2 Corinthians 11:33
in 2 Corinthians 11But I was lowered in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his grasp.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and through a window was I let down in a basket by the wall, and escaped his hands.
KJV
And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.
⋯
This verse in 2 Corinthians 11
Commentary
10 notes on this verseHe fled, fulfilling the law of the Lord: for the Lord Himself also passed from place to place. One must not subject oneself to temptations. Where calamities are unavoidable, one must rely only on God and ask and expect deliverance from Him; but when the …
This site's exposition
the governor under King Aretas
on 2 Corinthians 11:32-33
The chapter closes with the escape from Damascus of Acts 9:23-25, when the governor under King Aretas secured the city. Aretas IV of Nabatea held the city in the years around Paul's conversion, one of the few fixed points for his early chronology.
This site's exposition
lowered in a basket through a window
The list of dangers ends with an escape in a basket. John Chrysostom reads it as Paul preserving himself for the preaching, willing to use ordinary means when the occasion called for them.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
Some people say that this action was not worthy of Paul, because he was not set free by the help of God. But what need was there for that when he could be delivered by the help of men? The time when God's help is …
See for instance here, how he was content to evade the siege, by being "let down through a window in a basket." For though he were even desirous "to depart hence;" still nevertheless he also passionately affected the salvation of men. And therefore he ofttimes had recourse even to such devices as these, preserving himself for the Preaching; and he refused not to use even human contrivances when the occasion called for them; so sober and watchful was he. For in cases where evils were inevitable, he needed only grace; but where the trial was of a measured character, he devises many things of himself even, here again ascribing the whole to God. And just as a spark of unquenchable fire, if it fell into the sea, would be merged as many waves swept over it, yet would again rise shining to the surface; even so surely the blessed Paul also would now be overwhelmed by perils, and now again, having dived through them, would come up more radiant, overcoming by suffering evil.
And the apostle Paul, when he was let down from the window in a basket so that his enemy might not capture him and so escaped from his hands, did he deprive the church, which was there, of a necessary ministry, and was that duty not discharged by other brothers appointed for that purpose? The apostle so acted in deference to their wishes that he might save himself for the church, since he was the only one whom the persecutor was seeking. Therefore, let the servants of Christ, the ministers of his word and of his sacrament, do what he has commanded or permitted. Let them by all means flee from city to city when any one of them is personally sought out by persecutors, so long as the church is not abandoned by others who are not thus pursued and who may furnish nourishment to their fellow servants, knowing that otherwise these could not live. But when the danger is common to all, that is, to bishops, clerics and laity, those who depend upon others are not to be forsaken by those on whom they depend. Therefore, either all should move to places of refuge, or those who have to stay should not be abandoned by those who minister to their spiritual needs; thus all may equally live and suffer whatever the Master of the household wishes them to endure.
The Medieval Church1 voice
Then when he says, At Damascus, he shows the evils he avoided, and this in a certain particular danger. Here it should be noted that the Apostle first began to preach Christ in Damascus, where he was thrown to the ground and converted to the …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And through a window in a basket was I let down,....
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
And through a window - That is, through a little door or aperture in the wall; perhaps something like an embrasure, that might have been large enough to allow a man to pass through it. Luke says Act 9:25 that they let him down “by the wall.” But there is no inconsistency. They doubtless first passed him through the embrasure or loop-hole in the wall, and then let him down gently by the side of it. Luke does not say it was over the top of the wall, but merely that he descended by the wall.
