2 Corinthians 11:27
in 2 Corinthians 11in labor and toil and often without sleep, in hunger and thirst and often without food, in cold and exposure.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
in labor and travail, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
KJV
In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
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This verse in 2 Corinthians 11
Commentary
15 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
In weariness - Resulting from traveling, exposure, labor, and want. The word κόπος kopos (from κόπτω koptō, “to beat, to cut”) means, properly, “wailing and grief,” accompanied with beating the breast. Hence, the word means “toil, labor, wearisome effort.” And painfulness - This word (μόχθος mochthos) is a stronger term than the former.
This site's exposition
in danger from rivers
on 2 Corinthians 11:26-27
Constant travel opens a list of dangers, from rivers and from bandits, on the sea and among false brothers. The last lands hardest, placed at the end with no qualifier, betrayal from within ranked with shipwreck and robbery.
This site's exposition
often without food
Jamieson, Fausset and Brown read the pairs as causes and results, hunger and thirst following from going without food, and cold from too little clothing. Albert Barnes explains toil as wearisome effort. John Chrysostom sees labours and perils following one upon another without a pause for breath.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
Some of Paul's sleepless nights were voluntary, but others were forced on him. When he was in dire straits, he had to stay awake and seek God's help. Furthermore he taught not only in the daytime but at night as well. He was cold and …
A commentator
Philoxenus of Mabbug13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 11 -- On Abstinence · Written before 523.
proposed
And he was occupied in fasting and prayer during the whole of the remaining period of his life after his election, even as he himself testifieth everywhere concerning his fasting, and his prayer, and his many tribulations which he bore for the sake of the …
Thereafter He prescribed to fasts a law-that they are to be performed "without sadness: " for why should what is salutary be sad? He taught likewise that fasts are to be the weapons for battling with the more direful demons: for what wonder if the same operation is the instrument of the iniquitous spirit's egress as of the Holy Spirit's ingress? Finally, granting that upon the centurion Cornelius, even before baptism, the honourable gift of the Holy Spirit, together with the gift of prophecy besides, had hastened to descend, we see that his fasts had been heard, I think, moreover, that the apostle too, in the Second of Corinthians, among his labours, and perils, and hardships, after "hunger and thirst," enumerates "fasts" also "very many"
Such exertion is beneficial not only for bringing the body into subjection but also for showing charity to our neighbor, so that through us God might grant sufficiency to the weak among us.
Was Paul in poverty or in wealth? did he suffer hunger, or did he not? You may hear himself saying, "In hunger and thirst." Did the prophets suffer hunger, or did they not? They too had a hard time of it. "Again, you fetch up Paul to me, again the prophets, some ten or twenty men." But whence shall I bring examples? "Show me from the many some who bear ills nobly." But the rare is ever such: however, if you will, let us examine the matter as it is in itself.
7 more voices on this verse
The Church Fathers1 voice
"In labor and travail." Perils succeed to labors, labors to perils, one upon other and unintermitted, and allowed him not to take breath even for a little.
The Medieval Church2 voices
Not only were the afflictions coming from without insufficient; he also burdened himself with his own labors, anxieties, and sleepless nights.
Here he lists the evils voluntarily assumed, namely, those endured in homes, and he lists three evils opposed to the three goods which are necessary for domestic life. The first good is restful sleep; the second is sustenance from food; the third is the warmth …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Thus was he, who was one of the greatest blessings of the age, used as if he had been the burden of the earth, and the plague of his generation. And yet this is not all; for, as an apostle, the care of all the churches lay on him,
In weariness and painfulness,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
"Hunger and thirst" are not synonymous with "foodlessness" (as the Greek of "fasting" means), but are its consequences. cold . . . nakedness--"cold" resulting from "nakedness," or insufficient clothing, as the Greek often means: as "hunger and thirst" result from "foodlessness." (Compare Ac 28:2;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
In weariness and painfulness - Tribulations of this kind were his constant companions. Lord Lyttleton and others have made useful reflections on this verse: “How hard was it for a man of a genteel and liberal education, as St. Paul was, to bear such rigours, and to wander about like a vagabond, hungry and almost naked, yet coming into the presence of persons of high life, and speaking in large and various assemblies on matters of the utmost importance!” Had not St. Paul been deeply convinced of the truth and absolute certainty of the Christian religion, he could not have continued to expose himself to such hardships.
The words behind it
17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| κόπῳ | kopo | labor | G2873 → | 18 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| μόχθῳ, | mochtho | toil, | G3449 → | |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| ἀγρυπνίαις | agrupniais | watchings | G70 → | |
| πολλάκις, | pollakis | often, | G4178 → | 18 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| λιμῷ | limo | hunger | G3042 → | |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| δίψει, | dipsei | thirst, | G1373 → | |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| νηστείαις | nesteiais | fastings | G3521 → | |
| πολλάκις, | pollakis | often, | G4178 → | 18 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| ψύχει | psuchei | cold | G5592 → | |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| γυμνότητι· | gumnoteti | nakedness; | G1132 → |
κόπῳlabor
kopoG2873 →18 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
μόχθῳ,toil,
mochthoG3449 →
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
ἀγρυπνίαιςwatchings
agrupniaisG70 →
πολλάκις,often,
pollakisG4178 →18 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
λιμῷhunger
limoG3042 →
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
δίψει,thirst,
dipseiG1373 →
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
νηστείαιςfastings
nesteiaisG3521 →
πολλάκις,often,
pollakisG4178 →18 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
ψύχειcold
psucheiG5592 →
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
γυμνότητι·nakedness;
gumnotetiG1132 →
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
1 Thessalonians 2:9Surely you recall, brothers, our labor and toil. We worked night and day so that we would not be a burden to anyone while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 11:9
And when I was with you and in need, I was not a burden to anyone; for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my needs. I have refrained from being a burden to…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Acts 18:3
and he stayed and worked with them because they were tentmakers by trade, just as he was.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Thessalonians 3:7–9
For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not undisciplined among you,
- 2 Corinthians 11:9
Through
Philippians 4:12I know how to live humbly, and I know how to abound. I am accustomed to any and every situation—to being filled and being hungry, to having plenty and having need.
it leads to
- Matthew 11:29
Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
- 2 Corinthians 12:7–10
or because of these surpassingly great revelations. So to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.
- 2 Corinthians 6:4–10
Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships, and calamities;
- Matthew 11:29
Through
2 Thessalonians 3:8nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. Instead, in labor and toil, we worked night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you.
it leads to
- Matthew 6:11
Give us this day our daily bread.
- 1 Thessalonians 2:9
Surely you recall, brothers, our labor and toil. We worked night and day so that we would not be a burden to anyone while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.
- Matthew 6:11
Where this verse is studied
About 2 Corinthians
This page draws on 15 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 PAUL'S EPISTLES; Basil of Caesarea, THE LONG RULES 37; Charles Hodge, An Exposition of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians; Frederic Godet, Commentary on the Epistles to the Corinthians; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily 25 on 2 Corinthians; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 51; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Philoxenus of Mabbug, 13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 11 -- On Abstinence; Tertullian, On Fasting; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 2 Corinthians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on 2 Corinthians.