁸ We are troubled on every side, yet not crushed;

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

our: 2 Corinthians 11:23-28, Psalms 30:5, Isaiah 54:8, Acts 20:23, Romans 8:18, Romans 8:34, Romans 8:37, 1 Peter 1:6, 1 Peter 4:7, 1 Peter 5:10

worketh: Psalms 119:67, Psalms 119:71, Matthew 5:12, Romans 5:3-5, Philippians 1:19, 2 Thessalonians 1:4, 2 Thessalonians 1:6, Hebrews 12:10, Hebrews 12:11, James 1:3, James 1:4, James 1:12

far: 2 Corinthians 3:18, Genesis 15:1, Psalms 31:19, Psalms 73:24, Isaiah 64:4, Luke 6:23, Romans 2:7, 1 Corinthians 2:9, 1 Peter 1:7, 1 Peter 1:8, 1 Peter 5:10, 1 John 3:2, Jude 1:24

Reciprocal: Genesis 42:36 - all these things are against me Numbers 5:28 - And if Deuteronomy 8:16 - to do thee Deuteronomy 23:5 - Nevertheless Judges 14:14 - Out of the eater 2 Samuel 16:12 - requite Psalms 16:11 - in thy Psalms 34:19 - Many Psalms 41:3 - strengthen Psalms 84:6 - Who Psalms 84:11 - the Lord Psalms 94:13 - mayest Psalms 111:10 - his praise Psalms 119:175 - and let thy Proverbs 3:11 - neither Proverbs 12:21 - no Ecclesiastes 7:3 - by Isaiah 26:20 - for a Isaiah 28:5 - shall the Isaiah 38:16 - General Isaiah 51:11 - everlasting Isaiah 54:7 - a small Isaiah 61:7 - your shame Daniel 3:23 - fell Daniel 4:36 - added Matthew 5:10 - are Matthew 11:30 - burden Luke 4:5 - in Luke 16:9 - into John 2:11 - beginning John 15:2 - and John 16:7 - It Acts 16:25 - sang Romans 5:2 - the glory Romans 8:30 - he justified Romans 8:35 - shall tribulation 2 Corinthians 1:6 - effectual 2 Corinthians 4:8 - yet 2 Corinthians 5:5 - wrought 2 Corinthians 6:4 - afflictions 2 Corinthians 12:10 - I take Philippians 3:14 - press Philippians 4:19 - glory Colossians 1:27 - the hope Colossians 3:4 - ye 2 Thessalonians 1:7 - who 2 Thessalonians 2:16 - everlasting 1 Timothy 6:6 - godliness 2 Timothy 2:10 - with Hebrews 2:10 - glory Hebrews 13:14 - General 1 Peter 4:13 - rejoice

Cross-References

Genesis 4:4
But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering,

Genesis 4:4
And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering,

Genesis 4:4
Abel, on his part, also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And Yahweh had regard for Abel and for his offering;

Genesis 4:4
Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and for his offering;

Genesis 4:4
Habel also brought of the firstlynges of his sheepe, & of the fatte thereof: and the Lorde had respect vnto Habel, and to his oblation.

Genesis 4:4
and Abel brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering,

Genesis 4:4
and Abel offride of the first gendrid of his floc, and of the fatnesse of tho. And the Lord bihelde to Abel and to the yiftis of hym;

Genesis 4:4
And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flocke, and of the fat thereof: and the LORD had respect vnto Abel, and to his offering.

Genesis 4:4
And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering:

Genesis 4:4
And Abell brought also of the firstlinges of his shepe, and of ye fat of them. And the LORDE had respecte vnto Abell and to his offerynge:

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For our light affliction,.... The difference between the present and future state of the saints is here expressed, the disparity between them shown, and the influence the one has upon the other. The present state is a state of "affliction". Affliction is the common lot of the children of men, but more especially of the children of God, and is here designed by "our" affliction; for these, besides their soul trouble, meet with such in the world, and from the men of it, others do not. Afflictions are appointed for them by their heavenly Father; provision is made for them, and support under them, in the covenant of grace; they are Christ's legacy to them, and by which they are conformed to him; they are always for their good, spiritual and eternal; and lie in their way to heaven, through which they must pass into the kingdom: now these their outward afflictions which are here meant, lie chiefly in the meanness of their outward circumstances; in poverty and distress, in disgrace, reproaches, and persecutions for their profession of Christ, and his truths: and in opposition to this their mean and despicable condition in the eyes of the world, their future state is signified by "glory", as it often is in the word of God; and is of such a nature, that all the glories of this world, such as kingdoms, crowns, inheritances, possessions, riches, honour, and substance of every kind and degree, by all which the heavenly state is expressed, are but faint resemblances of it: it is the same glory Christ has entered into, is possessed of for, and will give to all his people; it will chiefly lie in communion with Father, Son, and Spirit, with angels, and one another; there will be a visible glory upon the bodies of the saints, which will be fashioned like to the glorious body of Christ; and their souls will be blessed with perfect knowledge and holiness. Their affliction is represented as "light" which though it is not in itself, but often very grievous and heavy to be borne, especially when any soul trouble is added to it; yet is light, when the saint is supported by the arm of the Lord, indulged with his presence, and favoured with the discoveries of his love. The afflictions of God's people are light, when compared with their deserts, with the sufferings of Christ, the torments of the damned in hell, and the joys of heaven, which are here, by way of opposition thereunto, styled a "weight of glory". The apostle has respect to the Hebrew word כבוד, which signifies both "weight" and "glory", and is often used for riches, honour, and whatsoever is excellent, solid, and substantial: and here the phrase designs the weighty riches of glory, that massy crown of glory which fadeth not away, that bulky and more enduring substance, which Christ will cause them that love him to inherit. Again, the afflictions of the children of God are said to be

for a moment; they are but for a while, and that a little while; at most they are but for the present time of life, and that is but as a vapour which appears for a little while, and then vanishes away; it is but as a moment, a point of time, in comparison of eternity: but the glory the saints are chosen and called unto, that weight of it which shall be put upon them is "eternal", it will last for ever; it will know no end: hence it is called an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens, an everlasting kingdom, everlasting habitations, an incorruptible inheritance, and a crown of glory that fadeth not away. Now the present affliction of the people of God has a considerable influence upon this; it is said here, that it

worketh for us this glory. The Jews y introduce God speaking words much like these.

"Saith the holy blessed God, I have sent them chastisements in this world, לחזק זרועותם לעולם הבא, "to strengthen their arms for", or that their arms may lay hold upon the world to come.''

Now afflictions may be said to work eternal glory for the saints, not by way of merit, for they are not worthy to be compared with the glory to be revealed; there is no proportion between them; besides, the heavenly kingdom and glory was prepared from the foundation of the world, and is a free grace gift of their heavenly Father; but they work as means of enjoying it, as the word and ordinances do; the Spirit of God makes use of them, as of the other, to work up the saints for that selfsame thing, glory: these are means of trying, exercising, and improving their graces, of weaning their hearts from this world, and drawing out their desires, hope, and expectation of another; they are the way in which believers walk to glory, and which it last issue and terminate in it; glory follows upon them, though it is not for them.

