2 Corinthians 1:9 (ASV)

Passage

yea, we ourselves have had the sentence of death within ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raiseth the dead:

Nearby Context

2 Corinthians 1:7 and our hope for you is stedfast; knowing that, as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so also are ye of the comfort.

2 Corinthians 1:8 For we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning our affliction which befell [us] in Asia, that we were weighed down exceedingly, beyond our power, insomuch that we despaired even of life:

2 Corinthians 1:9 yea, we ourselves have had the sentence of death within ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raiseth the dead:

2 Corinthians 1:10 who delivered us out of so great a death, and will deliver: on whom we have set our hope that he will also still deliver us;

2 Corinthians 1:11 ye also helping together on our behalf by your supplication; that, for the gift bestowed upon us by means of many, thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "ourselves", "sentence", "death", "within", "should", and "trust". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "ourselves" and "sentence", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "For we would not have you ignorant..." into verse 10's "who delivered us out of so great...", so "ourselves" and "sentence" 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 "ourselves" and "sentence" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.