2 Corinthians 11:20
in 2 Corinthians 11In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or exalts himself or strikes you in the face.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For ye bear with a man, if he bringeth you into bondage, if he devoureth you, if he taketh you captive, if he exalteth himself, if he smiteth you on the face.
KJV
For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the face.
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This verse in 2 Corinthians 11
Commentary
13 notes on this verseFor ye suffer - As you are so meek and gentle as to submit to be brought into bondage, to have your property devoured, your goods taken away, yourselves laid in the dust, so that others may exalt themselves over you, yea, and will bear from those the most degrading indignity; then of course, you will bear with one who has never insulted, defrauded, devoured, taken of you, exalted himself against you, or offered you any kind of indignity; and who only wishes you to bear his confident boasting, concerning matters which he can substantiate.
This site's exposition
you gladly tolerate fools
on 2 Corinthians 11:19-21
The irony sharpens into sarcasm: you gladly tolerate fools, since you are so wise. Corinth's wisdom proved gullible toward the false apostles, men who enslave, exploit and strike them in the face.
This site's exposition
strikes you in the face
The list describes what the rivals had done. John Chrysostom takes the word rendered exploits as proof that they took from the church in excess, both its money and its freedom.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
Paul is referring to certain Jews who were maltreating them because they were uncircumcised. They were claiming high rank for themselves and humiliating everyone else.
"Know ye not that we are to judge angels? " Again, of how open censure (does) the free expression (find utterance), how manifest the edge of the spiritual sword, (in words like these): "Ye are already enriched! ye are already satiated! ye are already reigning!" and, "If any thinks himself to know, he knoweth not yet how it behaves him to know I" Is he not even then "smiting some one's face," in saying, "For who maketh thee to differ? What, moreover, hast thou which thou hast not received?
"For ye bear with a man," he says, "if he devour you." How then saidst thou, "that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we?" Seest thou that he shows that they did take of them, and not simply take, but even in excess: for the term "devour" plainly shows this, "If a man bring you into bondage." 'Ye have given away both your money,' he says, 'and your persons, and your freedom. For this is more than taking of you; to be masters not only of your money, but of yourselves also.' And he makes this plain even before, where he says, "If others partake of this right over you, do not we much more?" Then he addeth what is more severe, saying, "If a man exalt himself." 'For neither is your slavery of a moderate sort, nor are your masters gentle, but burdensome and odious.' "If a man smite you on the face." Seest thou again a further stretch of tyranny? He said this, not meaning that they were stricken on the face, but that they spat upon and dishonored them...
The Medieval Church2 voices
Look, he exposes the Corinthians in what servility and extreme submission to the false apostles.
Do you see that he presents them as fleecing others? For this is what is expressed by the word "devours." Thus, what he said above as well: "wherein they glory," he said well; since, pretending not to take anything, they only boasted, but were not …
5 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church2 voices
That is, those who subjugate you and exalt themselves over you; for even as masters they were not gentle, but burdensome and oppressive.
Secondly, he shows wherein they bear with the foolish and points out five cases of oppression imposed by the false apostles. The first is the yoke of slavery; as to this he says, for you bear it if a man, i.e., the false apostles, makes …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
For ye suffer if a man bring you into bondage,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Translate "brings," not "bring"; for the case is not merely a supposed case, but a case actually then occurring. Also "devours" (namely, by exactions, Mt 23:24; Ps 53:4), "takes," "exalts," "smites." take of you--So the Greek for "take" is used for "take away from" (Re 6:4).
