In 2 Corinthians 1:8 what does Paul mean by ἐξαπορέομαι?

Question

2 Corinthians 1:

[8] For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life (NASB)

Paul who said:

And our hope in Christ is steadfast - We have a firm and unshaken hope in Christ; we have a confident expectation that we will be saved. We believe that we will be enabled to bear trials as to show that we are sustained by our hope in Christ and so as to advance our own piety, and confirm our prospect of heaven.

Then how could Paul despair so much as to wish to die; was Paul doubting the strength of grace in this situation?

Answer 1

The Greek does not literally say "despaired of life" (εξαπορηθηναι ... της ζωης - noun), but rather more like "despaired of living" (εξαπορηθηναι ... του ζην - infinitive). The sense of the phrase is that he had no expectation of continuing to live, not that he had sunk into emotional despair. This comes out in John Chrysostom's (Greek) homily on the related verses:

“That we despaired even of life.”

That is, we had no longer any expectation of living. What David calleth “the gates of hell, the pangs” and “the shadow of death,” this he expresseth by saying, “We endured peril pregnant with certain death.”

Answer 2

In 2 Corinthians 1:8, what does Paul mean by ἐξαπορέομαι?

From;

Strong's Lexicon- Bible Hub

In 2 Corinthians 1 what does Paul mean by ἐξαπορέομαι?

Strong's Concordance

exaporeó: to be utterly at a loss, be in despair

Original Word: ἐξαπορέομαι

Part of Speech: Verb

Transliteration: exaporeó

Phonetic Spelling: (ex-ap-or-eh'-om-ahee)

Definition: to be utterly at a loss, be in despair

Usage: I am utterly without resource, am in despair.

Paul’s statement at 2 Corinthians 1:8-10 concerning the very grave danger experienced in the district of Asia, where Ephesus was located, and of God’s rescuing him from it. Paul encountered at Ephesus. (Acts 19:23-41) It may thus have been one of the several “near-deaths” Paul underwent in his ministry.​ 2Corinthians 11:23

2 Corinthians 1:8-10 (NASB)

8 "For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in [a]Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; 9 [b]indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; 10 who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, [c]He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us,"

Some renderings of the verse by other translations.

2 Corinthians 1:8

Good News Translation

We want to remind you, friends, of the trouble we had in the province of Asia. The burdens laid upon us were so great and so heavy that we gave up all hope of staying alive.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English

But we want you to know, brethren, concerning the affliction that we had in Asia, that we were afflicted greatly beyond our power, until we were close to losing our lives.

In 2 Corinthians 1:8 what does Paul mean by ἐξαπορέομαι? "very uncertain even "

2 Corinthians 1:8

8 "For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in [a]Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we were very uncertain even of our life."