(adverbially) more (in a greater degree)) or rather · adverb
forgive
χαρίσασθαιcharisasthai
G5483
to grant as a favor · verb — aorist middle deponent infinitive
and
καὶkai
G2532
and · conjunction
comfort
παρακαλέσαι,parakalesai
G3870
to call near · verb — aorist active infinitive
perhaps
μήπωςmḗpōs
G3381
lest somehow
one
τοιοῦτος.toioutos
G5108
truly this · demonstrative pronoun — nominative singular masculine
up
καταποθῇkatapothēa
G2666
to drink down · verb — aorist passive subjunctive, 3rd person singular
overmuch
περισσόςperissós
G4053
superabundant (in quantity) or superior (in quality)
sorrow
λύπῃlupē
G3077
sadness · noun — dative singular feminine
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
Ephesians 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
Galatians 6:1-2 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest…
Colossians 3:13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
Proverbs 17:22 A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.
Isaiah 28:7 But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong dri…
2 Samuel 20:19-20 I am one of them that are peaceable and faithful in Israel: thou seekest to destroy a city and a mother in Israel: why wilt thou swallow up…
Psalms 21:9 Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time of thine anger: the LORD shall swallow them up in his wrath, and the fire shall devour them…
Psalms 124:3 Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us:
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on 2 Corinthians 2:5-11
In these verses the apostle treats concerning the incestuous person who had been excommunicated, which seems to be one principal cause of his writing this epistle. Here observe, 1. He tells them that the crime of that person had grieved him in part; and that he was grieved also with a part of them, who, notwithstanding this scandal had been found among them, were puffed up and had not mourned, Co1 5:2. However, he was unwilling to lay too heavy a charge upon the whole church, especially seeing they had cleared themselves in that matter by observing the directions he had formerly given them. 2. He tells them that the punishment which had been inflicted upon this offender was sufficient, Co2 2…
with overmuch sorrow--Greek, "with HIS overmuch sorrow."
Adam Clarke on 2 Corinthians 2:7
Ye ought rather to forgive him - He had now suffered enough; for the punishment inflicted had answered the end for which it was inflicted; and there was some danger that, if this poor culprit were not restored to the bosom of the Church, his distress and anguish would destroy his life, or drive him to despair.
John Gill on 2 Corinthians 2:7
So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him,.... On the other hand, so far the apostle suggests they should be from inflicting any other punishment on him, or by any means adding to, and increasing what was inflicted, that they ought to forgive him his offence, by taking off the censure from him, which had been sufficient for the purpose, and had continued on him a sufficient time:
and comfort him; by restoring him to the communion of the church, and to an enjoyment of all the privileges and ordinances of the house of God: and this was necessary to be done,
lest perhaps such an one should be swallowed up with over much sorrow: be overwhelmed with trouble, engulfed in despair, and s…
A person who is swallowed up in too much affliction will turn in desperation to committing sins. True repentance, on the other hand, is a turning away from sin. If this person repents, he will prove that he is sorry for what he has done.
"So that contrariwise ye should rather forgive him and comfort him, lest by any means such a one should be swallowed up with his overmuch sorrow." He bids them not only take off the censure: but, besides, restores him to his former estate; for if one let go him that hath been scourged and heal him not, he hath done nothing. And see how him too he keeps down lest he should be rendered worse by the forgiveness. For though he had both confessed and repented, he makes it manifest that he obtaineth remission not so much by his penitence as by this free gift. Wherefore he saith, "to forgive him and to comfort him," and what follows again makes the same thing plain. "For," saith he, "it is not because he is worthy, not because he has shown sufficient penitence; but because he is weak, it is for this I request it." Whence also he added, "lest by any means such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow." And this is both as testifying to his deep repentance and as not allowing him to fall into despair. But what means this, "swallowed up?" Either doing as Judas did, or even in living becoming worse. For, saith he, if he should rush away from longer enduring the anguish of this lengthened censure, perchance also despairing he will either come to hang himself, or fall into greater crimes afterwards. One ought then to take steps beforehand, lest the sore become too hard to deal with; and lest what we have well done we lose by want of moderation.
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
Mercy · Should be shown: To backsliders — Should be shown: To backsliders
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).
John Calvin on 2 Corinthians 2:6-11
2 Corinthians 2:6-11
6. Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many.
6. Sufficit ei, qui talis est, correctio, quae illi contigit a pluribus.
7. So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.
7. Ut potius e diverso debeatis condonare, et consolari: ne forte abundantiori tristitia absorbeatur, qui eiusmodi est.
8. Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him.
8. Quamobrem obsecro vos, ut confirmetis erga eum caritatem.
9. For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things.
9. Nam in hoc et…
These verses are the outcome of Paul’s earlier visit and the insult he received. Following Paul’s severe but tearful letter, the church condemned the behavior of the man who caused all the trouble and disciplined him (2:6). He repented, so now it was time to forgive and comfort him, as Paul had already done.
