2 Corinthians 2

I judged not to come again in sorrow — if I grieve you, who makes me merry? I wrote with many tears so that you might know love. For the one who grieved, the censure of the more is enough — rather show grace and comfort him, lest he be swallowed up by sorrow. Not taken advantage of by Satan — we know his thoughts. In Troas a door opened, but without Titus no relief. Grace to God — who leads us in triumph and manifests the fragrance of knowledge. We are Christ’s sweet aroma — from death to death, from life to life. We do not peddle the word; before God we speak.

ἔκρινα ⸀γὰρ ἐμαυτῷ τοῦτο, τὸ μὴ πάλιν ἐν λύπῃ πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐλθεῖν·

For I judged this for myself: not to come to you again in sorrow.

εἰ γὰρ ἐγὼ λυπῶ ὑμᾶς, καὶ ⸀τίς ὁ εὐφραίνων με εἰ μὴ ὁ λυπούμενος ἐξ ἐμοῦ;

For if I grieve you, who then is the one who makes me merry except the one grieved by me?

καὶ ⸀ἔγραψα τοῦτο αὐτὸ ἵνα μὴ ἐλθὼν λύπην ⸀σχῶ ἀφ’ ὧν ἔδει με χαίρειν, πεποιθὼς ἐπὶ πάντας ὑμᾶς ὅτι ἡ ἐμὴ χαρὰ πάντων ὑμῶν ἐστιν.

And I wrote this very thing so that when I came I might not have sorrow from those from whom I ought to rejoice, trusting in you all that my joy is that of you all.

ἐκ γὰρ πολλῆς θλίψεως καὶ συνοχῆς καρδίας ἔγραψα ὑμῖν διὰ πολλῶν δακρύων, οὐχ ἵνα λυπηθῆτε, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἀγάπην ἵνα γνῶτε ἣν ἔχω περισσοτέρως εἰς ὑμᾶς.

For out of much affliction and distress of heart I wrote to you, with many tears, not that you might be grieved, but that you might know the love which I have all the more toward you.

Εἰ δέ τις λελύπηκεν, οὐκ ἐμὲ λελύπηκεν, ἀλλὰ ἀπὸ μέρους ἵνα μὴ ἐπιβαρῶ πάντας ὑμᾶς.

Now if anyone has grieved, he has not grieved me, but — in part, so that I may not burden you all —

ἱκανὸν τῷ τοιούτῳ ἡ ἐπιτιμία αὕτη ἡ ὑπὸ τῶν πλειόνων,

for such a one this censure by the more is enough,

ὥστε τοὐναντίον ⸀μᾶλλον ὑμᾶς χαρίσασθαι καὶ παρακαλέσαι, μή πως τῇ περισσοτέρᾳ λύπῃ καταποθῇ ὁ τοιοῦτος.

so that on the contrary you should rather show grace to him and comfort him, lest such a one be swallowed up by the greater sorrow.

Why this rendering

2Cor.2.7 Observation

Syntactic observation

εἰ γὰρ ἐγὼ λυπῶ ὑμᾶς, καὶ τίς ὁ εὐφραίνων με εἰ μὴ ὁ λυπούμενος ἐξ ἐμοῦ … ἱκανὸν τῷ τοιούτῳ ἡ ἐπιτιμία αὕτη ἡ ὑπὸ τῶν πλειόνων, ὥστε τοὐναντίον μᾶλλον ὑμᾶς χαρίσασθαι καὶ παρακαλέσαι, μή πως τῇ περισσοτέρᾳ λύπῃ καταποθῇ ὁ τοιοῦτος — if I grieve you, who then makes me merry except the one grieved by me … for such a one this censure by the more is enough, so that on the contrary you should rather show grace to him and comfort him, lest such a one be swallowed up by the greater sorrow. λύπη (sorrow) and λυπέω (grieve) come eight times in vv.1-7 — the verb of Mark 14:19 (‘they were greatly grieved’) moves between active (grieve) and passive (be grieved) and between ‘I / you / such a one’. εὐφραίνω is the verb of Luke 15:23 (‘let us eat and be merry’), here active and causative — ‘makes merry’. ἐπιτιμία (censure — only here in the New Testament) is the noun of ἐπιτιμάω (rebuke; Mark 1:25) — not paraphrased ‘punishment’. ἱκανός (enough) is the word of Luke 22:38 (‘It is enough’) in v.6, and the grain of Luke 3:16 (‘not fit’) in v.16 (‘who is fit?’). χαρίζομαι is the verb of Rom 8:32 (‘freely give all things’), here shown to a person — ‘show grace’; it is a different word from ἀφίημι (forgive) and is not paraphrased ‘forgive’. καταπίνω (be swallowed up) is the verb of 1 Cor 15:54, ‘death has been swallowed up’, come here to sorrow.

