2 Corinthians 12:7
And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
Study Note
Study Note
Paul's account of 'a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me' is deliberately enigmatic — the specific nature of the 'thorn' (skolops) is unknown, generating centuries of speculation (epilepsy, ophthalmia, opponents, temptation) — and this very enigma has made it a maximally generative text for Christians experiencing various forms of suffering. The stated purpose — 'lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations' — frames suffering as a divine protective mechanism against spiritual pride, a move that subordinates the theodicy question to the sanctification question. God's response to Paul's three-fold prayer (v. 9: 'my grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weakness') has become one of the most frequently cited divine assurances in Christian pastoral care. The verse is central to Christian theologies of suffering, weakness, and the sufficiency of grace.
Other Translations
And by reason of the exceeding greatness of the revelations, that I should not be exalted overmuch, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, that I should not be exalted overmuch.
and that by the exceeding greatness of the revelations I might not be exalted overmuch, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of the Adversary, that he might buffet me, that I might not be exalted overmuch.
And because the revelations were so very great, in order that I might not be overmuch lifted up, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, one sent from Satan to give me pain.
Cross References
Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in …
Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands,
To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in …
Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain …
And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed …
Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first.
So went Satan forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of …
And there shall be no more a pricking brier unto the house of Israel, nor any grieving thorn of all …
For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take of …
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every …