1 Corinthians 2:3
New International Version
I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling.

New Living Translation
I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling.

English Standard Version
And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling,

Berean Standard Bible
I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling.

Berean Literal Bible
And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.

King James Bible
And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.

New King James Version
I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.

New American Standard Bible
I also was with you in weakness and fear, and in great trembling,

NASB 1995
I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling,

NASB 1977
And I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling.

Legacy Standard Bible
And I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling,

Amplified Bible
I came to you in [a state of] weakness and fear and great trembling.

Christian Standard Bible
I came to you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
I came to you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.

American Standard Version
And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And I was with you in much fear and in trembling.

Contemporary English Version
At first, I was weak and trembling with fear.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.

English Revised Version
And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
When I came to you, I was weak. I was afraid and very nervous.

Good News Translation
So when I came to you, I was weak and trembled all over with fear,

International Standard Version
It was in weakness, fear, and great trembling that I came to you.

Literal Standard Version
and I, in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling, was with you;

Majority Standard Bible
I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling.

New American Bible
I came to you in weakness and fear and much trembling,

NET Bible
And I was with you in weakness and in fear and with much trembling.

New Revised Standard Version
And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling.

New Heart English Bible
When I was with you, I was weak and afraid and I shook.

Webster's Bible Translation
And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.

Weymouth New Testament
And so far as I myself was concerned, I came to you in conscious feebleness and in fear and in deep anxiety.

World English Bible
I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.

Young's Literal Translation
and I, in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling, was with you;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Paul's Message by the Spirit's Power
2For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 3I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. 4My message and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,…

Cross References
Isaiah 19:16
In that day the Egyptians will be like women. They will tremble with fear beneath the uplifted hand of the LORD of Hosts, when He brandishes it against them.

1 Corinthians 4:10
We are fools for Christ, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are honored, but we are dishonored.

2 Corinthians 7:15
And his affection for you is even greater when he remembers that you were all obedient as you welcomed him with fear and trembling.

2 Corinthians 10:1
Now by the mildness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you--I, Paul, who am humble when face to face with you, but bold when away.

2 Corinthians 10:10
For some say, "His letters are weighty and forceful, but his physical presence is unimpressive, and his speaking is of no account."

2 Corinthians 11:30
If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.

2 Corinthians 12:5
I will boast about such a man, but I will not boast about myself, except in my weaknesses.


Treasury of Scripture

And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.

1 Corinthians 4:10-13
We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised…

Acts 17:1,6-12
Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews: …

Acts 20:18,19
And when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons, …

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Anxiety Concerned Conscious Deep Doubt Far Fear Feebleness Strength Trembling Weakness
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Anxiety Concerned Conscious Deep Doubt Far Fear Feebleness Strength Trembling Weakness
1 Corinthians 2
1. Paul declares that his preaching,
4. though it bring not excellence of speech, or of human wisdom,
5. yet consists in the power of God;
6. and so far excels the wisdom of this world, that the natural man cannot understand it.














(3) And I was with you.--To show that the real force of his teaching lay in its subject-matter, and not in any power with which he may have proclaimed the gospel, the Apostle now dwells upon his own physical weakness. The "weakness and fear and trembling" of which St. Paul speaks here had in it probably a large element of that self-distrust which so noble and sensitive a nature would feel in the fulfilment of such an exalted mission as the preaching of the Cross. I cannot think, however, the allusion is only to that. There is, I believe, a reference also to what we may call a physical apprehension of danger. The bravest are not those who do not experience any sensation of fear, but rather those who keenly appreciate danger, who have an instinctive shrinking from it, and yet eventually by their moral might conquer this dread. There are traces of this element in St. Paul's character to be found in several places, as, for example, in Acts 18:9, when the Lord encourages him when labouring at Corinth with the hopeful words, "Be not afraid;" again in Acts 23:11, when the terrible scene before Ananias had depressed him, the Lord is with him to strengthen him, "Be of good cheer, Paul;" and in Acts 27:24, when the angel of the Lord appears to him amid the storm and shipwreck, "Fear not, Paul."

Verse 3. - I was with you; literally, I became or proved myself, towards you, as in 1 Corinthians 16:10. In weakness. St. Paul was physically weak and liable also to nervous weakness and depression (1 Corinthians 4:7-12; Galatians 4:13; 2 Corinthians 10:1, 10; 2 Corinthians 12:7, 10). He shows an occasional self distrust rising from the consciousness of personal infirmities. This enhances our sense of his heroic courage and endurance. Doubtless this physical weakness and nervous depression were connected with his "stake in the flesh," which seems to have been an acute and distressing form of ophthalmia, accompanied with cerebral disturbance (see my 'Life of St. Paul,' 1:215-221). In fear, and in much trembling. Probably the words are even literally true, though they are a common phrase (2 Corinthians 7:15; Philippians 2:12, 13; Ephesians 6:5). It must be remembered that in his first visit to Corinth St. Paul had gone through stormy and troubled days (Acts 18:1-12).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
I
κἀγὼ (kagō)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person Singular
Strong's 2504: To also, I too, but I. From kai and ego; so also the dative case kamoi, and accusative case kame and I, me.

came
ἐγενόμην (egenomēn)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1096: A prolongation and middle voice form of a primary verb; to cause to be, i.e. to become, used with great latitude.

to
πρὸς (pros)
Preposition
Strong's 4314: To, towards, with. A strengthened form of pro; a preposition of direction; forward to, i.e. Toward.

you
ὑμᾶς (hymas)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

in
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

weakness
ἀσθενείᾳ (astheneia)
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 769: From asthenes; feebleness; by implication, malady; morally, frailty.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

fear,
φόβῳ (phobō)
Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5401: (a) fear, terror, alarm, (b) the object or cause of fear, (c) reverence, respect. From a primary phebomai; alarm or fright.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

with
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

much
πολλῷ (pollō)
Adjective - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 4183: Much, many; often.

trembling.
τρόμῳ (tromō)
Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5156: A trembling, quaking, fear. From tremo; a 'trembling', i.e. Quaking with fear.


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NT Letters: 1 Corinthians 2:3 I was with you in weakness (1 Cor. 1C iC 1Cor i cor icor)
1 Corinthians 2:2
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