2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Thanksgiving for God’s Comfort

1:3 Blessed is ¹  the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 1:4 who comforts us in all our troubles ²  so that we may be able to comfort those experiencing any trouble ³  with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

2 Corinthians 2:14

Apostolic Ministry

2:14 But thanks be to God who always leads us in triumphal procession ⁴  in Christ ⁵  and who makes known ⁶  through us the fragrance that consists of the knowledge of him in every place.

Isaiah 12:1

12:1 At that time ⁷  you will say:

“I praise you, O Lord,

for even though you were angry with me,

your anger subsided, and you consoled me.

Isaiah 51:12

51:12 “I, I am the one who consoles you. ⁸ 

Why are you afraid of mortal men,

of mere human beings who are as short-lived as grass? ⁹ 

Isaiah 57:15

57:15 For this is what the high and exalted one says,

the one who rules ¹⁰  forever, whose name is holy:

“I dwell in an exalted and holy place,

but also with the discouraged and humiliated, ¹¹ 

in order to cheer up the humiliated

and to encourage the discouraged. ¹² 

Isaiah 57:18

57:18 I have seen their behavior, ¹³ 

but I will heal them and give them rest,

and I will once again console those who mourn. ¹⁴ 

Isaiah 61:1-2

The Lord Will Rejuvenate His People

61:1 The spirit of the sovereign Lord is upon me,

because the Lord has chosen ¹⁵  me. ¹⁶ 

He has commissioned ¹⁷  me to encourage ¹⁸  the poor,

to help ¹⁹  the brokenhearted,

to decree the release of captives,

and the freeing of prisoners,

61:2 to announce the year when the Lord will show his favor,

the day when our God will seek vengeance, ²⁰ 

to console all who mourn,

Jeremiah 31:13

31:13 The Lord says, ²¹  “At that time young women will dance and be glad.

Young men and old men will rejoice. ²² 

I will turn their grief into gladness.

I will give them comfort and joy in place of their sorrow.

Matthew 5:4

5:4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. ²³ 

John 14:16

14:16 Then ²⁴  I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate ²⁵  to be with you forever –

Romans 15:5

15:5 Now may the God of endurance and comfort give you unity with one another ²⁶  in accordance with Christ Jesus,

Philippians 2:1-2

Christian Unity and Christ’s Humility

2:1 Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort provided by love, any fellowship in the Spirit, ²⁷  any affection or mercy, ²⁸  2:2 complete my joy and be of the same mind, ²⁹  by having the same love, being united in spirit, ³⁰  and having one purpose.

Philippians 2:16-17

2:16 by holding on to ³¹  the word of life so that on the day of Christ I will have a reason to boast that I did not run in vain nor labor in vain. 2:17 But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice together with all of you.

[1:3]  ¹ tn There is no verb in the Greek text; either the optative (“be”) or the indicative (“is”) can be supplied. The meaning of the term εὐλογητός (euloghtos) and the author’s intention at this point in the epistle must both come into play to determine which is the preferred nuance. εὐλογητός as an adjective can mean either that one is praised or that one is blessed, that is, in a place of favor and benefit. The meaning “blessed” would be more naturally paired with an indicative verb and would suggest that blessedness is an intrinsic part of God’s character. The meaning “praised” would be more naturally paired with an optative verb and would suggest that God ought to be praised. Pauline style in the epistles generally moves from statements to obligations, expressing the reality first and then the believer’s necessary response. When considered as a whole, although a decision is difficult, the general Pauline style of beginning with statements and moving to obligations argues for the indicative. Cf. also Eph 1:3; 1 Pet 1:3.

[1:4]  ² tn Or “our trials”; traditionally, “our affliction.” The term θλῖψις (qliyi") refers to trouble (including persecution) that involves direct suffering (L&N 22.2).

[1:4]  ³ tn Or “any trials”; traditionally, “any affliction.”

[2:14]  ⁴ tn Or “who always causes us to triumph.”

[2:14]  ⁵ tn Or “in the Messiah.”

[2:14]  ⁶ tn Or “who reveals.”

[12:1]  ⁷ tn Or “in that day” (KJV).

[51:12]  ⁸ tc The plural suffix should probably be emended to the second masculine singular (which is used in v. 13). The final mem (ם) is probably dittographic; note the mem at the beginning of the next word.

[51:12]  ⁹ tn Heb “Who are you that you are afraid of man who dies, and of the son of man who [as] grass is given up?” The feminine singular forms should probably be emended to the masculine singular (see v. 13). They have probably been influenced by the construction אַתְּ־הִיא (’at-hi’) in vv. 9-10.

