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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadHeinrich Meyer Commentary - 2 Corinthians 8:13 - 8:13
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2Co_8:13. Confirmation of the previous οὐ καθὸ οὐκ ἔχει from the aim of the present collection.
The words usually supplied after οὐ γάρ (Beza, Flatt, and others: hoc dico; Erasmus and Grotius: sic dandum est; Rosenmüller and Fritzsche, ad Rom. p 48: volo; comp. Osiander; Rückert has γίνεται τοῦτο , comp. Ewald, and previously Luther) are superfluous, and therefore to be rejected. There is nothing to be supplied but ᾖ after θλίψις and γίνεται (see 2Co_8:14) at the end of the verse: for not in order that there may be to others refreshing, to you distress, but on a footing of equality at the present time your superfluity reaches to the lack of those, is applied to remedy their lack. The punctuation is to be corrected accordingly. Since the sentence in this way flows logically and grammatically without any obstacle, there is not to be placed after θλίψις (Beza, Elzevir, Flatt, and many others), or yet even after ἰσότητος (Griesbach, Lachmann, Tischendorf, Rückert, de Wette, Osiander, and others), any colon, by which, moreover, ἐν τῷ νῦν καιρῷ would receive an emphasis not justified by any contrast, and would come in very abruptly, having no connecting particl.
ἄλλοις ] means the Christians in Jerusalem. The same are afterwards meant by ἐκείνων . Probably opponents in Corinth had said: “he wishes to fleece us and bring us to want, that others may have good times or the like.”
On the contrast of ἄνεσις and θλίψις , comp. 2Th_1:6 f. The asyndeton: ἄλλοις ἄνεσις , ὑμῖν ( δέ is not genuine) θλίψις presents the contrast more vividly. Paul, however, uses ἄλλοις , not ἑτέροις (as in 2Co_8:8), because he has been thinking of others generally, other persons than the readers.
ἐξ ἰσότητος ] ἐκ , as in 2Co_8:11, used of the standard. The establishment of equality (between you and others) is the norm, according to which, et.
ἐν τῷ νῦν καιρᾷ ] awakens the thought of a future, where the state of the case might be reversed. See 2Co_8:14. Hofmann thinks that Paul had here in view the definite inversion of the situation in such wise, that after Israel’s conversion (2Co_3:16) there would be in the Holy Land a Christian church under more prosperous fortunes than the body of Gentile Christians then sorely tried. But this is not to be made good by 2Th_2:3, and it has against it Rom_11:25, according to which, before the conversion of Israel will ensue, the whole Gentile world must first be converted, and accordingly Paul could hardly have thought of casual collections from Judaea as then either necessary or effectual for the Gentiles (apart altogether from the expected nearness of the Parousia).
On γίνεσθαι εἰς , to come unto, reach towards, be apportioned to (Plato, Tim. p. 57 A; Luc. Caucas, 19, al.), comp. on Gal_3:14.