A literal translation of this verse is “You are not squeezed [or, crushed] by us, but you are squeezed [or, crushed] by your bowels.” All of this verse is metaphorical language, and it continues to deal with the figure of space in verse 11, “our heart is wide.” In biblical Greek the bowels are the seat of emotions, hence affections (Revised Standard Version) and “hearts” (Good News Translation). Paul says that he is not squeezing the Corinthians into a small place where there is little room for affection. Any restriction of space for affection is on their side. Good News Translation captures the sense of the original, as does Contemporary English Version: “We are not holding back on our love for you, but you are holding back on your love for us.” Knox provides another possible model: “it is not our fault, it is the fault of your own affections, that you feel constraint with us.” Or some translators may prefer “We have not stopped loving you, but it is your love for us that has grown weak [or, cold].” Note how several of these modern versions have had to abandon the figure of space, since local expressions of affection do not deal with such figures of speech, or else use other figures such as warm and cold, strong and weak.

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 .