2 Corinthians 7:10

ἐργάζεται (אBCDP) rather that κατεργάζεται (א3FGKL).

10. μετάνοιαν εἰς σωτηρίαν�. Repentance which bringeth no regret. The A.V. again creates a verbal antithesis which is not in the Greek; ‘repentance not to be repented of.’ To connect ἀμεταμέλητον with σωτηρίαν produces an empty truism. Who could suppose that σωτηρία would ever bring regret? But a ‘change of mind’ might be regretted. With stabilem (Vulg.) as the rendering of ἀμεταμέλητον, it is easy for Latin commentators to take the epithet with salutem and interpret non transitoriam, sed aeternam (Herveius Burgidol.).

ἡ δὲ τοῦ κόσμου λύπη θάνατον κατεργάζεται. But the sorrow of the world worketh out death. The world feels the painful consequences of sin, without any thought of returning to God. Comp. the case of Judas; μεταμεληθεὶς … ἀπελθὼν� (Matthew 27:3; Matthew 27:5). Just as σωτηρία is spiritual soundness tending to eternal life, so θάνατος means spiritual deadness tending to eternal death. Comp. ἡ ἁμαρτία κατεργαζομένη θάνατον (Romans 7:13). The difference between ἐργάζεται and κατεργάζεται (2 Corinthians 4:7; 2 Corinthians 5:5) is that between promoting and producing. The Vulgate has operatur for both. For the play on words comp. 2 Corinthians 1:13; 2 Corinthians 3:2; 2 Corinthians 4:8; 2 Corinthians 5:4; 2 Corinthians 6:10; 2 Corinthians 10:5-6; 2 Corinthians 10:12.

The contrast between different kinds of sorrow and shame is found both in heathen and in Jewish literature; αἰδὼς ἥτʼ ἄνδρας μέγα σίνεται, ἠδʼ ὀνίνησι (Hes. Opp. et D. i. 316), which may be an interpolation from Hom. Il. xxiv. 44, or both may come from an older source; comp. εἰσὶ δʼ ἡδοναὶ πολλαὶ βίου, μακραί τε λέσχαι καὶ σχολὴ, τερπνὸν κακὸν, αἰδώς τε. δισσαὶ δʼ εἰσίν· ἡ μὲν οὐ κακὴ, ἡ δʼ ἄχθος οἴκων (Eur. Hippol. 383): ἔστιν γὰρ αἰσχύνη ἐπάγουσα ἁμαρτίαν, καὶ ἔστιν αἰσχύνη δόξα καὶ χάρις (Sir 4:21), which in the LXX. is found also in Proverbs 26:11.