2 Corinthians 2:10

English Revised Version

But to whom ye forgive anything, I [forgive] also: for what I also have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, for your sakes [have I forgiven it] in the person of Christ;

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Anyone you forgive, I do too. For what I have forgiven—if I have forgiven anything—it is for your benefit in the presence of Christ,

King James Version (1611)
To whom yee forgiue any thing, I forgiue also: for if I forgaue any thing, to whom I forgaue it, for your sakes forgaue I it, in the person of Christ,

King James Version
To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ;

English Standard Version
Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. Indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ,

New American Standard Bible
But one whom you forgive anything, I also forgive; for indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did so for your sakes in the presence of Christ,

New Century Version
If you forgive someone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven—if I had anything to forgive—I forgave it for you, as if Christ were with me.

Amplified Bible
If you forgive anyone anything, I too forgive [that one]; and what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of [and with the approval of] Christ,

New American Standard Bible (1995)
But one whom you forgive anything, I forgive also; for indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did it for your sakes in the presence of Christ,

Legacy Standard Bible
But one whom you graciously forgive anything, I graciously forgive also. For indeed what I have graciously forgiven, if I have graciously forgiven anything, I did it for your sakes in the presence of Christ,

Berean Standard Bible
If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And if I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven it in the presence of Christ for your sake,

Contemporary English Version
I will forgive anyone you forgive. Yes, for your sake and with Christ as my witness, I have forgiven whatever needed to be forgiven.

Complete Jewish Bible
Anyone you forgive, I forgive too. For indeed, whatever I have forgiven, if there has been anything to forgive, has been for your sake in the presence of the Messiah

Darby Translation
But to whom ye forgive anything, *I* also; for I also, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, [it is] for your sakes in [the] person of Christ;

Easy-to-Read Version
If you forgive someone, then I also forgive them. And what I have forgiven—if I had anything to forgive—I forgave it for you, and Christ was with me.

Geneva Bible (1587)
To whome yee forgiue any thing, I forgiue also: for verely if I forgaue any thing, to whome I forgaue it, for your sakes forgaue I it in the sight of Christ,

George Lamsa Translation
To whom you forgive anything, I forgive also; for anything which I have forgiven, to whomever I forgave it, it is for your sakes I forgave it in the presence of Christ:

Good News Translation
When you forgive people for what they have done, I forgive them too. For when I forgive—if, indeed, I need to forgive anything—I do it in Christ's presence because of you,

Lexham English Bible
Now to whomever you forgive anything, I also do; for indeed, whatever I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, it is for your sake in the presence of Christ,

Literal Translation
But to whom you forgive anything, I also forgive . For also if I have forgiven anything, of whom I have forgiven it, it is for you, in Christ's person,

American Standard Version
But to whom ye forgive anything, I forgive also: for what I also have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, for your sakes have I forgiven it in the presence of Christ;

Bible in Basic English
But if you give forgiveness to anyone, I do the same: for if I have given forgiveness for anything, I have done it because of you, in the person of Christ;

Hebrew Names Version
Now I also forgive whomever you forgive anything. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Messiah,

International Standard Version
When you forgive someone, I do, too. Indeed, what I have forgiven - if there was anything to forgive - I didI did">[fn] in the presence of Christ for your benefit,

Etheridge Translation
10 But to whom you forgive, I also. For I, too, what I have forgiven, have on your account forgiven in the presence [fn] of the Meshiha:

Murdock Translation
10 And whom ye forgive, I also [fn] : for that which I forgave to any one, for your sakes I forgave it, in the presence of the Messiah;

Bishop's Bible (1568)
To whom ye forgeue any thyng, I forgeue also. For if I forgaue any thing, to whom I forgaue it, for your sakes forgaue I it, in the sight of Christe.

World English Bible
Now I also forgive whomever you forgive anything. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ,

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: and if I forgive any thing, to whom I forgive it, it is for your sakes, in the person of Christ.

Weymouth's New Testament
When you forgive a man an offence I also forgive it; for in fact what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has always been for your sakes in the presence of Christ,

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
For to whom ye han foryyuen ony thing, also Y haue foryyue. For Y that that Y foryaf, yif Y foryaf ony thing, haue youun for you in the persone of Crist,

Update Bible Version
But to whom you forgive anything, I [forgive] also: for what I also have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, for your sakes [I have forgiven it] in the presence of Christ;

Webster's Bible Translation
To whom ye forgive any thing, I [forgive] also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave [it], for your sakes [I forgave it], in the person of Christ;

New English Translation
If you forgive anyone for anything, I also forgive him—for indeed what I have forgiven (if I have forgiven anything) I did so for you in the presence of Christ,

New King James Version
Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven [fn] that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ,

New Living Translation
When you forgive this man, I forgive him, too. And when I forgive whatever needs to be forgiven, I do so with Christ's authority for your benefit,

New Life Bible
If you forgive a man, I forgive him also. If I have forgiven anything, I have done it because of you. Christ sees me as I forgive.

New Revised Standard
Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. What I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Now, to whom ye forgive anything, I, also; for, I also, what I have forgiven, if, anything, I have forgiven, for your sake, in the person of Christ, have I forgiven it .

Douay-Rheims Bible
And to whom you have pardoned any thing, I also. For, what I have pardoned, if I have pardoned any thing, for your sakes have I done it in the person of Christ:

Revised Standard Version
Any one whom you forgive, I also forgive. What I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ,

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
To whom ye forgeve enythinge I forgeve also. And verely if I forgeve enythinge to whom I forgave it for youre sakes forgave I it in the roume of Christ

Young's Literal Translation
And to whom ye forgive anything -- I also; for I also, if I have forgiven anything, to whom I have forgiven [it], because of you -- in the person of Christ -- [I forgive it,]

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But loke vnto who ye forgeue eny thinge, I forgeue hi also. For I also, yf I forgeue ought vnto eny ma, that forgeue I for youre sakes in the rowme of Christ,

Mace New Testament (1729)
to whom you forgive any thing, I also forgive: for if I have forgiven any thing, I forgave it, for your sakes (as Christ is

Simplified Cowboy Version
If you'll forgive him, so will I. And if I'm willing to forgive someone, I do so with the authority of Jesus himself.

Contextual Overview

⁵ But if any hath caused sorrow, he hath caused sorrow, not to me, but in part (that I press not too heavily) to you all. ⁶ Sufficient to such a one is this punishment which was [inflicted] by the many; ⁷ so that contrariwise ye should rather forgive him and comfort him, lest by any means such a one should be swallowed up with his overmuch sorrow. ⁸ Wherefore I beseech you to confirm [your] love toward him. ⁹ For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye are obedient in all things. ¹⁰ But to whom ye forgive anything, I [forgive] also: for what I also have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, for your sakes [have I forgiven it] in the person of Christ; ¹¹ that no advantage may be gained over us by Satan: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

whom ye: 2 Corinthians 5:20, Matthew 18:18, John 20:23, 1 Corinthians 5:4

person: or, sight

Reciprocal: Jeremiah 31:34 - for they Matthew 9:6 - that the Matthew 16:19 - and whatsoever Mark 2:5 - he said Luke 5:20 - Man Acts 5:31 - forgiveness 2 Corinthians 13:3 - Christ Ephesians 4:27 - General Ephesians 4:32 - kind Colossians 3:13 - even 2 Thessalonians 3:6 - in the

Cross-References

Psalms 46:4
There is a river, the streams whereof make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High.

Revelation 22:1
And he shewed me a river of water of life, bright as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

To whom ye forgive anything, I forgive also,.... This may extend to the forgiveness of any person, in any case; either in time past, or at the present time, or in time to come; though it has a particular respect to the forgiveness of the incestuous man, which the apostle had determined in his own mind, and was very ready to come into, and very desirous to join with the church in, as they had joined with him in the excommunication of him; and in order to engage them in such a temper and disposition, he tells them it was on their account he did it:

for if I forgave anything, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it; which is as if he should say, whenever I have forgiven any offender, as I now do forgive this man, I always do it for your sake; either at your request, or in confidence of this, that you yourselves have forgiven; or for your good, peace, and welfare: and besides, what I do of this kind, I do it

in the person of Christ; in his sight and presence, who knows that what I do this way, I do it sincerely, and with my whole heart and soul; or rather I do it in his name, and by his authority; and since I forgive this man for your sakes, and in the name of Christ, you ought to do so likewise.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

To whom ye forgive anything - The sense here is, “I have confidence in you as a Christian society and such confidence, that if you forgive an offence in one of your members, I shall approve the act, and shall also be ready to forgive.” He refers, doubtless, to this particular case; but he makes his remark general. It is implied here, I think, that the Corinthians were disposed to forgive the offending brother; and Paul here assures them that they had his hearty assent to this, and that if they did forgive him, he was ready to join them in the act, and to forgive him also.

For if I forgave anything - If I forgive anything; if I remit any of the punishments which have been inflicted by my authority.

For your sakes - It is not on account of the offender alone; it is in order to promote the happiness and purity of the church.

In the person of Christ - Locke paraphrases this, “By the authority, and in the name of Christ.” Doddridge,” As in the person of Christ, and by the high authority with which he has been pleased to invest me.” Tyndale, “In the room of Christ.” The word rendered “person” (Margin, “sight,” πρόσωπον prosōpon, from πρός pros and ὤψ ōps), means properly the part toward, at, and around the eye - Robinson. Then it means the face, visage, countenance; then the presence, person, etc. Here it probably means, in the presence of Christ; with his eye upon me, and conscious that I am acting before him, and must give account to him. It implies, undoubtedly, that Paul acted by his authority, and felt that he was doing that which Christ would approve.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Corinthians 2:10. To whom ye forgive any thing — Here he farther shows them that his sole object in the punishment inflicted on the transgressor, was his amendment and therefore promises to ratify, in the name and authority of Christ, the free pardon which he exhorts them to dispense.

In the person of Christ — As I believe Christ acts towards his penitent soul, so do I. Christ forgives his sin, and takes him to his favour; let us forgive him his offence against the Church, and restore him to its communion.