[57:15]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “the one who dwells forever.” שֹׁכֵן עַד (shokhen ’ad) is sometimes translated “the one who lives forever,” and understood as a reference to God’s eternal existence. However, the immediately preceding and following descriptions (“high and exalted” and “holy”) emphasize his sovereign rule. In the next line, he declares, “I dwell in an exalted and holy [place],” which refers to the place from which he rules. Therefore it is more likely that שֹׁכֵן עַד (shokhen ’ad) means “I dwell [in my lofty palace] forever” and refers to God’s eternal kingship.

[57:15]  ¹¹ tn Heb “and also with the crushed and lowly of spirit.” This may refer to the repentant who have humbled themselves (see 66:2) or more generally to the exiles who have experienced discouragement and humiliation.

[57:15]  ¹² tn Heb “to restore the lowly of spirit and to restore the heart of the crushed.”

[57:18]  ¹³ tn Heb “his ways” (so KJV, NASB, NIV); TEV “how they acted.”

[57:18]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “and I will restore consolation to him, to his mourners.”

[61:1]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “anointed,” i.e., designated to carry out an assigned task.

[61:1]  ¹⁶ sn The speaker is not identified, but he is distinct from the Lord and from Zion’s suffering people. He possesses the divine spirit, is God’s spokesman, and is sent to release prisoners from bondage. The evidence suggests he is the Lord’s special servant, described earlier in the servant songs (see 42:1-4, 7; 49:2, 9; 50:4; see also 51:16).

[61:1]  ¹⁷ tn Or “sent” (NAB); NCV “has appointed me.”

[61:1]  ¹⁸ tn Or “proclaim good news to.”

[61:1]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “to bind up [the wounds of].”

[61:2]  ²⁰ tn Heb “to announce the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of our God’s vengeance.

[31:13]  ²¹ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.” This phrase has been brought up to the beginning of v. 13 from the end of v. 14 to introduce the transition from third person description by Jeremiah to first person address by the Lord.

[31:13]  ²² tc The translation follows the reading of the LXX (Greek version). The Hebrew reads “will dance and be glad, young men and old men together.” The Greek version presupposes a Qal imperfect of a rare verb (יַחְדּוּ [yakhdu] from the verb חָדָה [khadah]; see BDB 292 s.v. II חָדָה Qal) as opposed to the Hebrew text which reads a common adverb יַחְדָּו (yakhdav). The consonantal text is the same but the vocalization is different. There are no other examples of the syntax of the adverb used this way (i.e., of a compound subject added to a third subject) and the vocalization of the Hebrew text can be explained on the basis of a scribe misvocalizing the text based on his greater familiarity with the adverb.

[5:4]  ²³ sn The promise they will be comforted is the first of several “reversals” noted in these promises. The beatitudes and the reversals that accompany them serve in the sermon as an invitation to enter into God’s care, because one can know God cares for those who turn to him.

[14:16]  ²⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Then” to reflect the implied sequence in the discourse.

[14:16]  ²⁵ tn Or “Helper” or “Counselor”; Grk “Paraclete,” from the Greek word παράκλητος (paraklhto"). Finding an appropriate English translation for παράκλητος is a very difficult task. No single English word has exactly the same range of meaning as the Greek word. “Comforter,” used by some of the older English versions, appears to be as old as Wycliffe. But today it suggests a quilt or a sympathetic mourner at a funeral. “Counselor” is adequate, but too broad, in contexts like “marriage counselor” or “camp counselor.” “Helper” or “Assistant” could also be used, but could suggest a subordinate rank. “Advocate,” the word chosen for this translation, has more forensic overtones than the Greek word does, although in John 16:5-11 a forensic context is certainly present. Because an “advocate” is someone who “advocates” or supports a position or viewpoint and since this is what the Paraclete will do for the preaching of the disciples, it was selected in spite of the drawbacks.

[15:5]  ²⁶ tn Grk “grant you to think the same among one another.”

[2:1]  ²⁷ tn Or “spiritual fellowship” if πνεύματος (pneumato") is an attributive genitive; or “fellowship brought about by the Spirit” if πνεύματος is a genitive of source or production.

[2:1]  ²⁸ tn Grk “and any affection and mercy.” The Greek idea, however, is best expressed by “or” in English.

[2:2]  ²⁹ tn Or “and feel the same way,” “and think the same thoughts.” The ἵνα (Jina) clause has been translated “and be of the same mind” to reflect its epexegetical force to the imperative “complete my joy.”

[2:2]  ³⁰ tn The Greek word here is σύμψυχοι (sumyucoi, literally “fellow souled”).

[2:16]  ³¹ tn Or “holding out, holding forth.”