Rendering options · 2

Adopted

“show grace” — χαρίζομαι on the root of χάρις

Basis A different word from ἀφίημι (forgive); ‘grace’ is inside the word.

“forgive”

Basis The familiar rendering.

Rejected It takes the place of ἀφίημι and cuts the thread of χάρις.

Lost in translation

λύπη ↔ λυπέω (eight times in vv.1-7) — ‘sorrow / grieve · be grieved’ splits the root across two English words.

Survives in · this edition — 1 of the nine carry it (not this language)

χαρίζομαι ↔ χάρις (v.14, ‘grace to God’) — ‘show grace / grace’ keeps the root.

Survives in · this edition — 2 of the nine carry it (this language among them)

διὸ παρακαλῶ ὑμᾶς κυρῶσαι εἰς αὐτὸν ἀγάπην·

Therefore I exhort you to ratify love toward him.

εἰς τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ἔγραψα ἵνα γνῶ τὴν δοκιμὴν ὑμῶν, εἰ εἰς πάντα ὑπήκοοί ἐστε.

For to this end also I wrote, that I might know your proof, whether you are obedient in all things.

ᾧ δέ τι χαρίζεσθε, κἀγώ· καὶ γὰρ ἐγὼ ⸂ὃ κεχάρισμαι, εἴ τι⸃ κεχάρισμαι, δι’ ὑμᾶς ἐν προσώπῳ Χριστοῦ,

Now to whomever you show grace in anything, I do too; for indeed what I have shown grace in — if I have shown grace in anything — is for your sake in the face of Christ,

first here Christ Χριστός Christos

ἵνα μὴ πλεονεκτηθῶμεν ὑπὸ τοῦ Σατανᾶ, οὐ γὰρ αὐτοῦ τὰ νοήματα ἀγνοοῦμεν.

so that we may not be taken advantage of by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his thoughts.

first here Satan Σατανᾶς Satanas

Why this rendering

2Cor.2.11 Observation

Syntactic observation

ᾧ δέ τι χαρίζεσθε, κἀγώ· καὶ γὰρ ἐγὼ ὃ κεχάρισμαι, εἴ τι κεχάρισμαι, δι’ ὑμᾶς ἐν προσώπῳ Χριστοῦ, ἵνα μὴ πλεονεκτηθῶμεν ὑπὸ τοῦ Σατανᾶ, οὐ γὰρ αὐτοῦ τὰ νοήματα ἀγνοοῦμεν — to whomever you show grace in anything, I do too; for what I have shown grace in — if I have shown grace in anything — is for your sake in the face of Christ, so that we may not be taken advantage of by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his thoughts. In v.10 the base text marks ⸂ὃ κεχάρισμαι, εἴ τι⸃ as a variant — the parenthesis ‘if I have shown grace in anything’ sits in different places in different manuscripts. This edition carries the parenthesis with dashes. πλεονεκτέω (be taken advantage of — five New Testament sites) is the verb of πλεονέκτης (the greedy; 1 Cor 5:10) — the root ‘have more’ is lost in ‘take advantage’ (a recorded loss). νόημα (thoughts — six New Testament sites) is a different word from νοῦς (mind; 1 Cor 14:14) and is kept apart. ἐν προσώπῳ Χριστοῦ (in the face of Christ) keeps πρόσωπον as ‘face’. δοκιμή in v.9 (proof) is the word of Rom 5:4, and ὑπήκοος (obedient) the word of Acts 7:39. κυρόω in v.8 (ratify — two New Testament sites, with Gal 3:15) is a legal word. ἐπιβαρέω in v.5 (burden — three New Testament sites) shares its root with βαρέω in 1:8 (weighed down).

Rendering options · 2

Adopted

“in the face of Christ” — πρόσωπον as fixed

Basis One word, one rendering; the same word as ‘many faces’ in 1:11.

“in the presence of Christ”

Basis The familiar paraphrase.

Rejected ‘Face’ vanishes, and with it the thread to ‘the face of Christ’ in 4:6.

