2 Corinthians 12:16

2 Corinthians 12:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But be it so, I did not burden you: nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you with guile.
• English Standard Version (ESV)But granting that I myself did not burden you, I was crafty, you say, and got the better of you by deceit.
• New King James Version (NKJV)But be that as it may, I did not burden you. Nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you by cunning!
• New Living Translation (NLT)Some of you admit I was not a burden to you. But others still think I was sneaky and took advantage of you by trickery.

Context of 2 Corinthians 12:16

14Now I am ready to visit you for the third time, and I will not be a burden to you, because what I want is not your possessions but you. After all, children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. 15So I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well. If I love you more, will you love me less? Be that as it may, I have not been a burden to you. Yet, crafty fellow that I am, I caught you by trickery! 17Did I exploit you through any of the men I sent to you? 18I urged Titus to go to you and I sent our brother with him. Titus did not exploit you, did he? Did we not walk in the same footsteps by the same Spirit?

2 Corinthians 12:16 word by word

ἔστω δέ, ἐγὼ οὐ κατεβάρησα ὑμᾶς· ἀλλ᾽ ὑπάρχων πανοῦργος δόλῳ ὑμᾶς ἔλαβον.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Butδέde · thenG1161
• be it soεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• Iἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• didκαταβαρέωkatabareō · to burdenG2599
• notοὐou · noG3756
• youσύsu · youG4771
• neverthelessἀλλάalla · butG235
• beingὑπάρχωhuparchō · be alreadyG5225
• craftyπανοῦργοςpanourgos · craftyG3835
• I caughtλαμβάνωlambanō · to takeG2983
• with guileδόλοςdolos · deceitG1388

Cross-references for 2 Corinthians 12:16

• 2 Corinthians 12:13How were you inferior to the other churches, except that I was never a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong!
• 2 Corinthians 11:9And when I was with you and needed something, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied what I needed. I have kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so.
• 2 Corinthians 1:12Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity and godly sincerity. We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom but on God’s grace.
• 2 Corinthians 4:2Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.
• 2 Corinthians 7:2Make room for us in your hearts. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one.
• 2 Corinthians 10:2I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world.
• 1 Thessalonians 2:3For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you.
• 1 Peter 2:3now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

Commentaries on 2 Corinthians 12:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16But be it so, I did not burden you - That is: You grant that I did not burden you, that I took nothing from you, but preached to you the Gospel freely; but you say that, Being Crafty, I caught you with guile; i.e. getting from you, by means of others, what I pretended to be unwilling to receive immediately from yourselves. Many persons suppose that the words, being crafty, I caught you with guile, are the words of the apostle and not of his slanderers…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16But be it so - This is evidently a charge of his enemies; or at least a charge which it might be supposed they would make. Whether they ever in fact made it, or whether the apostle merely anticipates an objection, it is impossible to determine. It is clearly to be regarded as the language of objectors; for: (1) It can never be supposed that Paul would state as a serious matter that he had caught them with deceit or fraud. (2) he answers it as an objection…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 11-21Verses 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. Here are noticed several…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16-18Some Corinthians still believed Paul had tricked them. They might have suggested Paul took money from the collection for the Jerusalem church (chapters 8–9). The response to this accusation is a reminder of the honesty of Titus and the other brother (see 8:18–24). The integrity of Paul and his associates should disprove these false claims.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. I did not burden you--The "I" in the Greek is emphatic. A possible insinuation of the Corinthians is hereby anticipated and refuted: "But, you may say, granted that I did not burden you myself; nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you (in my net) with guile"; namely, made a gain of you by means of others (1Th 2:3).Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Corinthians 12:16

• Love
• Minister, Christian

In the dictionaries

• Backbiting
• Crafty
• Excuse
• Gain
• Grace
• Perfect
• Revelation
• Sufficient
• Thorn
• Unspeakable

Commentaries on 2 Corinthians 12

• 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