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2Co 1:8-10; 6:4; 7:5; 11:23-30

Verse 8. We are troubled on every side] We have already seen, in the notes on the ninth chapter of the preceding epistle, that St. Paul has made several allusions to those public games which were celebrated every fifth year at the Isthmus of Corinth; and those games have been in that place particularly described. In this and the three following verses the apostle makes allusion to the contests at those games; and the terms which he employs in these verses cannot be understood but in reference to those agonistical exercises to which he alludes. Dr. Hammond has explained the whole on this ground; and I shall here borrow his help. There are four pairs of expressions taken from the customs of the agones. 1. Troubled on every side, yet not distressed. 2. Perplexed, but not in despair. 3. Persecuted, but not forsaken. Cast down, but not destroyed. Three of these pairs belong to the customs of wrestling; the fourth, to that of running in the race.

Troubled on every side, &c.] en panti qlibomenoi. The word qlibesqai, belongs clearly to palh wrestling. So says Aristotle, Rhet. lib. i. cap. 5, (and the Scholiast on that place,) o gar dunamenov-qlibein kai katecein, palaistikov? "He that can gripe his adversary, and take him up, is a good wrestler;" there being two dexterities in that exercise: 1.

to gripe, and 2. to throw down, which Hesychius calls wqein and kratein; the first of these is here mentioned, and expressed by qlibesqai, to be pressed down; to which is here opposed, as in a higher degree, stenocwreisqai, to be brought to distress, as when one cannot get out of his antagonist's hands, nor make any resistance against him. So in Isaiah: stenocwroumenoi ou dunameqa macesqai, we are brought to such extremities that we can fight no longer.

Perplexed, but not in despair] aporoumenoi, all� ouk exaporoumenoi. The word aporeisqai, to be in perplexity, is fit for the wrestler, who being puzzled by his antagonist's skill knows not what to do: so in Hesychius, aporountev, amhcanountev, they that are not able to do or attempt any thing, yet are not exaporoumenoi, they miscarry not finally, orqoi istamenoi, stand after all upright; ouk apoginwskontev kai httwmenoi, despair not, nor are they overcome, but find a happy issue out of all, being at last conquerors.

Ver. 8. We are troubled on every side , etc..] Or afflicted; en panti , either �in every place�, wherever we are, into whatsoever country, city, or town we enter, we are sure to meet with trouble, of one sort or another; for wherever we be, we are in the world, in which we must expect tribulation: or �always�, every day and hour we live, as in ( 2 Corinthians 4:10,11) we are never free from one trial or another: or �by everyone�; by all sorts of persons, good and bad, professors and profane, open persecutors and false brethren; yea, some of the dear children of God, weak believers, give us trouble: or �with every sort� of trouble, inward and outward; trouble from the world, the flesh and the devil: yet not distressed ; so as to have no hope, or see no way of escape; so as to have no manner of comfort, or manifestations of the love of God; or so as to be straitened in our own souls; for notwithstanding all our troubles, we have freedom at the throne of grace, and in our ministry; we can go with liberty to God, and preach the Gospel boldly to you: we are perplexed ; and sometimes know not what to do, which way to take, what course to steer, or how we shall be relieved and supplied; we are sometimes at the utmost loss about things temporal, how we shall be provided for with food and raiment; nor are we without our perplexing thoughts, doubts, and fears, about spiritual affairs: but not in despair ; of the Lord's appearing and working salvation, both in a temporal and spiritual sense.