2 Corinthians 4:9 (YLT)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

2 Corinthians 4:7 And 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 on every side being in tribulation, but not straitened; perplexed, but not in despair;

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

2 Corinthians 4:10 at all times the dying of the Lord Jesus bearing about in the body, that the life also of Jesus in our body may be manifested,

2 Corinthians 4:11 for always are we who are living delivered up to death because of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our dying 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 "on every side being in tribulation but..." into verse 10's "at all times the dying of 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.