2 Corinthians 7:8

βλέπω (BD, d e) rather than βλέπω γάρ (אCD2FGKLP, Syrr. Copt. Arm.), the γάρ being inserted to ease the construction. Comp. 2 Corinthians 5:21. Probably videns (Vulg.) preserves the true reading, βλέπων, ω̄, having been read as ω (WH. App. p. 120).

8. ὅτι εἰ καὶ ἐλύπησα ὑμᾶς ἐν τῇ ἐπιστολῇ, οὐ μεταμέλομαι. Because, though I made you sorry (2 Corinthians 2:2) in my letter, I do not regret it. Μεταμέλομαι (Matthew 21:30; Matthew 21:32; Hebrews 7:21) has less serious associations than μετανοέω (2 Corinthians 12:21 and often in Lk. and Rev.). Trench, Syn. § lxix. A colon or full stop should be placed at μεταμέλομαι.

εἰ καὶ μετεμελόμην. The δέ after εἰ, admitted by Weiss on the authority of B, may be ignored. Though I did regret it … I now rejoice. This is strong evidence that the painful letter alluded to here is not 1 Corinthians. It is difficult to believe that anything in 1 Corinthians ever made the Apostle regret, even for a time, that he had written it. He does not say that it had pained him to pain them, but that for a time he regretted having sent the letter that pained them, though he does not regret it now. We are therefore again (2 Corinthians 1:17; 2 Corinthians 2:3; 2 Corinthians 2:9) pointed to the hypothesis of a second lost letter, viz. one between 1 and 2 Corinthians, the other being that of 1 Corinthians 5:9, before 1 Corinthians. If 2 Corinthians 10-13 is part of this letter, there are passages there which he might at times regret having sent, and in the remainder of the letter there may have been things which he would be still more likely to regret.

βλέπω ὅτι … ἐλύπησεν ὑμᾶς. If βλέπω be the right reading (see critical note), it is best to take this clause as a parenthesis: Though I did regret it (I see that that letter, though but for a season, made you sorry), I now rejoice. The R.V. does not give this arrangement a place even in the margin; but the American Revisers prefer it. In the A.V. the change from ‘letter’ to ‘Epistle’ is unwarrantable, and to translate ἐλύπησεν ‘hath made sorry’ spoils the sense, by implying that the sorrow still continues.