2 Corinthians 12:7

And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

King James Version · Read in your translation · Open the Explore console

Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
And	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
lest	ἵνα ina	G2443	compare G3588 (ὁ)) · conjunction
measure	ὑπεραίρωμαι, huperairōmai	G5229	to raise oneself over · verb — present passive subjunctive, 1st person singular
abundance	ὑπερβολῇ huperbolēa	G5236	a throwing beyond others · noun — dative singular feminine
revelations	ἀποκαλύψεων.¶ apokalupseōn	G602	disclosure · noun — genitive plural feminine
given	ἐδόθη edothē	G1325	to give (used in a very wide application · verb — aorist passive indicative, 3rd person singular
me	μοί moí	G3427	to me
thorn	σκόλοψ skolops	G4647	withered at the front · noun — nominative singular masculine
flesh	σαρκί, sarki	G4561	flesh (as stripped of the skin) · noun — dative singular feminine
messenger	ἄγγελος angelos	G32	compare G34 (ἀγέλη)) (to bring tidings) · noun — nominative singular masculine
Satan	Σατᾶν Satân	G4566	Satan
to	ἵνα ina	G2443	compare G3588 (ὁ)) · conjunction
buffet	κολαφίζῃ kolaphizē	G2852	to rap with the fist · verb — present active subjunctive, 3rd person singular
me	μοι moi	G3165	me · personal pronoun — 1st person dative singular
lest	ἵνα ina	G2443	compare G3588 (ὁ)) · conjunction
measure	ὑπεραίρωμαι. huperairōmai	G5229	to raise oneself over · verb — present passive subjunctive, 1st person singular

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

Numbers 33:55 But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them…
Judges 2:3 Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare…
2 Chronicles 32:25-26 But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him; for his heart was lifted up: therefore there was wrath upon him, and…
Genesis 32:31 And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh.
1 Corinthians 5:5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
Galatians 4:13 Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first.
Daniel 5:20 But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him:
1 Timothy 3:6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 2 Corinthians 12:1-10

Here we may observe, I. The narrative the apostle gives of the favours God had shown him, and the honour he had done him; for doubtless he himself is the man in Christ of whom he speaks. Concerning this we may take notice, 1. Of the honour itself which was done to the apostle: he was caught up into the third heaven, Co2 12:2. When this was we cannot say, whether it was during those three days that he lay without sight at his conversion or at some other time afterwards, much less can we pretend to say how this was, whether by a separation of his soul from his body or by an extraordinary transport in the depth of contemplation. It would be presumption for us to determine, if not also to enquir…

Read the whole note in the console

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 2 Corinthians 12:7

exalted above measure--Greek, "overmuch uplifted." How dangerous must self-exaltation be, when even the apostle required so much restraint! [BENGEL]. abundance--Greek, "the excess"; exceeding greatness. given . . . me--namely, by God (Job 5:6; Phi 1:29). thorn in the flesh-- (Num 33:55; Eze 28:24). ALFORD thinks it to be the same bodily affliction as in Gal 4:13-14. It certainly was something personal, affecting him individually, and not as an apostle: causing at once acute pain (as "thorn" implies) and shame ("buffet": as slaves are buffeted, Pe1 2:20). messenger of Satan--who is permitted by God to afflict His saints, as Job (Job 2:7; Luk 13:16). to buffet me--In Greek, present:…

Read the whole note in the console

Adam Clarke on 2 Corinthians 12:7

And lest I should be exalted - There were three evils to be guarded against: 1. The contempt of his gifts and call by his enemies. 2. The overweening fondness of his friends. And, Self-exultation. A thorn in the flesh - The word σκολοψ signifies a stake, and ανασκολοπιζεσθαι, to be tied to a stake by way of punishment; and it is used, says Schoettgen, to signify the most oppressive afflictions. Whatever it was, it was τῃ σαρκι, in the flesh, i.e. of an outward kind. It was neither sin nor sinfulness, for this could not be given him to prevent his being exalted above measure; for sin never had and never can have this tendency. What this thorn in the flesh might be has given birth to a multit…

The Church Fathers

By "messenger of Satan" Paul means the insults, attacks and riots which he had to face.
— Theodoret of Cyrus, COMMENTARY ON THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS 349

Many people think this was some kind of headache, but in reality Paul is referring to the persecutions which he suffered, because they came from diabolical powers.
— Severian of Gabala, PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Paul is testifying that God makes provision for those who have done well, while at the same time he allows them to be cast down by various trials. This is both so that they shall not be deprived of the fruits of their labors and that they may be enriched by their trials so that they may have even greater eternal rewards.
— Ambrosiaster, COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES

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

Afflictions — Common to all (Job 5:7; 14:1; Ps. 34:19); are for the good of men (James 1:2, 3, 12; 2 Cor. 12:7) and the glory of God (2 Cor. 12:7-10; 1 Pet. 4:14), and are to be borne with patience by the Lord’s…
Prayer — Is converse with God; the intercourse of the soul with God, not in contemplation or meditation, but in direct address to him. Prayer may be oral or mental, occasional or constant, ejaculatory or…
Thorn in the flesh — (2 Cor. 12:7-10). Many interpretations have been given of this passage. (1.) Roman Catholic writers think that it denotes suggestions to impiety. (2.) Luther, Calvin, and other Reformers interpret…
Afflictions Made Beneficial · In humbling us — In humbling us
Humility · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Messenger · .Of Satan — .Of Satan
Pride · 4:1; — 4:1;
Temptation · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Thorn · .Of afflictions — .Of afflictions
Warfare Of Saints · Is against: The flesh — Is against: The flesh

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).

2 Corinthians 12:7

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 2 Corinthians 12:1-10

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 2 Corinthians 12:7

Adam Clarke on 2 Corinthians 12:7

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

2 Corinthians 12:7

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 2 Corinthians 12:1-10

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 2 Corinthians 12:7

Adam Clarke on 2 Corinthians 12:7

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Gill on 2 Corinthians 12:7

John Calvin on 2 Corinthians 12:6-10

Tyndale Open Study Notes on 2 Corinthians 12:7-10