Lost in translation

πλεονεκτέω (v.11) ↔ πλεονέκτης (1 Cor 5:10) — ‘take advantage / the greedy’ loses the root.

this edition — none of the nine carries it (measured)

ἐπιβαρέω (v.5) ↔ βαρέω (1:8) — ‘burden / weighed down’ loses the root.

this edition — none of the nine carries it (measured)

Ἐλθὼν δὲ εἰς τὴν Τρῳάδα εἰς τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ θύρας μοι ἀνεῳγμένης ἐν κυρίῳ,

Now when I came to Troas for the gospel of Christ, and a door was opened to me in the Lord,

οὐκ ἔσχηκα ἄνεσιν τῷ πνεύματί μου τῷ μὴ εὑρεῖν με Τίτον τὸν ἀδελφόν μου, ἀλλὰ ἀποταξάμενος αὐτοῖς ἐξῆλθον εἰς Μακεδονίαν.

I had no relief in my spirit because I did not find Titus my brother; but saying farewell to them I went out into Macedonia.

Τῷ δὲ θεῷ χάρις τῷ πάντοτε θριαμβεύοντι ἡμᾶς ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ καὶ τὴν ὀσμὴν τῆς γνώσεως αὐτοῦ φανεροῦντι δι’ ἡμῶν ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ·

But grace to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ and manifests through us the fragrance of the knowledge of him in every place;

ὅτι Χριστοῦ εὐωδία ἐσμὲν τῷ θεῷ ἐν τοῖς σῳζομένοις καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἀπολλυμένοις,

for we are a sweet aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing —

οἷς μὲν ὀσμὴ ⸀ἐκ θανάτου εἰς θάνατον, οἷς δὲ ὀσμὴ ⸁ἐκ ζωῆς εἰς ζωήν. καὶ πρὸς ταῦτα τίς ἱκανός;

to the one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. And for these things who is fit?

Why this rendering

2Cor.2.16 Observation

Syntactic observation

Τῷ δὲ θεῷ χάρις τῷ πάντοτε θριαμβεύοντι ἡμᾶς ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ καὶ τὴν ὀσμὴν τῆς γνώσεως αὐτοῦ φανεροῦντι δι’ ἡμῶν ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ· ὅτι Χριστοῦ εὐωδία ἐσμὲν τῷ θεῷ … οἷς μὲν ὀσμὴ ἐκ θανάτου εἰς θάνατον, οἷς δὲ ὀσμὴ ἐκ ζωῆς εἰς ζωήν — grace to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ and manifests through us the fragrance of the knowledge of him in every place; for we are a sweet aroma of Christ to God … to the one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. θριαμβεύω (lead in triumph — two New Testament sites, with Col 2:15) is the word of the Roman general’s triumphal procession; whether the ‘us’ led are captives or soldiers the text does not say, and this edition does not decide. ὀσμή (fragrance) is the word of John 12:3 (‘the house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment’), and εὐωδία (sweet aroma) is another word, kept apart — the ‘fragrance’ of death and the ‘sweet aroma’ of Christ are two words. Verse 16 sets two ἐκ … εἰς pairs against each other — from death to death / from life to life. σῳζομένοις / ἀπολλυμένοις in v.15 (those being saved / those perishing) are the two present participles of 1 Cor 1:18. καπηλεύω in v.17 (peddle) is a New Testament hapax, the word of the wine-seller — different from πωλέω (sell). κατέναντι θεοῦ (before God) is the phrase of Rom 4:17. θύρας ἀνεῳγμένης in v.12 (a door opened) is the picture of 1 Cor 16:9. ἄνεσις in v.13 (relief) is the word of Acts 24:23 (‘liberty’) come to the spirit — kept apart from ἀνάπαυσις (rest; Matt 11:29).

Rendering options · 2

Adopted

“fragrance / sweet aroma” — ὀσμή and εὐωδία as two words

Basis Two words; John 12:3 fixed ὀσμή as ‘fragrance’, and the fragrance of death is the same word.

“aroma” for both

Basis The familiar rendering.

Rejected Two words become one and the link to John 12:3 breaks.

Lost in translation

The openness of θριαμβεύω — whether the ‘us’ led in triumph are captives or soldiers the text does not say; ‘leads us in triumph’ leaves it open.

Survives in · this edition — 2 of the nine carry it (this language among them)

ὀσμή ↔ εὐωδία (vv.14-16) — ‘fragrance / sweet aroma’ keeps the two words apart.

Survives in · this edition — 2 of the nine carry it (this language among them)

οὐ γάρ ἐσμεν ὡς οἱ ⸀πολλοὶ καπηλεύοντες τὸν λόγον τοῦ θεοῦ, ἀλλ’ ὡς ἐξ εἰλικρινείας, ἀλλ’ ὡς ἐκ θεοῦ ⸀κατέναντι θεοῦ ἐν Χριστῷ λαλοῦμεν.

For we are not like the many who peddle the word of God; but as from sincerity, as from God, before God, in Christ we speak.