y R. Moses Kotsensis Mitzvot Torah, praecept. affirm. 17.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For our light affliction - This verse, with the following, is designed to show further the sources of consolation and support which Paul and his fellow-laborers had in their many trials. Bloomfield remarks on this passage, that “in energy and beauty of expression, it is little inferior to any in Demosthenes himself, to whom, indeed, and to Thucydides in his orations, the style of the apostle, when it rises to the oratorical, bears no slight resemblance.” The passage abounds with intensive and emphatic expressions, and manifests that the mind of the writer was laboring to convey ideas which language, even after all the energy of expression which he could command, would very imperfectly communicate. The trials which Paul endured, to many persons would have seemed to be anything else but light. They consisted of want, and danger, and contempt, and stoning, and toil, and weariness, and the scorn of the world, and constant exposure to death by land or by sea; see 2 Corinthians 4:7-10, compare 2 Corinthians 11:23-27. Yet these trials, though continued through many years, and constituting, as it were, his very life, he speaks of as the lightest conceivable thing when compared with that eternal glory which awaited him. He strives to get an expression as emphatic as possible, to show that in his estimation they were not worthy to be named in comparison with the eternal weight of glory. It is not sufficient to say that the affliction was “light” or was a mere trifle; but he says that it was to endure but for a moment. Though trials had followed him ever since he began to make known the Redeemer, and though he had the firmest expectation that they would follow him to the end of life and everywhere Acts 20:23, yet all this was a momentary trifle compared with the eternal glory before him. The word rendered “light” (ἐλαφρὸν elaphron) means that which is easy to bear, and is usually applied to a burden; see Matthew 11:30, compare 2 Corinthians 1:17.

Which is but for a moment - The Greek word used here (παραυτίκα parautika) occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. It is an adverb, from αὐτίκα autika, αὐτός autos, and means properly, “at this very instant; immediately.” Here it seems to qualify the word “light,” and to be used in the sense of momentary, transient. Bloomfield renders it, “for the at present lightness of our affliction.” Doddridge, “for this momentary lightness of our affliction, which passes off so fast, and leaves so little impression that it may be called levity itself.” The apostle evidently wished to express two ideas in as emphatic a manner as possible; first, that the affliction was light, and, secondly, that it was transient, momentary, and soon passing away. His object is to contrast this with the glory that awaited him, as being heavy, and as being also eternal.

Worketh for us - see the note, 2 Corinthians 4:12. Will produce, will result in. The effect of these afflictions is to produce eternal glory. This they do:

1. By their tendency to wean us from the world;
2. To purify the heart, by enabling us to ‘break off from the sins on account of which God afflicts us;
3. By disposing us to look to God for consolation and support in our trials;
4. By inducing us to contemplate the glories of the heavenly world, and thus winning us to seek heaven as our home; and,
5. Because God has graciously promised to reward his people in heaven as the result of their bearing trials in this life.

It is by affliction that he purifies them Isaiah 48:10; and by trial that he takes their affections from the objects of time and sense, and gives them a relish for the enjoyments which result from the prospect of perfect and eternal glory.

A far more exceeding - καθ ̓ ὑπερβολὴν εἰς ὑπερβολὴν kath' huperbolēn eis huperbolēn. There is not to be found any where a more energetic expression than this. The word (ὑπερβολή huperbolē), used here (whence our word “hyperbole”) means properly a throwing, casting, or throwing beyond. In the New Testament it means excess, excellence, eminence; see 2 Corinthians 4:7. “The excellency of the power.” The phrase καθ ̓ ὑπερβολὴν kath' huperbolēn means exceedingly, supereminently, Romans 7:13; 1 Corinthians 12:31; 2 Corinthians 1:8; Galatians 1:13. This expression would have been by itself intensive in a high degree. But this was not sufficient to express Paul’s sense of the glory which was laid up for Christians. It was not enough for him to use the ordinary highest expression for the superlative to denote the value of the object in his eye. He therefore coins an expression, and adds εἰς ὑπερβολὴν eis huperbolēn. It is not merely eminent; but it is eminent unto eminence; excess unto excess; a hyperbole unto hyperbole - one hyperbole heaped upon another; and the expression means that it is “exceeding exceedingly” glorious; glorious in the highest possible degree - Robinson. Mr. Slade renders it, “infinitely exceeding.” The expression is the Hebrew form of denoting the highest superlative; and it means that all hyperboles fail of expressing that eternal glory which remains for the just. It is infinite and boundless. You may pass from one degree to another; from one sublime height to another; but still an infinity remains beyond. Nothing can describe the uppermost height of that glory; nothing can express its infinitude.

Eternal - This stands in contrast with the affliction that is for a moment (παραυτίκα parautika). The one is momentary, transient; so short, even in the longest life, that it may be said to be an instant; the other has no limits to its duration. It is literally everlasting.

