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2Co_1:11. A trustful and conciliatory mention of the intercessions of the readers. This is regarded as not so much conditioning (Erasmus, Rosenmüller, Rückert, and others), as rather furthering the καὶ ἔτι ῥύσεται : “he will also still save us, since ye also are helpful together for us,” etc. On the idea of the efficacy of intercession, comp. especially Php_1:19; Rom_15:30 f.
The reference of the συν in συνυπουργ . is to the apostle’s own work of prayer, with which that of the readers is joined by way of help: similar help on the part of other churches is just hinted by the καί before ὑμῶν .
ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ] on our behalf. A transposition for τῇ δεήσει ὑπὲρ ἡμ . would indeed be grammatically possible (Bernhardy, p. 461), but is in the highest degree superfluous (in opposition to Erasmus, Grotius, Schulz, Rosenmüller).
ἵνα ἐκ πολλ . προσώπ . κ . τ . λ .] divinely-appointed aim of the συνυπουργ . κ . τ . λ . The correlations are to be noted: 1. ἐκ πολλῶν προσώπ . and τὸ εἰς ἡμᾶς χάρ .; 2. διὰ πολλῶν and ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ; 3. χάρισμα and εὐχαριστηθῇ . Accordingly, there stand parallel to one another ἐκ πολλ . προσώπ . and then διὰ πολλῶν ; as also τὸ εἰς ἡμᾶς χάρισμα and then ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν . Hence, it is to be connected and taken thus: that from many countenances for the gift of grace made to us thanks may be rendered by means of many on our behalf. Paul means that the thanksgiving for his (and Timothy’s) rescue (i.e. τὸ εἰς ἡμ . χάρ .[126]) is not to be offered to God by himself (and Timothy) alone, but that it is to be a rendering of thanks made for him by many through the mediation of many. The many are the same in ἐκ πολλ . προσώπ . as in διὰ πολλῶν ; but there they are conceived of as those who give thanks, and in διὰ π . it. as those who have been the procuring means of the thanksgiving, in so far as through their prayer they have aided in obtaining the apostle’s rescue.[127] πρόσωπον , according to the use of the later Greek (see Lobeck, ad Phryn. p. 380; Schweigh., Lex. Polyb. p. 540; Wahl, Clav. Apocr. p. 430), is taken as person by Luther and most others (already in codd. of the Italic version). But it is nowhere used thus in the N. T., not even in passages like Jud_1:16; and, if Paul had had person in mind, there would have been no motive for choosing ἐκ instead of ὙΠΌ . Hence we must abide by the literal signification, countenance (Billroth, Ewald, Osiander, Hofmann): the expression ἐκ πολλ . προσώπ . is pictorial, for on the merry countenance the feeling of gratitude is displayed (Pro_15:30); it is mirrored therein, and goes out from it and upward to God in the utterance of thanksgiving. Fritzsche, ad Rom. III. p. 53, in the same way rightly joins ἐκ πολλ . προσώπ . as well as ΔΙᾺ ΠΟΛΛ . with ΕὐΧΑΡ ., but he takes ἘΚ ΠΟΛΛ . ΠΡ . of those who have besought the rescue and have thereby become the causers of the thanksgiving, and ΔΙᾺ ΠΟΛΛῶΝ of the thanksgivers themselves. So also Neander. But by this view justice is not done to the mediating sense of διά , and the pictorial reference of προσώπων (see above) can, according to the text, be found only in the act of thanksgiving itself. It is obvious from what has already been said, that neither can ΔΙᾺ ΠΟΛΛ . be joined to ΤῸ ΕἸς ἩΜ . ΧΆΡΙΣΜΑ (Theophylact and others, Billroth, Olshausen, Osiander, Kling), nor can ἘΚ ΠΟΛΛ . ΠΡΟΣΏΠ . be connected with ΤῸ ΕἸς ἩΜ . ΧΆΡ . as if it stood: ΤῸ ἘΚ ΠΟΛΛ . ΠΡΟΣΏΠ . ΕἸς ἩΜᾶς ΧΆΡΙΣΜΑ (Ambrosiaster, Valla, Beza, Calvin, Grotius, Estius, and many others, including Flatt, Fritzsche, Diss., Rückert, de Wette). Only on our view does the simple construction, as given by the order of the words, remain without dislocation, and the meaning of the words themselves uninjured. Whether, further, in ἐκ πολλ . προσώπ . the ΠΟΛΛῶΝ is masculine (Hofmann and Vulgate, “ex multorum facie”) or neuter, cannot be decide.
ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ] on our behalf, superfluous in itself, but suitable to the fulness of the representation.
The time in which the thanksgiving is to happen is after the beginning of the ῥύσεται , not on the last day (Ewald).
The passive expression ΕὐΧΑΡΙΣΤΕῖΣΘΑΙ (comp. Hipp. Ep. p. 1284, 31) is conceived like ἀχαριστεῖσθαι (Polyb. xxiii. 11. 8), to experience ingratitude, to be recompensed with ingratitude. Comp. Buttmann, neut. Gr. p. 130 [E. T. 148].
[126] Not the apostolic office (Ewald, Osiander), which here lies far from the context. So also Hofmann: the gift of God, to preach Christ to those who do not yet know Him. In the ordinary interpretation, there was not the least need of a demonstrative: the article and εἰς ἡμᾶς is from the context demonstrative enough.
[127] It was quite unsuitable, and contrary to the construction purposely carried out by the correlate stated above, to take ἐκ πολλ . προσώπ . προσώπ . or διὰ πολλ . as neuter, and either to explain the former, ex multis respectibus (Bengel, comp. Melanchthon—not even justifiable in the usage of the language), or the latter, prolixe (Castalio: “ingentes gratiae,” Wolf, Clericus, Semler, Storr, Rosenmüller). Comp. Luther. So also Hofmann takes διὰ πολλ . “abundant thanksgiving.” The Vulgate renders rightly: “per multos.”