2 Corinthians 6:9

2 Corinthians 6:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed;
• New International Version (NIV)known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed;
• English Standard Version (ESV)as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed;
• New King James Version (NKJV)as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and yet not killed;

Context of 2 Corinthians 6:9

7We speak a true message. God's power gives us strength. We do what is right, so we fight like soldiers on God's behalf. It is like we have God's weapons in both hands! 8Sometimes people respect us as important. Sometimes they think that we are worth nothing. People may insult us, or they may praise us. We only say true things, but some people still think that we deceive others. Some people do not want to know us. Other people accept us as God's servants. It seems like we are dying, but look! We are still alive! People punish us, but they do not kill us. 10We seem to be sad, but really we are always happy. We seem to be poor, but we make many people rich. We seem to have nothing, but really we have everything. 11Our friends at Corinth, we have spoken to you very honestly. We have shown you how much we love you.

2 Corinthians 6:9 word by word

ὡς ἀγνοούμενοι καὶ ἐπιγινωσκόμενοι, ὡς ἀποθνῄσκοντες καὶ ἰδοὺ ζῶμεν, ὡς παιδευόμενοι καὶ μὴ θανατούμενοι,Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Asὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
• unknownἀγνοέωagnoeō · be ignorantG50
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• well knownἐπιγινώσκωepiginōskō · to come to knowG1921
• dyingἀποθνήσκωapothnēskō · to dieG599
• beholdὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
• we liveζάωzaō · to liveG2198
• chastenedπαιδεύωpaideuō · to instructG3811
• notμήmē · notG3361
• killedθανατόωthanatoō · to killG2289

Cross-references for 2 Corinthians 6:9

• Acts 17:18There were some teachers there who liked to talk about the things that people should believe. Some of them were called Epicureans and some were called Stoics. After they talked to Paul, some of them said to each other, ‘Who is this silly man? He knows nothing and he talks too much!’ But some of these teachers said, ‘We think that he is talking about strange gods.’ They said this because Paul was telling people the good news about Jesus. He was also talking about the time when God will cause dead people to live again.
• Acts 21:37While the soldiers were leading Paul into their building, he asked their leader, ‘Please may I say something to you?’ The soldiers' leader replied, ‘Oh! Do you speak the Greek language?
• Acts 25:14They stayed in Caesarea for many days. While they were there, Festus explained to King Agrippa the problem about Paul. He said, ‘There is a man here that Felix left in prison.
• 1 Corinthians 4:9This is what I think: as apostles, God has put us last of everyone. People see us like we are prisoners at the end of the line. They are taking us to die in a public place. Everybody in the world has come to look at us, both people and angels.
• 2 Corinthians 4:2We refuse to do anything secretly that we might be ashamed of. We do not tell lies. We do not change God's message to deceive people. No. We tell God's true message clearly. God himself sees that we teach people in an honest way. Everyone should understand that we only do what is right.
• 2 Corinthians 5:11We know that the Lord will judge us, so we are careful to obey him. Because of that, we tell God's message to people. We want them to believe in God. And God himself knows that we try to do what is right. I hope that you know that also, when you think about it.
• 2 Corinthians 11:6Perhaps I do not speak as well as they speak. But I do know what I am speaking about. We have always made this very clear to you in everything that we do.
• Acts 19:26Also, you can see what this man Paul is doing. You have heard his message. Many people here in Ephesus, and in nearly all the places in Asia region, believe what he says. Paul teaches people this: “Anything that men have made is not really a god.”
• Romans 15:19God's Holy Spirit used his power to do many miracles. He caused many great and powerful things to happen. As a result, I have told the whole good news about Christ to many people. I have told it while I travelled all the way from Jerusalem to Illyricum.
• Galatians 1:22The Christians in the churches in Judea had never met me.
• 2 Corinthians 1:8Our Christian friends, we want you to know about the trouble that we had in Asia. Those troubles were very painful. We ourselves were not strong enough to continue. We even thought that we would die.
• 2 Corinthians 4:10As we serve Jesus, we know that we may die as he died. Because of that, our lives show that we live because he is alive.
• Romans 8:36As it says in the Bible: ‘Because we are your people, God, people try to kill us all the time. They think that we are like sheep, and we are ready to be killed.’
• 1 Corinthians 15:31Yes, every day I come near to death! Why do I tell you this? It is because I am proud of you. I am proud because we all belong to Christ Jesus our Lord.
• Psalms 118:17I will not die. Instead, I will live. I will tell everyone what the Lord has done.
• 1 Corinthians 11:32But the Lord does need to punish us sometimes. When he does that, he is teaching us not to do wrong things. Then we will not be guilty, like other people who do not know God.

Commentaries on 2 Corinthians 6:9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9As unknown - Persons who are to be suspected as harbouring dark designs; persons of neither birth, parentage, nor respectable connections in life; And yet well known - Proved by our whole conduct to have no such designs, and demonstrated to be holy, upright, and useful, by the whole train of our peregrinations, through which we can be readily traced from place to place; having preached openly, and done nothing in a corner. As dying - Through continual…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9As unknown - As those who are deemed to be of an obscure and ignoble rank in life, unknown to the great, unknown to fame. The idea, I think, is, that they went as strangers, as persons unknown, in preaching the gospel. Yet, though thus unknown they endeavor to commend themselves as the ministers of God. Though among strangers; though having no introduction from the great and the noble, yet they endeavored so to act as to convince the world that they were…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8-10People often attacked Paul's character as an apostle, even calling him and his colleagues imposters. Despite these attitudes, Paul remained honest. They likely thought Paul was insignificant and could be ignored, a reckless person taking unnecessary risks that made him seem almost dead already. Paul countered each of their claims with insights into spiritual reality.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. unknown ... yet well known--"unknown" in our true character to those who "evil report" of us, "well known" to those who hold us in "good report" (2Co 6:8). Conybeare explains, "Unknown by men, yet acknowledged by God" (1Co 13:12). Perhaps both God and men (believers) are intended as knowing him (2Co 5:11; 11:6). dying ... live--(2Co 1:9; 4:10, 11; 11:23). Compare Gaussen's remark, see on 2Co 6:5. "Behold" calls attention to the fact as something beyond…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Corinthians 6:9

• Afflictions and Adversities
• Minister, Christian
• Paradox
• Paul
• Persecution
• Resignation
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• Agreement
• Care
• Cause
• Communion
• Concord
• Corinthians, Second Epistle to the
• Unequally
• Unrighteousness
• Chastening; Chastisement
• Corinthians, Second Epistle to the

Commentaries on 2 Corinthians 6

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings