{They say} (phasin). Reading of B old Latin Vulgate, but
Westcott and Hort prefer ph(8873)in (says one, the leader). This
charge Paul quotes directly. {Weighty and strong} (areiai kai
ischurai). These adjectives can be uncomplimentary and mean
"severe and violent" instead of "impressive and vigorous." The
adjectives bear either sense. {His bodily presence} (h(8820)parousia
tou s(936d)atos). This certainly is uncomplimentary. "The presence
of his body." It seems clear that Paul did not have a commanding
appearance like that of Barnabas ( Ac 14:12 ). He had some
physical defect of the eyes ( Ga 4:14 ) and a thorn in the flesh
( 2Co 12:7 ). In the second century _Acts of Paul and Thecla_ he
is pictured as small, short, bow-legged, with eye-brows knit
together, and an aquiline nose. A forgery of the fourth century
in the name of Lucian describes Paul as "the bald-headed,
hook-nosed Galilean." However that may be, his accusers sneered
at his personal appearance as "weak" (asthen(8873)). {His speech of
no account} (ho logos exouthen(886d)enos). Perfect passive
participle of exouthene(935c), to treat as nothing (cf.  1Co 1:28 ).
The Corinthians (some of them) cared more for the brilliant
eloquence of Apollos and did not find Paul a trained rhetorician
( 1Co 1:17  2:1,4  2Co 11:6 ). He made different impressions on
different people. "Seldom has any one been at once so ardently
hated and so passionately loved as St. Paul" (Deissmann, _St.
Paul_, p. 70). "At one time he seemed like a man, and at another
he seemed like an angel" (_Acts of Paul and Thecla_). He spoke
like a god at Lystra ( Ac 14:8-12 ), but Eutychus went to sleep
on him ( Ac 20:9 ). Evidently Paul winced under this biting
criticism of his looks and speech.