By reason of the exceeding greatness (τη υπερβολη). Instrumental case, "by the excess."

That I should not be exalte…

And lest I should be exalted. Lest I should be spiritually proud; lest I should become self-confident and vain, and suppose that I was a s…

There was given to me a thorn in the flesh.—The vague mystery with which St. Paul thus surrounds the special form of “inf…

Others might be tempted, “because of these surpassingly great revelations” (v.7) accorded to Paul, to form an estimate of him that outstripped the …

And lest through the superiority of revelations. Here we have a second reason—that God, designing to repress in him every approac…

And lest I should be exalted above measure
Over much elated in his mind, and swelled with a vain conceit of himself:…

The apostle gives an account of the method God took to keep him humble, and to prevent his being lifted up above measure, on account of the visions…

Here, he speaks of the remedy against pride. In this regard, he does three things: