2 Corinthians 4:8

8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;

2 Corinthians 4:8 in Other Translations

8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;

8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair;

8 We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair.

8 As it is, there's not much chance of that. You know for yourselves that we're not much to look at. We've been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we're not demoralized; we're not sure what to do,

8 [we are] pressed on every side, yet not straitened; perplexed, yet not unto despair;

8 In every way we're troubled, but we aren't crushed by our troubles. We're frustrated, but we don't give up.

8 We are pressured in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair;

8 We are pushed hard from all sides. But we are not beaten down. We are bewildered. But that doesn't make us lose hope.

2 Corinthians 4:8 Meaning and Commentary

2 Corinthians 4:8

We are troubled on every side
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 2 Corinthians 4:11 ) 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.

2 Corinthians 4:8 In-Context

6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.

7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;

9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.

Cross References

• 1. 2 Corinthians 7:5
• 2. Galatians 4:20