2 Corinthians 2:7

2:7 so that now instead ¹  you should rather forgive and comfort him. ²  This will keep him from being overwhelmed by excessive grief to the point of despair. ³ 

2 Corinthians 9:7

9:7 Each one of you should give ⁴  just as he has decided in his heart, ⁵  not reluctantly ⁶  or under compulsion, ⁷  because God loves a cheerful giver.

[2:7]  ¹ tn Grk “so that on the other hand.”

[2:7]  ² tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text but is supplied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted and must be supplied from the context.

[2:7]  ³ tn Grk “comfort him, lest somehow such a person be swallowed up by excessive grief,” an idiom for a person being so overcome with grief as to despair or give up completely (L&N 25.285). In this context of excessive grief or regret for past sins, “overwhelmed” is a good translation since contemporary English idiom speaks of someone “overwhelmed by grief.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence and the difficulty of expressing a negative purpose/result clause in English, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[9:7]  ⁴ tn Or “must do.” The words “of you” and “should give” are not in the Greek text, which literally reads, “Each one just as he has decided in his heart.” The missing words are an ellipsis; these or similar phrases must be supplied for the English reader.

[9:7]  ⁵ tn Or “in his mind.”

[9:7]  ⁶ tn Or “not from regret”; Grk “not out of grief.”

[9:7]  ⁷ tn Or “not out of a sense of duty”; Grk “from necessity.”