persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;
Troubled on every side, yet not distressed; perplexed, yet not in despair; persecuted, yet not forsaken of God. Whatever condition God's children face in this world, they have a 'but not' to comfort themselves with, their case is bad, but never so bad as it might be, for God supports and delivers.
AI summary
Commenting on 2 Corinthians 4:8-18
Persecuted, but not forsaken,.... Pursued from place to place, and followed with menaces, curses, and reproaches; laid hold on, proscribed, imprisoned, and threatened with the severest tortures, and death itself; but our God never leaves us nor forsakes us; though we are followed close by evil men, and left by our friends, we are not forsaken of God: cast down we sometimes are, as an...
Verse 9. Persecuted.Often persecuted; persecuted in all places. The "Acts of the Apostles" show how true this was. But not forsaken. Not deserted; not left by God. Though persecuted by men, yet they experienced the fulfillment of the Divine promise that he would never leave or forsake them.