2 Corinthians 8:2

2 Corinthians 8:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.
• New International Version (NIV)In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.
• English Standard Version (ESV)for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.
• New King James Version (NKJV)that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality.

Context of 2 Corinthians 8:2

1My Christian friends, let me tell you about the believers in the churches in Macedonia. God has been very kind to them. They have had bad troubles, but they continued to be very happy. As a result, they gave a lot of money to other people. They themselves are very poor, but they still helped other people a lot. 3Let me tell you this. They gave as much money as they were able to give. Then they gave even more than that! They gave it because they wanted to. 4They wanted the chance to help God's people. That would make them happy. So they asked us many times to help them to do this.

2 Corinthians 8:2 word by word

ὅτι ἐν πολλῇ δοκιμῇ θλίψεως ἡ περισσεία τῆς χαρᾶς αὐτῶν καὶ ἡ κατὰ βάθους πτωχεία αὐτῶν ἐπερίσσευσεν εἰς τὸ πλοῦτος τῆς ἁπλότητος αὐτῶν,Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• How thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• a greatπολύςpolus polos · muchG4183
• trialδοκιμήdokimē · testG1382
• of afflictionθλῖψιςthlipsis · pressureG2347
• the abundanceπερισσείαperisseia · excessG4050
• of theirαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• joyχαράchara · joyG5479
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• ·κατάkata · according toG2596
• deepβάθοςbathos · depthG899
• povertyπτωχείαptōcheia · povertyG4432
• aboundedπερισσεύωperisseuō · to exceedG4052
• untoεἰςeis · towardG1519
• the richesπλοῦτοςploutos · richesG4149
• liberalityἁπλότηςhaplotēs · opennessG572

Cross-references for 2 Corinthians 8:2

• 1 Thessalonians 1:6In your lives also, you copied our example and the example of the Lord Jesus. When you believed our message, people caused you to have a lot of trouble. But God's Holy Spirit helped you to be very happy.
• 1 Thessalonians 2:14Our Christian friends, you have received the same kind of trouble that the people in the churches of Judea received. People in your own country have caused you to have trouble and pain. The same thing happened to the people in Judea who believed in Christ Jesus. They received trouble from their own Jewish people.
• 1 Thessalonians 3:3You are receiving many troubles. We did not want anyone among you to turn away from Christ because of that. You already know that we who are believers must receive troubles like that.
• Nehemiah 8:10Nehemiah said to the people, ‘Go to your homes and eat some good food. Drink sweet drinks. Share your food and your drink with people who do not have enough for themselves. This is a holy day for our Lord, so do not be sad. The Lord will give you joy so that you can be strong.’
• Acts 2:45They sold some of their own things. Then they gave that money to any believers who needed it.
• Mark 12:42But then a woman came there. Her husband had died and she was very poor. She put two small coins that had only a little value into the box.
• Luke 21:1Then Jesus looked up and saw something that was happening in the temple. There was a box for money there. Many rich people were putting their gifts of money into the box.
• James 2:5My Christian friends, listen to me. God has chosen to bless people who are poor in this world. He has helped them to trust him. So really they are rich. God will give to them a place in his kingdom. He has promised to do that for all people who love him.
• Revelation 2:9I know that bad people are making you suffer. I also know that you are poor. But really, you are rich. Some people say that they are Jews, but they tell lies about you. So they cannot be my true people. Instead, they belong to a group of Satan's people.
• 2 Corinthians 6:10We 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.
• 2 Corinthians 9:11God will make you rich with many good things. As a result, you will always be able to give plenty to other people. Many people will thank God because of your gifts that we take to them.
• Deuteronomy 15:4The Lord will bless you in the land that he is giving you to live in. So there should be no poor people among you.
• Proverbs 11:25If you help other people with your money, you will do well. If you give water to thirsty people, you will not be thirsty yourself.
• Isaiah 32:5Nobody will praise a stupid person. Nobody will respect people who cheat others.
• 2 Corinthians 1:12We can be proud of how we have lived in this world. We have been careful to be honest and good with everyone. And we have been like that with you even more. We are sure in our own minds that this is true. We have not tried to be clever in a human way. But we have lived in the way that God has helped us to live.
• Romans 12:8If God has helped you to make others strong, then you should do that. If God has helped you to share your things with others, do that seriously. If God has helped you to be a leader, do that carefully. If God has helped you to be kind to others, do that happily.

Commentaries on 2 Corinthians 8:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2In a great trial of affliction - The sense of this verse is the following: The Macedonians, though both poor and persecuted, rejoiced exceedingly that an opportunity was afforded them of doing good to their more impoverished and more persecuted brethren. We can scarcely ever speak of poverty and affliction in an absolute sense; they are only comparative. Even the poor are called to relieve those who are poorer than themselves; and the afflicted, to…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2How that, in a great trial of affliction - When it might be supposed they were unable to give; when many would suppose they needed the aid of others; or when it might be supposed their minds would be wholly engrossed with their own concerns. The trial to which the apostle here refers was doubtless some persecution which was excited against them, probably by the Jews; see Acts 16:20; Acts 17:5. The abundance of their joy - Their joy arising from the hopes…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-2The churches in Macedonia included the church in Philippi. According to Acts and Philippians, this church faced many troubles and was very poor. Despite this, they generously sent gifts to Paul and supported the collection (8:4–5; Philippians 1:5; 2:25–30; 4:15–20).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. trial of affliction--The Greek expresses, "in affliction (or, 'tribulation') which tested them"; literally, "in a great testing of affliction." abundance of their joy--The greater was the depth of their poverty, the greater was the abundance of their joy. A delightful contrast in terms, and triumph, in fact, of spirit over flesh. their deep poverty--Greek, "their poverty down to the death of it." abounded unto the riches of their liberality--another…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Corinthians 8:2

• Alms
• Beneficence
• Emulation
• Joy
• Macedonia
• Poor
• Tact
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• Accept
• Accord
• Philippians, Epistle to
• Church
• Church Government
• Collection
• Contribution
• Corinthians, Second Epistle to the
• Grace
• Great; Greatness

Commentaries on 2 Corinthians 8

• 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
• 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