a Corinthian · noun — vocative plural masculine, a people or place name
our
ἡμῶνhēmōn
G2257
of (or from) us
mouth
στόμαstoma
G4750
the mouth (as if a gash in the face) · noun — nominative singular neuter
open
ἀνέῳγενaneōgen
G455
to open up (literally or figuratively · verb — second perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular
unto
πρὸςpros
G4314
a preposition of direction · preposition
you
ὑμᾶςhymâs
G5209
you (as the objective of a verb or preposition)
our
ἡμῶνhēmōn
G2257
of (or from) us
heart
καρδίαkardia
G2588
the heart · noun — nominative singular feminine
enlarged
πεπλάτυνται·peplatuntai
G4115
to widen (literally or figuratively) · verb — perfect passive indicative, 3rd 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
Psalms 119:32 I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart.
2 Corinthians 7:3-4 I speak not this to condemn you: for I have said before, that ye are in our hearts to die and live with you.
2 Corinthians 12:15 And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.
Philippians 1:8 For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 2:4 For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the…
1 Samuel 2:1 And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the LORD, mine horn is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; becau…
Galatians 3:1 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth…
Philippians 4:15 Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concern…
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on 2 Corinthians 6:11–end
The apostle proceeds to address himself more particularly to the Corinthians, and cautions them against mingling with unbelievers. Here observe,
I. How the caution is introduced with a profession, in a very pathetic manner, of the most tender affection to them, even like that of a father to his children, Co2 6:11-13. Though the apostle was happy in a great fluency of expressions, yet he seemed to want words to express the warm affections he had for these Corinthians. As if he had said, "O ye Corinthians, to whom I am now writing, I would fain convince you how well I love you: we are desirous to promote the spiritual and eternal welfare of all to whom we preach, yet our mouth is open unto you…
mouth . . . open unto you--I use no concealment, such as some at Corinth have insinuated (Co2 4:2). I use all freedom and openness of speech to you as to beloved friends. Hence he introduces here, "O Corinthians" (compare Phi 4:15). The enlargement of his heart towards them (Co2 7:3) produced his openness of mouth, that is, his unreserved expression of his inmost feelings. As an unloving man is narrow in heart, so the apostle's heart is enlarged by love, so as to take in his converts at Corinth, not only with their graces, but with their many shortcomings (compare Kg1 4:29; Psa 119:32; Isa 60:5).
Adam Clarke on 2 Corinthians 6:11
O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you - I speak to you with the utmost freedom and fluency, because of my affection for you.
Our heart is enlarged - It is expanded to take you and all your interests in; and to keep you in the most affectionate remembrance.
The preceding verses contain a very fine specimen of a very powerful and commanding eloquence.
John Gill on 2 Corinthians 6:11
O ye Corinthians,.... The apostle having exhorted the ministers of the church at Corinth to take care of their ministry, that they fulfil it, and that it might appear that the Gospel, and gifts fitting them to preach it, were not received in vain by them; all which he strengthens and encourages by his own example; and that of others, addresses the members of the church in a very pathetic manner, saying,
our mouth is open to you; to speak our minds freely to you; we shall hide and conceal nothing from you, we shall deal with you with all plainness and faithfulness. This seems to refer unto, and pave the way for what he afterwards says about their unequal fellowship with unbelievers:
our hea…
The Church Fathers
Paul is saying this because of the freedom he enjoyed in a pure conscience. A mind with a bad conscience is afraid to speak, loses its train of thought and makes verbal slips. People whose heart is enlarged are happy with themselves because they are confident that they have behaved well.
"Our mouth is open unto you, O ye Corinthians." And what kind of sign of love is this? or what meaning even have the words at all? 'We cannot endured' he says, 'to be silent towards you, but are always desiring and longing to speak to and converse with you;' which is the wont of those who love. For what grasping of the hands is to the body, that is interchange of language to the soul. And along with this he implies another thing also. Of what kind then is this? That 'we discourse unto nothing.' For since afterwards he proposes to rebuke, he asks forgiveness, using the rebuking them with freedom as itself a proof of his loving them exceedingly. Moreover the addition of their name is a mark of great love and warmth and affection; for we are accustomed to be repeating continually the bare names of those we love. "Our heart is enlarged." For as that which warmeth is wont to dilate; so also to enlarge is the work of love. For virtue is warm and fervent. This both opened the mouth of Paul and enlarged his heart. For, 'neither do I love with the mouth only,' saith he, 'but I have also a heart in union. Therefore I speak with openness, with my whole mouth, with my whole mind.' For nothing is wider than was Paul's heart which loved all the faithful with all the vehemence that one might bear towards the object of his affection; this his love not being full entireness with each.
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
Heart, Character Of The Renewed · Enlarged — Enlarged
Love To Man · Exemplified: Paul — Exemplified: Paul
Resignation · EXEMPLIFIED — EXEMPLIFIED
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 6:11-18
11. O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged.
11. Os nostrum apertum est ad vos, O Corinthii, cor nostrum dilatatum est.
12. Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels.
12. Non estis angusti in nobis, sed angusti estis in visceribus vestris. [600]
13. Now, for a recompence in the same, (I speak as unto my children,) be ye also enlarged. [601]
13. Eandem vero remunerationem, nem, ut a filiis, exigo: dilatamini et vos.
14. Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
14. Ne ducatis iugum cum infidel…
Paul’s impassioned plea reveals his inner feelings. • our hearts are open to you . . . Open your hearts to us! These sentiments are continued in 7:2 (see study notes on 6:14–7:1; 7:2-4).
