Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges - 2 Corinthians 9:14 - 9:14

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Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges - 2 Corinthians 9:14 - 9:14


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14. καὶ αὐτῶν δεήσει ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν ἐπιποθούντων ὑμᾶς. The construction is uncertain: but it is clumsy to take δεήσει back to δοξάζοντες, ‘glorifying God by their prayer’; and still more so to take it back to περισσεύουσα, ‘abounding in their prayer.’ More probably αὐτῶν ἐπιποθούντων is a gen. absol. (comp. 2Co 4:18) adding the thought that (while the Corinthians exhibit their goodwill by their bounty) the recipients of the bounty exhibit their goodwill by intercession for the donors; while they themselves also, with supplication on your behalf, long after you, on account of the exceeding grace of God upon you. To make δεήσει depend on ἐπί (2Co 9:13) is grammatically possible, but yields no good sense. Would the Judean Christians glorify God for their own prayer? The word δέησις implies personal need (Luk 1:13; Jam 5:16; 1Pe 3:12), and is often used of intercession, whether to God or to man (Rom 10:1; Php 1:4; 2Ti 1:3). See Lightfoot on Php 4:6, and Trench, Syn. § li.

τὴν ὑπερβάλλουσαν χάριν τοῦ θεοῦ ἐφʼ ὑμῖν. This is explained by πᾶσαν χάριν περισσεῦσαι in 2Co 9:8. The play of words between χάριν τοῦ θεοῦ and χάρις τῷ θεῷ (2Co 9:15) should be noted.