2 Corinthians 7 · Verse 4

2 Corinthians 7:4

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.
2 Corinthians 7:4, King James Version

2 Corinthians 7:4 in other translations

BSBGreat is my confidence in you; great is my pride in you; I am filled with encouragement; in all our troubles my joy overflows.
WEBGreat 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.
ASVGreat 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.
YLTgreat is my freedom of speech unto you, great my glory on your behalf; I have been filled with the comfort, I overabound with the joy on all our tribulation,
DARBYGreat is my boldness towards you, great my exulting in respect of you; I am filled with encouragement; I overabound in joy under all our affliction.
BBEMy 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.
WebsterGreat 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.

What does 2 Corinthians 7:4 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
4. boldness of speech--(compare 2Co 6:11). glorying of you--Not only do I speak with unreserved openness to you, but I glory (boast) greatly to others in your behalf, in speaking of you. filled with comfort--at the report of Titus (2Co 7:6, 7, 9, 13; 2Co 1:4). exceeding joyful--Greek, I overabound with joy (2Co 7:7, 9, 16). our tribulation--described in 2Co 7:5; also in 2Co 4:7, 8; 6:4, 5.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 4. Great is my boldness of speech toward you. This verse seems designed to soften the apparent harshness of what he had said, (2Cor 6:12,) when he intimated that there was a want of love in them towards 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. tie 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, 2Cor 9:4; that he had formerly boasted much of them to Titus, and of their readiness to obey his commands, 2Cor 7:14; and that now he had had abundant evidence, by what he had heard from Titus, (2Cor 7:5, seq.,) that they were disposed to yield to his commands, and obey his injunctions. He had probably often had occasion to boast of their favourable 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 here used occurs nowhere else in the New Testament, except in Rom 5:20. It is not found in the classic writers; and is a word which Paul evidently compounded, (from υπερ and περισσευω,) 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. 2Cor 1:4.

(c) "is my glorying" 1Cor 1:4 (d) "joyful in all our tribulations" Php 2:17, Col 1:24

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 4 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 Rom 5:20. In all our tribulation - Perhaps επι here should be rendered under instead of in, as it signifies, Mar 2:26; Luk 3:2; Act 11:28. Under all our tribulations, I feel inexpressible joy on your account.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 2 Corinthians 7:1-4

The promises of God are strong reasons for us to follow after holiness; we must cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit. If we hope in God as our Father, we must seek to be holy as he is holy, and perfect as our Father in heaven. His grace, by the influences of his Spirit, alone can purify, but holiness should be the object of our constant prayers. If the ministers of the gospel are thought…

Read the full comment on 2 Corinthians 7:1-4 →

2 Corinthians 7:4 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.

πολλήpollēGreat [is]G4183
μοιmoimyG3165
παρρησίαparrēsiaboldnessG3954
πρὸςprostowardG4314
ὑμᾶς,humasyou,G4771
πολλήpollēgreatG4183
μοιmoimyG3165
καύχησιςkauchēsisboastingG2746
ὑπὲρhuperon behalf ofG5228
ὑμῶν·humōnyou;G4771
πεπλήρωμαιpeplērōmaiI have been filledG4137
τῇtēa<the>G3588
παρακλήσει,paraklēseiwith encouragement,G3874
ὑπερπερισσεύομαιhuperperisseuomaiI overaboundG5248
τῇtēa<the>G3588
χαρᾷcharawith joyG5479
ἐπὶepiuponG1909
πάσῃpasēallG3956
τῇtēatheG3588
θλίψειthlipseiafflictionG2347
ἡμῶν.hēmōnof us.G3165

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 2 Corinthians 7:4

  • 2 Corinthians 1:4

    Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

  • James 1:2

    My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

  • 2 Corinthians 3:12

    Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech:

  • Romans 5:3

    And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

  • 1 Corinthians 1:4

    I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;

  • Philippians 2:17

    Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all.

  • Colossians 1:24

    Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:

  • 2 Corinthians 1:14

    As also ye have acknowledged us in part, that we are your rejoicing, even as ye also are ours in the day of the Lord Jesus.

  • 2 Corinthians 2:14

    Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.

  • Acts 5:41

    And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.

  • 2 Corinthians 8:24

    Wherefore shew ye to them, and before the churches, the proof of your love, and of our boasting on your behalf.

  • 2 Corinthians 6:10-11

    As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things. O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
my boldness.
3:12; 6:11; 10:1,2; 11:21; Eph 6:19,20; Php 1:20; 1Th 2:2
great.
1:14; 9:2-4; 1Co 1:4; 1Th 2:19
I am filled.
6,7; 1:4; 2:14; 6:10; Ac 5:41; Ro 5:3; Php 2:17; Col 1:24; 1Th 3:7-9
Jas 1:2

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 2 Corinthians 7:3

    I speak not this to condemn you: for I have said before, that ye are in our hearts to die and live with you.

  • 2 Corinthians 7:4

    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.

  • 2 Corinthians 7:5

    For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears.

Read all of 2 Corinthians 7

2 Corinthians 7:4 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Mucha confianza tengo de vosotros, tengo de vosotros mucha gloria; lleno estoy de consolación, sobreabundo de gozo en todas nuestras tribulaciones.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Ma franchise est grande envers vous, je me glorifie grandement de vous; je suis rempli de consolation; ma joie surabonde au milieu de toute notre affliction.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Groß ist meine Freimütigkeit gegen euch, groß mein Rühmen eurethalben; ich bin mit Trost erfüllt, ich bin ganz überströmend in der Freude bei all unserer Drangsal.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Multa mihi fiducia est apud vos, multa mihi gloriatio pro vobis: repletus sum consolatione; superabundo gaudio in omni tribulatione nostra.