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
For ye suffer ... - You bear patiently with people who impose on you in every way, and who are constantly defrauding you, though you profess to be so wise, and you may bear with me a little, though I have no such intention. Seriously, if you bear with boasters who intend to delude and deceive you in various ways, you may bear with one who comes to you with no such intention, but with an honest purpose to do good. If a man bring you into bondage - (καταδουλοῖ katadouloi). If a man, or if anyone (εἴ τις ei tis) “make a slave of you,” or reduce you to servitude. The idea is, doubtless, that the false teachers set up a lordship over their consciences; destroyed their freedom of opinion; and made them subservient to their will. They really took away their Christian freedom as much as if they had been slaves. In what way this was done is unknown. It may be that they imposed on them rites and forms, commanded expensive and inconvenient ceremonies, and required arduous services merely at their own will. A false religion always makes slaves. It is only true Christianity that leaves perfect freedom. All pagans are slaves to their priests; all fanatics are slaves to some fanatical leader; all those who embrace error are slaves to those who claim to be their guides. The papist everywhere is the slave of the priest, and the despotism there is as great as in any region of servitude whatever. If a man devour you - This is exceedingly sarcastic. The idea is, “Though you are so wise, yet you in fact tolerate people who impose on you - no matter though they eat you up, or consume all that you have. By their exorbitant demands they would consume all you have - or, as we would say, eat you out of house and home.” All this they took patiently; and freely gave all that they demanded. False teachers are always rapacious. […]
The words behind it
21 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἀνέχεσθε | anechesthe | You bear [it] | G430 → | 15 times |
| γάρ, | gar | for | G1063 → | 1039 times |
| εἴ | ei | if | G1487 → | 508 times |
| τις | tis | anyone | G5100 → | 528 times |
| ὑμᾶς | humas | you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| καταδουλοῖ, | katadouloi | enslaves, | G2615 → | |
| εἴ | ei | if | G1487 → | 508 times |
| τις | tis | anyone | G5100 → | 528 times |
| κατεσθίει, | katesthiei | devours [you], | G2719 → | |
| εἴ | ei | if | G1487 → | 508 times |
| τις | tis | anyone | G5100 → | 528 times |
| λαμβάνει, | lambanei | takes [from you], | G2983 → | 257 times |
| εἴ | ei | if | G1487 → | 508 times |
| τις | tis | anyone | G5100 → | 528 times |
| ἐπαίρεται, | epairetai | exalts himself, | G1869 → | |
| εἴ | ei | if | G1487 → | 508 times |
| τις | tis | anyone | G5100 → | 528 times |
| εἰς | eis | in | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| πρόσωπον | prosopon | [the] face | G4383 → | 75 times |
| ὑμᾶς | humas | you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| δέρει. | derei | strikes. | G1194 → |
ἀνέχεσθεYou bear [it]
anechestheG430 →15 times
γάρ,for
garG1063 →1039 times
εἴif
eiG1487 →508 times
τιςanyone
tisG5100 →528 times
ὑμᾶςyou
humasG4771 →2973 times
καταδουλοῖ,enslaves,
katadouloiG2615 →
εἴif
eiG1487 →508 times
τιςanyone
tisG5100 →528 times
κατεσθίει,devours [you],
katesthieiG2719 →
εἴif
eiG1487 →508 times
τιςanyone
tisG5100 →528 times
λαμβάνει,takes [from you],
lambaneiG2983 →257 times
εἴif
eiG1487 →508 times
τιςanyone
tisG5100 →528 times
ἐπαίρεται,exalts himself,
epairetaiG1869 →
εἴif
eiG1487 →508 times
τιςanyone
tisG5100 →528 times
εἰςin
eisG1519 →1755 times
πρόσωπον[the] face
prosoponG4383 →75 times
ὑμᾶςyou
humasG4771 →2973 times
δέρει.strikes.
dereiG1194 →
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
Galatians 5:1It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be encumbered once more by a yoke of slavery.
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 3:17
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
- Galatians 5:13
For you, brothers, were called to freedom; but do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. Rather, serve one another in love.
- 1 Peter 2:16
Live in freedom, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.
- Romans 6:14
For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.
- John 8:32–36
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
- 2 Corinthians 3:17
Through
Galatians 4:9But now that you know God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you are turning back to those weak and worthless principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them…
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 8:3
But the one who loves God is known by God.
- Galatians 3:3
Are you so foolish? After starting in the Spirit, are you now finishing in the flesh?
- 1 Corinthians 8:3
Through
Galatians 2:4This issue arose because some false brothers had come in under false pretenses to spy on our freedom in Christ Jesus, in order to enslave us.
it leads to
- Galatians 5:1
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be encumbered once more by a yoke of slavery.
- Galatians 5:1
Where this verse is studied
About 2 Corinthians
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Second Epistle to the Corinthians; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrosiaster, COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES; Frederic Godet, Commentary on the Epistles to the Corinthians; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily 24 on 2 Corinthians; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Tertullian, On Modesty; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 2 Corinthians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on 2 Corinthians.