2 Corinthians 8:5
And not as we hoped, but they gave their own selves first to the Lord, then to us by the will of God:
Open 2 Corinthians 8:5 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Et non sicut speravimus, sed semetipsos dederunt primum Domino, deinde nobis per voluntatem Dei,
- Greek New Testament (SBLGNT)
- καὶ οὐ καθὼς ἠλπίσαμεν ἀλλʼ ἑαυτοὺς ἔδωκαν πρῶτον τῷ κυρίῳ καὶ ἡμῖν διὰ θελήματος θεοῦ,
Haydock's commentary
They gave their ownselves. That is, they resigned themselves and families to the care of Providence for the necessaries of life, begging that the apostle would receive their alms, which exceeded even their means. (Calmet)
And by the will of God they also gave themselves to us, that we might dispose of them, and of all that belonged to them, as we should judge proper. (Bible de Vence)
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
St Augustine Of the Work of Monks, Section 17
17. On account then of these either occupations of the servants of God, or bodily infirmities, which cannot be altogether wanting, not only doth the Apostle permit the needs of saints to be supplied by good believers, but also most wholesomely exhorteth. For, setting apart that power, which he saith himself had not used, which yet that the faithful must serve unto, he enjoins, saying, “Let him that is catechised in the word, communicate unto him that doth catechise him, in all good things:” setting apart, then, this power, which that the preachers of the word have over them to whom they preach, he often testifieth; speaking, moreover, of the saints who had sold all that they had and distributed the same, and were dwelling at Jerusalem in an holy communion of life, not saying that any thing was their own, to whom all things were in common, and their soul and heart one in the Lord: that th …
St John Chrysostom The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom, Matthew V. 1, 2
For because there are many who show mercy, and who commit no rapine, nor are covetous, who yet are guilty of fornication and uncleanness; to signify that the former alone suffices not, He hath added this, much in the same sense as Paul, writing to the Corinthians, bore witness of the Macedonians, that they were rich not only in almsgiving, but also in all other virtue. For having spoken of the noble spiritthey had shown in regard of their goods, he saith, “They gave also their own selves to the Lord, and to us.”
St John Chrysostom Homilies on Second Corinthians, Homily XVI
Ver. 5 . “And” this, “not as we hoped.” This he says with reference both to the amount and to their afflictions. ‘For we could never have hoped,’ he says, ‘that whilst in so great affliction and poverty, they would even have urged us and so greatly intreated us.’ He showed also their carefulness of life in other respects, by saying, “But first they gave their own selves to the Lord, and to us by the will of God.” ‘For in everything their obedience was beyond our expectations; nor because they showed mercy did they neglect the other virtues,’ “but first gave themselves to the Lord.” What is, “gave themselves to the Lord?” ‘They offered up [themselves]; they showed themselves approved in faith; they displayed much fortitude in their trials, order, goodness, love, in all things both readiness and zeal.’ What means, “and to us?” ‘They were tractable to the rein, loved, obeyed us; both fulfil …
St John Chrysostom The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Epistle to the Hebrews, Hebrews 6.7,8
“For God” (he says) “is not unrighteous to forget your love” and the zeal “which ye have showed toward His Name, in that ye have ministered unto the saints, and do minister.” He testifies great things of them, not deeds only; but deeds done with alacrity, which he says also in another place, “and not only so, but they gave themselves also to the Lord and to us.” ( 2 Cor. viii. 5 .)