2-corinthians 7:4
Translations
King James Version (KJV)
Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.
American King James Version (AKJV)
Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.
American Standard Version (ASV)
Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying on your behalf: I am filled with comfort, I overflow with joy in all our affliction.
Basic English Translation (BBE)
My words to you are without fear, I am full of pride on account of you: I have great comfort and joy in all our troubles.
Webster's Revision
Great is my boldness of speech towards you, great is my glorying concerning you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.
World English Bible
Great is my boldness of speech toward you. Great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort. I overflow with joy in all our affliction.
English Revised Version (ERV)
Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying on your behalf: I am filled with comfort, I overflow with joy in all our affliction.
Clarke's 2-corinthians 7:4 Bible Commentary
Great is my boldness of speech - He seems to refer to the manner in which he spoke of them to others.
Great is my glorying of you - They had probably been very loving and affectionate previously to the time in which they were perverted by their false apostle. He therefore had boasted of them in all the Churches.
I am filled with comfort - My affection for you has still the most powerful ascendancy in my soul. Here we may see the affection of the most tender father to his children.
I am exceeding joyful - Ὑπερπερισσευομαι· I superabound in joy; I have a joy beyond expression. Ὑπερπερισσευω is an extremely rare verb. I have not met with it in any Greek author; and it occurs no where in the New Testament but here and in Romans 5:20.
In all our tribulation - Perhaps επι here should be rendered under instead of in, as it signifies, Mark 2:26; Luke 3:2; Acts 11:28. Under all our tribulations, I feel inexpressible joy on your account.
Barnes's 2-corinthians 7:4 Bible Commentary
Great is my boldness of speech toward you - This verse seems designed to soften the apparent harshness of what he had said 2 Corinthians 6:12, when he intimated that there was a lack of love in them toward him (Bloomfield), as well as to refer to the plainness which he had used all along in his letters to them. He says, therefore, that he speaks freely; he speaks as a friend; he speaks with the utmost openness and frankness; he conceals nothing from them. He speaks freely of their faults, and he speaks freely of his love to them; and he as frankly commends them and praises them. It is the open, undisguised language of a friend, when he throws open his whole soul and conceals nothing.
Great is my glorying of you - I have great occasion to commend and praise you, and I do it freely. He refers here to the fact that he had boasted of their liberality in regard to the proposed collection for the poor saints of Judea 2 Corinthians 9:4; that he had formerly boasted much of them to Titus, and of their readiness to obey his commands 2 Corinthians 7:14; and that now he had had abundant evidence, by what he had heard from Titus (verses 5ff), that they were disposed to yield to his commands, and obey his injunctions. He had probably often had occasion to boast of their favorable regard for him.
I am filled with comfort - That is, by the evidence which I have received of your readiness to obey me.
I am exceeding joyful - I am overjoyed. The word used here occurs nowhere else in the New Testament except in Romans 5:20. It is not found in the classic writers; and is a word which Paul evidently compounded (from ὑπὲρ huper and περισσεύω perisseuō), and means to superabound over, to superabound greatly, or exceedingly. It is a word which would be used only when the heart was full, and when it would be difficult to find words to express its conceptions. Paul's heart was full of joy; and he pours forth his feelings in the most fervid and glowing language. I have joy which cannot be expressed.
In all our tribulation - see the note, 2 Corinthians 1:4.
Wesley's 2-corinthians 7:4 Bible Commentary
7:4 I am filled with comfort - Of this he treats, 2 Corinthians 7:6 , &c.; of his joy, 2Co 7:7, &c.; of both, 2Co 7:13.