Through a window in a basket - Probably the house was situated on the wall of the city. See the notes on this history, Act 9:23-25 (note). In 2Co 11:2 of this chapter the apostle most evidently alludes to the history of the temptation, and fall of Adam and Eve, as related in Gen 3:1, etc.; and which fall is there attributed to the agency of a being called נחש nachash, here, and in other places, translated οφις, serpent. In my notes on Genesis I have given many, and, as I judge, solid reasons, why the word cannot be understood literally of a serpent of any kind; and that most probably a creature of the simia or ape genus was employed by the devil on this occasion. The arguments on this subject appeared to me to be corroborated by innumerable probabilities; but I left the conjecture afloat, (for I did not give it a more decisive name), and placed it in the hands of my readers to adopt, reject, or amend, as their judgments might direct them. To several this sentiment appeared a monstrous heresy! and speedily the old serpent had a host of defenders. The very modest opinion, or conjecture, was controverted by some who were both gentlemen and scholars, and by several who were neither; by some who could not affect candour because they had not even the appearance of it, but would affect learning because they wished to be reputed wise. What reason and argument failed to produce they would supply with ridicule; and as monkey was a convenient term for this purpose, they attributed it to him who had never used it. What is the result? They no doubt believe that they have established their system; and their arguments are to them conclusive. They have my full consent; but I think it right to state that I have neither seen nor heard of any thing that has the least tendency to weaken my conjecture, or produce the slightest wavering in my opinion. […]
The words behind it
14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| καὶ | kai | But | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| διὰ | dia | through | G1223 → | 664 times |
| θυρίδος | thuridos | a window | G2376 → | |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| σαργάνῃ | sargane | a basket | G4553 → | |
| ἐχαλάσθην | echalasthen | I was let down | G5465 → | |
| διὰ | dia | through | G1223 → | 664 times |
| τοῦ | tou | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| τείχους | teichous | wall | G5038 → | |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἐξέφυγον | exephugon | I escaped | G1628 → | |
| τὰς | tas | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| χεῖρας | cheiras | hands | G5495 → | |
| αὐτοῦ.¶ | autou | of him. | G846 → | 5565 times |
καὶBut
kaiG2532 →9120 times
διὰthrough
diaG1223 →664 times
θυρίδοςa window
thuridosG2376 →
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
σαργάνῃa basket
sarganeG4553 →
ἐχαλάσθηνI was let down
echalasthenG5465 →
διὰthrough
diaG1223 →664 times
τοῦthe
touG3588 →19766 times
τείχουςwall
teichousG5038 →
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐξέφυγονI escaped
exephugonG1628 →
τὰςthe
tasG3588 →19766 times
χεῖραςhands
cheirasG5495 →
αὐτοῦ.¶of him.
autouG846 →5565 times
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
Acts 9:25One night, however, his disciples took him and lowered him in a basket through a window in the wall.
it leads to
- Joshua 2:15
Then Rahab let them down by a rope through the window, since the house where she lived was built into the wall of the city.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Samuel 19:11–12
Then Saul sent messengers to David’s house to watch him and kill him in the morning. But David’s wife Michal warned him, “If you do not run for your life tonight, tomorrow you will…
- Joshua 2:15
Through
Joshua 2:18unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother and brothers and all…
it leads to
- Joshua 6:23
So the young spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father and mother and brothers, and all who belonged to her. They brought out her whole family and settled them outside the camp…
- Joshua 2:21
“Let it be as you say,” she replied, and she sent them away. And when they had gone, she tied the scarlet cord in the window.
- Joshua 2:12–13
Now therefore, please swear to me by the LORD that you will indeed show kindness to my family, because I showed kindness to you. Give me a sure sign
- Hebrews 9:19
For when Moses had proclaimed every commandment of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, along with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and…
- Joshua 6:23
Through
1 Samuel 19:12So Michal lowered David from the window, and he ran away and escaped.
it leads to
- Acts 9:24–25
but Saul learned of their plot. Day and night they watched the city gates in order to kill him.
- 2 Corinthians 11:32–33
In Damascus, the governor under King Aretas secured the city of the Damascenes in order to arrest me.
- Acts 9:24–25
Where this verse is studied
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About 2 Corinthians
This page draws on 10 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; Augustine of Hippo, LETTER 228, To Honoratus; 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 Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 2 Corinthians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on 2 Corinthians.