New King James Version
2 Corinthians 9:5
5Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren to go to you ahead of time, and prepare your generous gift beforehand, which you had previously promised, that it may be ready as a matter of generosity and not as a grudging obligation.
2 Corinthians 9:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness.
- New International Version (NIV)So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to visit you in advance and finish the arrangements for the generous gift you had promised. Then it will be ready as a generous gift, not as one grudgingly given.
- English Standard Version (ESV)So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance for the gift you have promised, so that it may be ready as a willing gift, not as an exaction.
- New Living Translation (NLT)So I thought I should send these brothers ahead of me to make sure the gift you promised is ready. But I want it to be a willing gift, not one given grudgingly.
Context of 2 Corinthians 9:5
3Yet I have sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this respect, that, as I said, you may be ready; 4lest if some Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we (not to mention you!) should be ashamed of this confident boasting. Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren to go to you ahead of time, and prepare your generous gift beforehand, which you had previously promised, that it may be ready as a matter of generosity and not as a grudging obligation. 6But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.
Read all of 2 Corinthians 92 Corinthians 9:5 word by word
ἀναγκαῖον οὖν ἡγησάμην παρακαλέσαι τοὺς ἀδελφούς, ἵνα προέλθωσιν εἰς ὑμᾶς καὶ προκαταρτίσωσιν τὴν προεπηγγελμένην εὐλογίαν ὑμῶν ταύτην ἑτοίμην εἶναι, οὕτως ὡς εὐλογίαν καὶ μὴ ὡς πλεονεξίαν.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Thereforeοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
- I thought itἡγέομαιhēgeomai · to governG2233
- necessaryἀναγκαῖοςanagkaios · necessaryG316
- to exhortπαρακαλέωparakaleō · to plead/comfortG3870
- the brethrenἀδελφόςadelphos · brotherG80
- thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
- they would go beforeπροέρχομαιproerchomai · to go beforeG4281
- untoεἰςeis · towardG1519
- youσύsu · youG4771
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- make up beforehandπροκαταρτίζωprokatartizō · to arrangeG4294
- bountyεὐλογίαeulogia · praiseG2129
- whereof ye had notice beforeπροκαταγγέλλωprokataggellō · to foretellG4293
- that the sameοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
- might beεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- ·οὕτωςhoutō · thus(-ly)G3779
- readyἕτοιμοςhetoimos · readyG2092
- asὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
- notμήmē · notG3361
- asὥσπερhōsper · just asG5618
- covetousnessπλεονεξίαpleonexia · greedinessG4124
Cross-references for 2 Corinthians 9:5
- 2 Corinthians 8:6So we urged Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also complete this grace in you as well.
- 1 Corinthians 16:2On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.
- Genesis 33:11Please, take my blessing that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.” So he urged him, and he took it.
- 1 Samuel 25:27And now this present which your maidservant has brought to my lord, let it be given to the young men who follow my lord.
- 1 Samuel 30:26Now when David came to Ziklag, he sent some of the spoil to the elders of Judah, to his friends, saying, “Here is a present for you from the spoil of the enemies of the Lord”—
- 2 Kings 5:15And he returned to the man of God, he and all his aides, and came and stood before him; and he said, “Indeed, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel; now therefore, please take a gift from your servant.”
Commentaries on 2 Corinthians 9:5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5Whereof ye had notice before - Instead of , spoken of before, BCDEFG, several others, with the Coptic, Vulgate, Itala, and several of the fathers, have , what was promised before. The sense is not very different; probably the latter reading was intended to explain the former. See the margin. Bounty, and not as of covetousness - Had they been backward, strangers might have attributed this to a covetous principle; as it would appear that they were loth to…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5Therefore I thought it necessary - In order to secure the collection, and to avoid all unpleasant feeling on all hands. That they would go before unto you - Before I should come. And make up beforehand your bounty - Prepare it before I come. The word “bounty” is in the margin, rendered “blessing.” The Greek ( ̓́ eulogia) means properly commendation, eulogy. Then it means blessing, praise applied to God. Then that which blesses - a gift, donation, favor…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-5Two reasons encourage the spirit of love in giving: to follow the example of the Macedonians, who were generous despite their poverty (9:2); and to avoid embarrassing Paul or themselves, as he had praised the Corinthians' generosity to the Macedonians (9:3–5). To ensure the collection at Corinth is ready on time, Paul will send delegates (8:16–24) ahead to prepare the promised gift.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. that they would go before--Translate, "that they should," &c. whereof ye had notice before--rather, "promised before"; "long announced by me to the Macedonians" (2Co 9:2) [Bengel]. "Your promised bounty" [Ellicott and others]. not as of covetousness--Translate, "not as matter of covetousness," which it would be, if you gave niggardly.Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Corinthians 9:5
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 2 Corinthians 9
- 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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries