2 Corinthians 10:12
in 2 Corinthians 10We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they show their ignorance.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For we are not bold to number or compare ourselves with certain of them that commend themselves: but they themselves, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are without understanding.
KJV
For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.
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This verse in 2 Corinthians 10
Commentary
13 notes on this verseFor we dare not join or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves: They are those who commend themselves, who desire to rule without receiving authority, claiming authority for themselves. For the one who is sent does not assert authority for himself, but rather for …
This site's exposition
compare ourselves with some who commend themselves
Paul describes the closed loop his rivals have built: they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves. Their standard has no reference outside itself, and so they show their ignorance.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
The fundamental fallacy of these men, who prefer to walk in roundabout error than keep to the straight path of truth, is that they have nothing but their own tiny, changing, human minds to measure the divine mind, infinitely capacious and utterly immutable, a mind that can count uncountable things without passing from one to the next. Such men, to use the words of the apostle, "comparing themselves with themselves," end by understanding nothing. Of course, every time such philosophers decide to do something, they have to form a new mental resolution because their minds are mutable, and they imagine it is the same with God. Without having a notion of God, they mistake themselves for him, and instead of measuring God by God, they compare themselves to themselves.
As often as you think of the perfection of the virtues, do not consider what others have less than you have but what you have less than you ought to have. You should not think that you are perfect in virtue if you see other …
"For we are not bold to number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves." Here he both shows that those false Apostles are boasters and say great things of themselves: and ridicules them as commending themselves. 'But we do no such thing: but even if we shall do any thing great, we refer all unto God, and compare ourselves with one another.' Wherefore also he added, "But they themselves measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves among themselves are without understanding." Now what he says is this: 'we do not compare ourselves with them, but with one another.' For further on he says, "in nothing am I behind the very chiefest Apostles;" (Chap. xii. 11) and in the former Epistle, "I labored more abundantly than they all;" (1 Corinthians chapter 15, verse 10) and again, "Truly the signs of an Apostle were wrought among you in all patience." (Chap. xii. 12.) 'So that we compare ourselves with ourselves, not with those that have nothing: for such arrogance cometh of folly.' Either then he says this with reference to himself, or with reference to them, that 'we dare not compare ourselves with those who contend with one another and boast great things and do not understand:' that is, do not perceive how ridiculous they are in being thus arrogant, and in exalting themselves amongst one another.
The Medieval Church2 voices
Then when he says, Not that we venture, he indicates the reason behind what he says, saying: I say that we are not like the false apostles, nor is the charge they lay against us true, because I do not say any more than I …
Here he shows that they are boasters and praise themselves too much. So, he says, "we do not dare to classify," that is, to number, "or compare," that is, to set ourselves against those among them who exalt themselves with praises. They, he says, do …
6 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
For we dare not make ourselves of the number,....
6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled. The mild and humble manner in which the blessed apostle addresses the Corinthians, and how desirous he is that no occasion may be given him to use severity.
The apostle would not be of the number of such vain men: let us resolve that we will not make ourselves of that number. He fixes a better rule for his conduct, namely, not to boast of things without his measure, which was the measure God had distributed to him,
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
We dare not make ourselves, etc. - As if he had said: I dare neither associate with, nor compare myself to, those who are full of self-commendation. Some think this to be an ironical speech. But they, measuring themselves by themselves - They are not sent of God; they are not inspired by his Spirit; therefore they have no rule to think or act by. They are also full of pride and self-conceit; they look within themselves for accomplishments which their self-love will soon find out; for to it real and fictitious are the same.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
The one-eyed is easily king among the blind. are not wise--with all their boasted "wisdom" (1Co 1:19-26), they are anything but "wise."
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
For we dare not make ourselves of the number - We admit that we are not bold enough for that. They had accused him of a lack of boldness and energy when present with them, 2Co 10:1, 2Co 10:10. Here in a strain of severe but delicate irony, he says he was not bold enough to do things which the had done. He did not dare to do the things which had been done among them. To such boldness of character, present or absent, he could lay no claim. Or compare ourselves ... - I am not bold enough for that. That requires a stretch of boldness and energy to which I can lay no claim. That commend themselves - That put themselves forward, and that boast of their endowments and attainments. It is probable that this was commonly done by those to whom the apostle here refers; and it is certain that it is everywhere the characteristic of pride. To do this, Paul says, required greater boldness than he possessed, and on this point he yielded to them the palm. The satire here is very delicate, and yet very severe, and was such as would doubtless be felt by them. But they measuring themselves by themselves - Whitby and Clarke suppose that this means that they compare themselves with each other; and that they made the false apostles particularly their standard. Doddridge, Grotius, Bloomfield, and some others suppose the sense to be, that they made themselves the standard of excellence. They looked continually on their own accomplishments, and did not look at the excellences of others. They thus formed a disproportionate opinion of themselves, and undervalued all others. Paul says that he had not boldness enough for that. It required a moral courage to which he could lay no claim. Horace (Epis. 2Co 1:7. […]
The words behind it
23 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Οὐ | ou | Not | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| γὰρ | gar | for | G1063 → | 1039 times |
| τολμῶμεν | tolmomen | dare we | G5111 → | 16 times |
| ἐγκρῖναι | egkrinai | to classify | G1469 → | |
| ἢ | e | or | G2228 → | 342 times |
| συγκρῖναι | sugkrinai | to compare | G4793 → | |
| ἑαυτούς | he'autous | ourselves [with] | G1438 → | 322 times |
| τισιν | tisin | some | G5100 → | 528 times |
| τῶν | ton | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἑαυτοὺς | he'autous | themselves | G1438 → | 322 times |
| συνιστανόντων· | sunistanonton | commending; | G4921 → | 16 times |
| ἀλλ᾽ | all᾽ | but | G235 → | 635 times |
| αὐτοὶ | autoi | these | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ἐν | en | by | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| ἑαυτοῖς | he'autois | themselves | G1438 → | 322 times |
| ἑαυτοὺς | he'autous | themselves | G1438 → | 322 times |
| μετροῦντες | metrountes | measuring | G3354 → | |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| συγκρίνοντες | sugkrinontes | comparing | G4793 → | |
| ἑαυτοὺς | he'autous | themselves | G1438 → | 322 times |
| ἑαυτοῖς | he'autois | with themselves | G1438 → | 322 times |
| οὐ | ou | not | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| συνιᾶσιν. | suniasin | understand. | G4920 → |
ΟὐNot
ouG3756 →1664 times
γὰρfor
garG1063 →1039 times
τολμῶμενdare we
tolmomenG5111 →16 times
ἐγκρῖναιto classify
egkrinaiG1469 →
ἢor
eG2228 →342 times
συγκρῖναιto compare
sugkrinaiG4793 →
ἑαυτούςourselves [with]
he'autousG1438 →322 times
τισινsome
tisinG5100 →528 times
τῶν<the>
tonG3588 →19766 times
ἑαυτοὺςthemselves
he'autousG1438 →322 times
συνιστανόντων·commending;
sunistanontonG4921 →16 times
ἀλλ᾽but
all᾽G235 →635 times
αὐτοὶthese
autoiG846 →5565 times
ἐνby
enG1722 →2738 times
ἑαυτοῖςthemselves
he'autoisG1438 →322 times
ἑαυτοὺςthemselves
he'autousG1438 →322 times
μετροῦντεςmeasuring
metrountesG3354 →
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
συγκρίνοντεςcomparing
sugkrinontesG4793 →
ἑαυτοὺςthemselves
he'autousG1438 →322 times
ἑαυτοῖςwith themselves
he'autoisG1438 →322 times
οὐnot
ouG3756 →1664 times
συνιᾶσιν.understand.
suniasinG4920 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Proverbs 27:2Let another praise you, and not your own mouth—a stranger, and not your own lips.
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 10:18
For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.
- Proverbs 25:27
It is not good to eat too much honey or to search out one’s own glory.
- 2 Corinthians 10:18
Through
2 Corinthians 10:18For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.
it leads to
- Proverbs 21:2
All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the LORD weighs the heart.
- Luke 16:15
So He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is prized among men is detestable before God.
- Romans 2:29
No, a man is a Jew because he is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man’s praise does not come…
- Proverbs 21:2
Through
Proverbs 26:12Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
it leads to
- Proverbs 29:20
Do you see a man who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
- 1 Corinthians 3:18–19
Let no one deceive himself. If any of you thinks he is wise in this age, he should become a fool, so that he may become wise.
- Proverbs 29:20
Through
Luke 18:11The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like the other men—swindlers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.
it leads to
- Matthew 6:5
And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. Truly I tell you, they…
- Matthew 6:5
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies6
About 2 Corinthians
This page draws on 13 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrosiaster, Commentary on 2 Corinthians; Augustine of Hippo, City of God 12.17; Charles Hodge, An Exposition of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians; Fulgentius of Ruspe, TO PROBA; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homilies on Second Corinthians; John Chrysostom, Homily 22 on 2 Corinthians; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 2 Corinthians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on 2 Corinthians.