2 Corinthians 7:10

For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
For	γὰρ gar	G1063	properly · conjunction
godly	θεὸν theon	G2316	figuratively · noun — accusative singular masculine, a title
sorrow	λύπη lupē	G3077	sadness · noun — nominative singular feminine
worketh	κατεργάζεται. katergazetai	G2716	to work fully · verb — present middle or passive deponent indicative, 3rd person singular
repentance	μετάνοιαν metanoian	G3341	(subjectively) compunction (for guilt · noun — accusative singular feminine
to	εἰς eis	G1519	to or into (indicating the point reached or entered) · preposition
salvation	σωτηρίαν sōtērian	G4991	rescue or safety (physically or morally) · noun — accusative singular feminine
of	ἀμεταμέλητον ametamelēton	G278	irrevocable · adjective — accusative singular feminine
but	δὲ de	G1161	but · conjunction
sorrow	λύπη lupē	G3077	sadness · noun — nominative singular feminine
world	κόσμου kosmou	G2889	orderly arrangement · noun — genitive singular masculine
worketh	κατεργάζομαι katergázomai	G2716	to work fully
death	θάνατον thanaton	G2288	(properly · noun — accusative singular masculine

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

Acts 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the L…
Acts 11:18 When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto l…
2 Timothy 2:25-26 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;
2 Samuel 12:13 And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not…
Luke 18:13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful t…
Luke 15:10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
1 Kings 8:47-50 Yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they were carried captives, and repent, and make supplication unto thee in the land…
Jonah 3:10 And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; an…

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

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 2 Corinthians 7:5-11

There seems to be a connection between Co2 2:13 (where the apostle said he had no rest in his spirit when he found not Titus at Troas) and the fifth verse of this chapter: and so great was his affection to the Corinthians, and his concern about their behaviour in relation to the incestuous person, that, in his further travels, he still had no rest till he heard from them. And now he tells them, I. How he was distressed, Co2 7:5. He was troubled when he did not meet with Titus at Troas, and afterwards when for some time he did not meet with him in Macedonia: this was a grief to him, because he could not hear what reception he met with at Corinth, nor how their affairs went forward. And, besid…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 2 Corinthians 7:10

worketh . . . worketh--In the best Greek reading the translation is, "worketh (simply) . . . worketh out." "Sorrow" is not repentance, but, where it is "godly," "worketh" it; that is, contributes or tends to it (the same Greek word is in Rom 13:10). The "sorrow of the world" (that is, such as is felt by the worldly) "worketh out," as its result at last, (eternal) death (the same Greek verb is in Co2 4:17; also see on Co2 4:17). repentance . . . not to be repented of--There is not in the Greek this play on words, so that the word qualified is not "repentance" merely, but "repentance unto salvation"; this, he says, none will ever regret, however attended with "sorrow" at the time. "Repentanc…

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Adam Clarke on 2 Corinthians 7:10

For godly sorrow - That which has the breach of God's holy law for its object. Worketh repentance - A thorough change of mind unto salvation, because the person who feels it cannot rest till he finds pardon through the mercy of God. But the sorrow of the world worketh death - Sorrow for lost goods, lost friends, death of relatives, etc., when it is poignant and deep, produces diseases, increases those that already exist, and often leads men to lay desperate hands on themselves. This sorrow leads to destruction, the other leads to salvation; the one leads to heaven, the other to hell.

The Church Fathers

This grief, then, appears to be accompanied by salvation, because the man, after having done a wicked deed, repented. Both actions grieve the Spirit: doubt, because it did not accomplish its object; and anger grieves the Spirit, because it did what was wicked.
— Shepherd of Hermas, Shepherd of Hermas, Commandment 10

That all sins may be forgiven him who has turned to God with his whole heart... Also in the second Epistle of the blessed Paul to the Corinthians: "For the sorrow which is according to God worketh a stedfast repentance unto salvation, but the sorrow of the world worketh death."
— Cyprian, Pseudo-Cyprian Exhortation to Repentance

Godly grief brings about the death of worldliness. When the sinner is found out he is grieved because he is bound to be punished, not having anyone from whom he may expect mercy. Perhaps for the moment there may be nobody who can exact retribution from him, but he knows he will not be able to escape the judgment of God.
— 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

Repentance — There are three Greek words used in the New Testament to denote repentance. (1.) The verb metamelomai is used of a change of mind, such as to produce regret or even remorse on account of sin, but not…
Repentance · Called repentance to salvation — Called repentance to salvation
Salvation · Godly sorrow works repentance to — Godly sorrow works repentance to
Sorrow · For sin — For sin
Zeal · Godly sorrow leads to — Godly sorrow leads to

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 7:10

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 2 Corinthians 7:5-11

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 2 Corinthians 7:10

Adam Clarke on 2 Corinthians 7:10

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

2 Corinthians 7:10

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 2 Corinthians 7:5-11

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 2 Corinthians 7:10

Adam Clarke on 2 Corinthians 7:10

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Gill on 2 Corinthians 7:10

John Calvin on 2 Corinthians 7:8-10

Tyndale Open Study Notes on 2 Corinthians 7:9-10