Verse 17
17. For Reason for this agonized exclamation.
Many Literally, the many; the multitudes. The word often signifies the entire whole, but more often the commonalty in distinction from the choice few or one.
Which corrupt Literally, which huckster. The verb is derived from a noun signifying a huckster, or pedler of small wares, wines, or provisions. And they were reputed as guilty of adulterating, tricking, and cheating for gain. And so the pagan satirist, Lucian, says: “The philosophers retail their teachings, like hucksters, the great body of them mixing, cheating, and dealing false measures.” Paul refers to the errorists who were trying to make gain by adulterating the word of God such as the Judaists, who substituted circumcision for Christ; the Libertines, who defended incest; the Gnostics, who denied the literal resurrection of the body. Of Out from sincerity, as from a pure fountain. Of Out from God, as the primal source of our utterance by his inspiration.
In the sight of God With, therefore, a dread sense of the necessity of pureness and rectitude.
In Christ In his power, gospel, and very being. This solemn and cumulative assertion of sincerity, inspiration, and identification with Christ is in powerful issue with his Judaic opposers, who, while claiming to be Christine, truly depreciated Christ. But how does all this furnish reason for the wail as indicated by the above for. It furnishes reason why it was he that uttered it. He felt the solemn responsibilities implied in 2 Corinthians 2:15-16, the hucksters did not.
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