Again: this word may go with the verb come (so Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation) or with the verb may humble (so Anchor Bible, “that my God may again humiliate me in your presence when I come,” and Martin). Grammar and context allow for either interpretation, though the latter seems more likely for at least two reasons: Paul has already indicated that he is coming (again) in verse 20, so to say “when I come again” seems unnecessary. And grammatically, the words when I come seem to be parenthetical. On Paul’s previous or first humiliation, see 2.1, 5.

My God: in a few languages the use of a possessive pronoun with the name of God is problematic. A literal translation may give the false impression that Paul considered himself to have a different God from that of his Corinthian readers. The sense is “the God I serve.” Note that the possessive pronoun is omitted by Living Bible, Phillips, Barclay, and Hughes commentary.

Mourn: this verb may be understood in some cultures as referring to an internal feeling that does not necessarily have any outward manifestation. However, in this context the term used is probably intended to indicate some visible display of sorrow. For this reason Good News Translation translates “weep,” and Knox has “shall have tears to shed” (so also Barclay).

Many of those who sinned before: the tense of the Greek verb sinned before suggests that these people have continued to sin. Anchor Bible says “many who have continued in their former sinning.” Paul is probably referring to sin which has continued since his second visit and his painful letter (2.1-4). The Greek verb indicates that the guilty persons had sinned at an earlier time. The sins “in the past” (Good News Translation) are not sins committed before they became Christians, but rather sins committed as Christians.

Have not repented: while this verb is common in the Gospels, Acts, and Revelation, this is the only time it occurs in the letters of the New Testament. The related noun is, however, found at 7.9-10. It involves a change of heart and a new direction in life.

Impurity, immorality, and licentiousness: these same three words occur in Gal 5.19, though in a different order. The first of these three words, impurity, is a general word which came to mean ceremonial or moral uncleanness, with no special emphasis on sexual sins. Paul, however, often uses this word along with other words that refer to sexual immorality, so the sense here is probably sexual uncleanness. Immorality is a general word which can be used for any kind of sexual sins or immoral acts. Licentiousness refers to sexual excesses that result in public indecent behavior. In Greek a single definite article (“the”) is used for all three nouns, which may suggest that Paul is using the three different terms as synonyms.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellingworth, Paul. A Handbook on Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1993. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .