2 Corinthians 12:14 — meaning, Hebrew and Greek word study, commentary
2 Corinthians 12:14
Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be burdensome to you: for I seek not yours but you: for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children.
to amass or reserve (literally or figuratively) · verb — present active infinitive
parents
γονεῦσινgoneusin
G1118
a parent · noun — dative plural masculine
but
ἀλλ᾽all᾽
G235
properly · conjunction
parents
γονεῖςgoneis
G1118
a parent · noun — nominative plural masculine
children
τέκνοις·teknois
G5043
a child (as produced) · noun — dative plural neuter
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
Proverbs 19:14 House and riches are the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife is from the LORD.
Genesis 24:35-36 And the LORD hath blessed my master greatly; and he is become great: and he hath given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and mens…
1 Corinthians 10:33 Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.
Genesis 31:14-15 And Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him, Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house?
Proverbs 13:22 A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.
1 Corinthians 10:24 Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth.
Ezekiel 34:2 Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe be to the…
2 Corinthians 1:15 And in this confidence I was minded to come unto you before, that ye might have a second benefit;
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on 2 Corinthians 12:11–end
In these verses the apostle addresses himself to the Corinthians two ways: -
I. He blames them for what was faulty in them; namely, that they had not stood up in his defence as they ought to have done, and so made it the more needful for him to insist so much on his own vindication. They in manner compelled him to commend himself, who ought to have been commended of them Co2 12:11. And had they, or some among them, not failed on their part, it would have been less needful for him to have said so much on his own behalf. He tells them further that they in particular had good reason to speak well of him, as being in nothing behind the very chief apostles, because he had given them full proof a…
the third time--See Introduction to the first Epistle. His second visit was probably a short one (Co1 16:7), and attended with humiliation through the scandalous conduct of some of his converts (compare Co2 12:21; Co2 2:1). It was probably paid during his three years' sojourn at Ephesus, from which he could pass so readily by sea to Corinth (compare Co2 1:15-16; Co2 13:1-2). The context here implies nothing of a third preparation to come; but, "I am coming, and the third time, and will not burden you this time any more than I did at my two previous visits" [ALFORD].
not yours, but you-- (Phi 4:17).
children . . . parents--Paul was their spiritual father (Co1 4:14-15). He does not, theref…
The third time I am ready - That is, this is the third time that I am ready - have formed the resolution, to visit you. He had formed this resolution twice before, but was disappointed. See Co1 16:5, and Co2 1:15, Co2 1:16. He now formed it a third time, having more probability of seeing them now than he had before. See Co2 13:2.
I seek not yours, but you - I seek your salvation, I desire not your property; others have sought your property, but not your salvation. See Co2 11:20.
For the children ought not to lay up for the parents - You may have many teachers, but you have but one Father; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel; see Co1 4:15. Ye are my children, and I am y…
The Church Fathers
Paul's desire was to gain the Corinthians themselves and not their money. Once they understood that, they would have more affection for him.
Paul is telling the Corinthians that if he had more to give them, he would be bound to do so, as a loving parent.
"Behold this is the third time I am ready to come to you, and I will not be a burden to you; for I seek not yours, but you: for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children." What he says is this; 'It is not because I do not receive of you that I do not come to you; nay, I have already come twice; and I am prepared to come this third time, "and I will not be a burden to you."' And the reason is a noble one. For he did not say, 'because ye are mean,' 'because ye are hurt at it,' 'because ye are weak:' but what? "For I seek not yours, but you." 'I seek greater things; souls instead of goods; instead of gold, salvation.' Then because there still hung about the matter some suspicion, as if he were displeased at them; he therefore even states an argument. For since it was likely they would say, 'Can you not have both us and ours?' he adds with much grace this excuse for them, saying, "For the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children;" instead of teachers and disciples, employing the term parents and children, and showing that he does as a matter of duty what was not of duty. For Christ did not so command, but he says this to spare them; and therefore he adds also something further. For he did not only say that "the children ought not to lay up," but also that the parents ought to. Therefore since it is meet to give...
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
Dictionary and topics
Corinth — A Grecian city, on the isthmus which joins the Peloponnesus to the mainland of Greece. It is about 48 miles west of Athens. The ancient city was destroyed by the Romans (B.C. 146), and that mentioned…
Corinth · .By PaulAc 18; — .By PaulAc 18;
Ministers · Should be: Disinterested — Should be: Disinterested
Parents · Their duty to their children is: To provide for them — Their duty to their children is: To provide for them
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you,.... Not that he had been twice at Corinth, and was now about to come a third time; for as yet he had been but once there, when he first preached to them, was the means of their conversion, and settled them in a church state; he had promised them to come a second time, but as yet was prevented; see 1 Corinthians 16:5, and now a third time he had purposed it in his mind, and had prepared for it, and was just ready to come unto them; when he assures them he had not altered his mind, nor should he change his conduct, but steer the same course he had:
and I will not be burdensome to you; he signifies he would preach the Gospel freely to them, and…
2 Corinthians 12:11-15
11. I am become a fool in glorying; ye have compelled me: for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I be nothing.
11. Factus sum insipiens gloriando: vos me coegistis: nam ego debueram a vobis commendari: nulla enim in er inferior fui summis Apostolis, tametsi nihil sum.
12. Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.
12. Signa quidem apostoli peracta fuerunt inter vos, in omni patientia, et signis, et prodigiis, et virtutibus.
13. For what is it wherein you were inferior to other churches, except it be that I myself was not burdensome…
Tyndale Open Study Notes on 2 Corinthians 12:14-15
the third time: Paul’s first visit was his initial evangelism at Corinth (Acts 18:1-18); the second was the unscheduled “painful visit” (2 Cor 2:1). Paul contemplates what he hopes will be a happier visit, but there is still some suspicion and a need to clear the air. • I will not be a burden: Paul did not want their money but rather that they would fully accept his authority. That is why he would gladly spend himself for them rather than accept payment from them.
