2 Corinthians 9:4
◄  2 Corinthians 9:4  ►
New International Version (©2011)
For if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we--not to say anything about you--would be ashamed of having been so confident.

New Living Translation (©2007)
We would be embarrassed--not to mention your own embarrassment--if some Macedonian believers came with me and found that you weren't ready after all I had told them!

English Standard Version (©2001)
Otherwise, if some Macedonians come with me and find that you are not ready, we would be humiliated—to say nothing of you—for being so confident.

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
otherwise if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we-- not to speak of you-- will be put to shame by this confidence.

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
Lest haply if they of Macedonia come with me, and find you unprepared, we (that we say not, ye) should be ashamed in this same confident boasting.

Holman Christian Standard Bible (©2009)
For if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we, not to mention you, would be embarrassed in that situation.

International Standard Version (©2012)
Otherwise, if any Macedonians come with me and find out that you are not ready, we would be humiliated—to say nothing of you—in this undertaking.

NET Bible (©2006)
For if any of the Macedonians should come with me and find that you are not ready to give, we would be humiliated (not to mention you) by this confidence we had in you.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English (©2010)
Lest you come with me to Macedonia and they find you unprepared and we would be ashamed; for we would not say that you would be ashamed by that boasting which we boasted.

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
Otherwise, if any Macedonians come with me, they might find out that you're not ready after all. This would embarrass us for feeling so confident as much as it would embarrass you.

King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
Lest perhaps if they of Macedonia come with me, and find you unprepared, we (that we say not, you) should be ashamed in this same confident boasting.

American King James Version
Lest haply if they of Macedonia come with me, and find you unprepared, we (that we say not, you) should be ashamed in this same confident boasting.

American Standard Version
lest by any means, if there come with me any of Macedonia and find you unprepared, we (that we say not, ye) should be put to shame in this confidence.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Lest, when the Macedonians shall come with me, and find you unprepared, we (not to say ye) should be ashamed in this matter.

Darby Bible Translation
lest haply, if Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we, that we say not ye, may be put to shame in this confidence.

English Revised Version
lest by any means, if there come with me any of Macedonia, and find you unprepared, we (that we say not, ye) should be put to shame in this confidence.

Webster's Bible Translation
Lest haply if they of Macedonia come with me, and find you unprepared, we (that we say not, ye) should be ashamed in this same confident boasting.

Weymouth New Testament
for fear that, if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we--not to say you yourselves--should be put to the blush in respect to this confidence.

World English Bible
so that I won't by any means, if there come with me any of Macedonia and find you unprepared, we (to say nothing of you) should be disappointed in this confident boasting.

Young's Literal Translation
lest if Macedonians may come with me, and find you unprepared, we -- we may be put to shame (that we say not -- ye) in this same confidence of boasting.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

9:1-5 When we would have others do good, we must act toward them prudently and tenderly, and give them time. Christians should consider what is for the credit of their profession, and endeavour to adorn the doctrine of God their Saviour in all things. The duty of ministering to the saints is so plain, that there would seem no need to exhort Christians to it; yet self-love contends so powerfully against the love of Christ, that it is often necessary to stir up their minds by way of remembrance.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 4. - They of Macedonia; rather, Macedonians; i.e. any friends from Macedonia (Acts 20:4). Shall Achaians have to blush before Macedonians? We, that we say not ye. Nothing can exceed the delicacy of this touch. St. Paul asks them to be ready with their contributions for his sake, not for their own; that he may not have to blush for his generous words respecting them, whereas really the discredit would be simply theirs. Confident boasting; rather, confidence. The reading "of boasting" is not genuine here. For the word hypostasis in the sense of "confidence," see 2 Corinthians 11:17; Hebrews 3:4. The use of the word to represent the "Persons" of the Blessed Trinity is later. The other sense of the word, "substance" (or underlying base of attributes), is found in Hebrews 1:3.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Lest haply if they of Macedonia come with me,.... The apostle had determined to come himself, though he was afterwards prevented by Providence, but could not be certain of the coming of the Macedonian brethren with him; however, as it was probable that some of them would come, whose hearts were so much in this work, therefore he judged it fit and proper to send the brethren before hand, in case they should come:

and find you unprepared; not so ready for this service as had been boasted of, and the collection not finished, which had been begun a year ago.

We (that we say not, ye) should be ashamed in this same confident boasting; or "in this same substance", or "subsistence of boasting": a boasting, which, he thought, they had the most solid and substantial ground and foundation to proceed upon; which, should it come to nothing, must cause shame both in the apostles, who had so largely, and with so much assurance, boasted of them; and in the Corinthians, who must be put to the blush, when it should be told them how much they had been boasted of with respect to their readiness, and yet were unprepared: so "hope", expectation, confidence, is rendered by the Septuagint "boasting", Proverbs 11:7 and in Psalm 39:5 the word here used. And some copies, and also the Vulgate Latin version, only read, "in this substance", or glorying, and leave out boasting as superfluous.

2 Corinthians 9:4 Parallel Commentaries
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God Loves a Cheerful Giver
…3Yet have I sent the brothers, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this behalf; that, as I said, you may be ready: 4Lest haply if they of Macedonia come with me, and find you unprepared, we (that we say not, you) should be ashamed in this same confident boasting. 5Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brothers, that they would go before to you, and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof you had notice before, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness. …

Romans 15:26 For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the Lord's people in Jerusalem.
1 Corinthians 16:2 On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.
Philemon 1:19 I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back--not to mention that you owe me your very self.