2 Corinthians 12:20
For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not: lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults:
2 Corinthians 12:20 in other translations
| BSB | For I am afraid that when I come, I may not find you as I wish, and you may not find me as you wish. I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, rage, rivalry, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorder. |
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| WEB | For I am afraid that perhaps when I come, I might find you not the way I want to, and that I might be found by you as you don’t desire, that perhaps there would be strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, whisperings, proud thoughts, or riots, |
| ASV | For I fear, lest by any means, when I come, I should find you not such as I would, and should myself be found of you such as ye would not; lest by any means there should be strife, jealousy, wraths, factions, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults; |
| YLT | for I fear lest, having come, not such as I wish I may find you, and I--I may be found by you such as ye do not wish, lest there be strifes, envyings, wraths, revelries, evil-speakings, whisperings, puffings up, insurrections, |
| DARBY | For I fear lest perhaps coming I find you not such as I wish, and that I be found by you such as ye do not wish: lest there might be strifes, jealousies, angers, contentions, evil speakings, whisperings, puffings up, disturbances; |
| BBE | For I have a fear that, when I come, you may not be answering to my desire, and that I may not be answering to yours; that there may be fighting, hate, angry feeling, divisions, evil talk about others, secrets, thoughts of pride, outbursts against authority; |
| Webster | For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found by you such as ye would not: lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults: |
What does 2 Corinthians 12:20 mean?
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain
Barnes' Notes
I shall not find you such as I would. That is, walking in the truth and order of the gospel, he had feared that the disorders would not be removed, and that they would not have corrected the errors which prevailed, and for which he had rebuked them. It was on this account that he had said so much to them. His desire was that all these disorders might be removed, and that he might be saved from the necessity of exercising severe discipline when he should come among them.
And that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not. That is, that I shall be compelled to administer discipline, and that my visit may not be as pleasant to you as you would desire. For this reason he wished all disorder corrected, and all offences removed; that everything might be pleasant when he should come. See 1Cor 4:21. 2Cor 10:2.
Lest there be debates. I fear that there may be existing there debates, etc., which will require the interposition of the authority of an apostle. On the meaning of the word debate, see Rom 1:29.
Envyings. 1Cor 3:3.
Wraths. Anger or animosities between contending factions, the usual effect of forming parties.
Strifes. Between contending factions. 1Cor 3:3.
Backbitings. Rom 1:30.
Whisperings. Rom 1:29.
Swellings. Undue elation; being puffed up, 2Cor 8:1, 1Cor 4:6,18,19, 5:2; such as would be produced by vain self-confidence.
Tumults. Disorder and confusion arising from this existence of parties. Paul, deeply sensible of the evil of all this, had endeavoured in this correspondence to suppress it, that all things might be pleasant when he should come among them.
(d) "when I come" 1Cor 4:21, 2Cor 13:2,10 (+) "debates" "contentions"
Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain
Adam Clarke's Commentary
Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 2 Corinthians 12:11-21
We owe it to good men, to stand up in the defence of their reputation; and we are under special obligations to those from whom we have received benefit, especially spiritual benefit, to own them as instruments in God's hand of good to us. Here is an account of the apostle's behaviour and kind intentions; in which see the character of a faithful minister of the gospel. This was his great aim and design, to do good…
2 Corinthians 12:20 in the original Greek
Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.
Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).
Cross references for 2 Corinthians 12:20
- 1 Peter 2:1
Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,
- Galatians 5:19-21
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
- Romans 1:29
Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
- 1 Corinthians 1:11
For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.
- Jude 1:16
These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage.
- Galatians 5:15
But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.
- Proverbs 16:28
A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends.
- James 4:1-5
From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. …
- 1 Corinthians 11:16-19
But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God. Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse. For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it. For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.
- 2 Corinthians 13:9-10
For we are glad, when we are weak, and ye are strong: and this also we wish, even your perfection. Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness, according to the power which the Lord hath given me to edification, and not to destruction.
- 1 Corinthians 4:18-21
Now some are puffed up, as though I would not come to you. But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power. For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power. What will ye? shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness?
- 1 Corinthians 6:7-8
Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.
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Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
21; 13:9
and that.
1:23,24; 2:1-3; 10:2,6,8,9; 13:2,10; 1Co 4:18-21; 5:3-5
debates.
1Co 1:11; 3:3,4; 4:6-8,18; 6:7,8; 11:16-19; 14:36,37; Ga 5:15,19-21
Ga 5:26; Eph 4:31,32; Jas 3:14-16; 4:1-5; 1Pe 2:1
whisperings.
Ps 41:7; Pr 16:28; Ro 1:29
swellings.
2Pe 2:18; Jude 1:16
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain
Context
- 2 Corinthians 12:19
Again, think ye that we excuse ourselves unto you? we speak before God in Christ: but we do all things, dearly beloved, for your edifying.
- 2 Corinthians 12:20
For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not: lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults:
- 2 Corinthians 12:21
And lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and that I shall bewail many which have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed.
2 Corinthians 12:20 in other languages
| Spanish Reina-Valera 1909 | Porque temo que cuando llegare, no os halle tales como quiero, y yo sea hallado de vosotros cual no queréis; que haya entre vosotros contiendas, envidias, iras, disensiones, detracciones, murmuraciones, elaciones, bandos: |
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| French Bible J.N. Darby 1885 | Car je crains que, quand j’arriverai, je ne vous trouve pas tels que je voudrais, et que moi je ne sois trouvé par vous tel que vous ne voudriez pas, et qu’il n’y ait des querelles, des jalousies, des colères, des intrigues, des médisances, des insinuations, des enflures d’orgueil, des désordres, |
| German Elberfelder 1871 | Denn ich fürchte, daß, wenn ich komme, ich euch etwa nicht als solche finde, wie ich will, und daß ich von euch als solcher erfunden werde, wie ihr nicht wollet: daß etwa Streitigkeiten, Neid, Zorn, Zänkereien, Verleumdungen, Ohrenbläsereien, Aufgeblasenheit, Unordnungen vorhanden seien; |
| Latin Clementine Vulgate | Timeo enim ne forte cum venero, non quales volo, inveniam vos: et ego inveniar a vobis, qualem non vultis: ne forte contentiones, æmulationes, animositates, dissensiones, detractiones, susurrationes, inflationes, seditiones sint inter vos: |