Weight - βάρος (baros). This stands opposed to the (ἐλαφρὸν elaphron) light affliction. That was so light that it was a trifle. It was easily borne. It was like the most light and airy objects, which constitute no burden. It is not even here called a burden, or said to be heavy in any degree. This is so heavy as to be a burden. Grotins thinks that the image is taken from gold or silver articles, that are solid and heavy, compared with those that are mixed or plated. But why may it not refer to the insignia of glory and honor; a robe heavy with gold, or a diadem or crown, heavy with gold or diamonds: glory so rich, so profuse as to be heavy? The affliction was light; but the crown, the robe, the adornings in the glorious world were not trifles, or baubles, but solid, substantial, weighty. We apply the word weighty now to that which is valuable and important, compared with that which is of no value, probably because the precious metals and jewels are heavy; and it is by them that we usually estimate the value of objects.

Of glory - (δόξης doxēs). The Hebrew word כבוד kabowd denotes weight as well as glory. And perhaps Paul had that use of the word in his eye in this strong expression. It refers here to the splendor, magnificence, honor, and happiness of the eternal world. In this exceedingly interesting passage, which is worthy of the deepest study of Christians, Paul has set in most beautiful and emphatic contrast the trials of this life and the glories of heaven. It may be profitable to contemplate at a single glance the view which he had of them, that they may be brought distinctly before the mind.

The one is:

1. Affliction, θλίψις thlipsis.
2. Light, ἐλαφρὸν elaphron.
3. For a moment, παραυτίκα parautika.

The other is, by contrast,

1. Glory, δόξή doxa.
2. Weight, βάρος baros.
3. Eternal, αἰώνιον aiōnion.
4. Eminent, or excellent, καθ ̓ ὑπερβολὴν kath' huperbolēn.
5. Infinitely excellent, eminent in the highest degree, εἰς ὑπερβολὴν eis huperbolēn .

So the account stands in the view of Paul; and with this balance in favor of the eternal glory, he regarded afflictions as mere trifles, and made it the grand purpose of his life to gain the glory of the heavens. What wise man, looking at the account, would not do likewise?

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 17. For our light affliction, c.] Mr. Blackwall, in his sacred classics, has well illustrated this passage. I shall here produce his paraphrase as quoted by Dr. Dodd: "This is one of the most emphatic passages in all St. Paul's writings, in which he speaks as much like an orator as he does as an apostle. The lightness of the trial is expressed by το ελαφρον της θλιψεως, the lightness of our affliction as if he had said, it is even levity itself in such a comparison. On the other hand, the καθ' ὑπερβολην εις ὑπερβολην, which we render far more exceeding, is infinitely emphatical, and cannot be fully expressed by any translation. It signifies that all hyperboles fall short of describing that weight-eternal glory, so solid and lasting, that you may pass from hyperbole to hyperbole, and yet, when you have gained the last, are infinitely below it. It is every where visible what influence St. Paul's Hebrew had on his Greek: כבד cabad, signifies to be heavy, and to be glorious; the apostle in his Greek unites these two significations, and says, WEIGHT of GLORY."

St. Chrysostom's observations on these words are in his very best manner, and are both judicious and beautiful:

ΤΙΟΗΣΙ παραλληλα τα παροντα τοις μελλουσι· το παραυτικα προς το αιωνιον· το ελαφρον προς το βαρυ· την θλιψιν προς την δοξαν· και ουδε τουτοις αρκειται, αλλ' ἑτεραν τιθησι λεξιν, διπλασιαζων αυτην, και λεγων, καθ' ὑπερβολην εις ὑπερβολην - τουτεστι, μεγεθος ὑπερβολικως ὑπερβολικον.

"The apostle opposes things present to things future; a moment to eternity; lightness to weight; affliction to glory. Nor is he satisfied with this, but he adds another word, and doubles it, saying, καθ' ὑπερβολην εις ὑπερβολην. This is a magnitude excessively exceeding." See Parkhurst, sub voce υπερβολη.