2 Corinthians 4:9 (KJV)

Passage

Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

Nearby Context

2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

2 Corinthians 4:8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;

2 Corinthians 4:9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

2 Corinthians 4:10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

2 Corinthians 4:11 For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "persecuted", "forsaken", "cast", "down", and "destroyed". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "persecuted" and "forsaken", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "We are troubled on every side yet..." into verse 10's "Always bearing about in the body the...", so "persecuted" and "forsaken" belong inside that flow. In 2 Corinthians context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "persecuted" and "forsaken" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.