2 Corinthians 10:12

THE MESSAGE

We're not, understand, putting ourselves in a league with those who boast that they're our superiors. We wouldn't dare do that. But in all this comparing and grading and competing, they quite miss the point.

Parallel Translations

New American Standard Bible (1995)
For we are not bold to class or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves; but when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding.

Legacy Standard Bible
For we do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves, but when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding.

Simplified Cowboy Version
We don't compare ourselves with self-important cowboys. When you make yourself the standard, it ain't hard to live up to it. When you make the rules, it's not hard to abide by them. These people ain't important. They're fools and know nothing.

Bible in Basic English
For we will not make comparison of ourselves with some of those who say good things about themselves: but these, measuring themselves by themselves, and making comparison of themselves with themselves, are not wise.

Darby Translation
For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves; but these, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are not intelligent.

Christian Standard Bible®
For we don't dare classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. But in measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves to themselves, they lack understanding.

World English Bible
For we are not bold to number or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves. But they themselves, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are without understanding.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
For we presume not to equal or to compare ourselves with some of those who recommend themselves: but they among themselves limiting themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are not wise.

Weymouth's New Testament
For we have not the `courage' to rank ourselves among, or compare ourselves with, certain persons distinguished by their self-commendation. Yet they are not wise, measuring themselves, as they do, by one another and comparing themselves with one another.

King James Version (1611)
For we dare not make our selues of the number, or compare our selues with some that commend themselues: but they measuring themselues by themselues, and comparing themselues amongst themselues, are not wise.

Literal Translation
For we dare not rank or compare ourselves with some of those commending themselves, but they measuring themselves among themselves and comparing themselves to themselves, are not perceptive.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
For we darre not reken or compare oure selues, vnto some that prayse them selues: Neuertheles whyle they measure them selues by them selues, and holde onely of them selues, they vnderstonde nothinge.

Mace New Testament (1729)
for I dare not rank or compare my self with some who vaunt themselves: but they making their self-conceit the only standard whereby to judge of themselves, show their want of judgment.

Amplified Bible
We do not have the audacity to put ourselves in the same class or compare ourselves with some who [supply testimonials to] commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they lack wisdom and behave like fools.

American Standard Version
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.

Revised Standard Version
Not that we venture to class or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another, and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
For we cannot fynde in oure hertes to make oure selves of ye nombre of them or to compare oure selves to them which laude the selves neuerthelesse whill they measure the selves wt them selves and copare the selves wt the selves they vnderstode nought.

Update Bible Version
For we are not bold to number or compare ourselves with certain of those that commend themselves: but they themselves, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are without understanding.

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

Young's Literal Translation
For we do not make bold to rank or to compare ourselves with certain of those commending themselves, but they, among themselves measuring themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are not wise,

New Century Version
We do not dare to compare ourselves with those who think they are very important. They use themselves to measure themselves, and they judge themselves by what they themselves are. This shows that they know nothing.

New English Translation
For we would not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who recommend themselves. But when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding.

Berean Standard Bible
We 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.

Contemporary English Version
We won't dare compare ourselves with those who think so much of themselves. But they are foolish to compare themselves with themselves.

Complete Jewish Bible
We don't dare class or compare ourselves with some of the people who advertise themselves. In measuring themselves against each other and comparing themselves with each other, they are simply stupid.

English Standard Version
Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding.

Geneva Bible (1587)
For wee dare not make our selues of the nomber, or to compare our selues to them, which praise themselues: but they vnderstand not that they measure themselues with themselues, and compare themselues with themselues.

George Lamsa Translation
For we dare not count or compare ourselves with those who are proud of themselves; for it is because they measure themselves by themselves that they do not understand.

Hebrew Names Version
For we are not bold to number or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves. But they themselves, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are without understanding.

International Standard Version
We would not dare put ourselves in the same class with or compare ourselves to those who recommend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves to themselves, they show how foolish they are.2 Corinthians 3:1; 5:12;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
For we dare not value or compare ourselves with those who glorify themselves; but because they compare themselves with themselves, they do not understand.

Murdock Translation
For we dare not value, or compare ourselves, with those who vaunt: but they, because they compare themselves with themselves, are not wise.

New King James Version
For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.

New Living Translation
Oh, don't worry; we wouldn't dare say that we are as wonderful as these other men who tell you how important they are! But they are only comparing themselves with each other, using themselves as the standard of measurement. How ignorant!

New Life Bible
We do not compare ourselves with those who think they are good. They compare themselves with themselves. They decide what they think is good or bad and compare themselves with those ideas. They are foolish.

English Revised Version
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.

New Revised Standard
We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another, and compare themselves with one another, they do not show good sense.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
For we dare not class or compare ourselves with some who do, themselves, commend; but, they, among themselves, measuring, themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are without discernment!

Douay-Rheims Bible
For we dare not match or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but we measure ourselves by ourselves and compare ourselves with ourselves.

King James Version
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.

Lexham English Bible
For we do not dare to classify or to compare ourselves with some who commend themselves, but they themselves, when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, do not understand.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
For we dare not make our selues of the number of them, or to compare our selues to them which praise themselues. Neuerthelesse, whyle they measure them selues, with them selues, and compare them selues with them selues, they vnderstande not.

Easy-to-Read Version
We don't dare put ourselves in the same class with those who think they are so important. We don't compare ourselves to them. They use themselves to measure themselves, and they judge themselves by what they themselves are. This shows that they know nothing.

New American Standard Bible
For we do not presume to rank or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves; but when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they have no understanding.

Good News Translation
Of course we would not dare classify ourselves or compare ourselves with those who rate themselves so highly. How stupid they are! They make up their own standards to measure themselves by, and they judge themselves by their own standards!

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
For we doren not putte vs among, or comparisoune vs to summen, that comenden hem silf; but we mesuren vs in vs silf, and comparisounen vs silf to vs.

Contextual Overview

¹² We're not, understand, putting ourselves in a league with those who boast that they're our superiors. We wouldn't dare do that. But in all this comparing and grading and competing, they quite miss the point. ¹³We aren't making outrageous claims here. We're sticking to the limits of what God has set for us. But there can be no question that those limits reach to and include you. We're not moving into someone else's "territory." We were already there with you, weren't we? We were the first ones to get there with the Message of Christ, right? So how can there be any question of overstepping our bounds by writing or visiting you? ¹⁵We're not barging in on the rightful work of others, interfering with their ministries, demanding a place in the sun with them. What we're hoping for is that as your lives grow in faith, you'll play a part within our expanding work. And we'll all still be within the limits God sets as we proclaim the Message in countries beyond Corinth. But we have no intention of moving in on what others have done and taking credit for it. "If you want to claim credit, claim it for God." What you say about yourself means nothing in God's work. It's what God says about you that makes the difference.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

we dare not: 2 Corinthians 3:1, 2 Corinthians 5:12, Job 12:2, Proverbs 25:27, Proverbs 27:2, Luke 18:11, Romans 15:18

are not wise: or, understand it not, Proverbs 26:12

Reciprocal: Romans 1:14 - both to 1 Corinthians 4:6 - these 1 Corinthians 14:37 - any 1 Corinthians 15:10 - but I 2 Corinthians 10:18 - not 2 Corinthians 11:18 - many Galatians 6:12 - as desire

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For we dare not make ourselves of the number,.... Some understand this as spoken ironically, as if the apostle jeeringly should say, he would not pretend to join, or put himself upon a level, who was a poor, little, mean, despicable person, with such great men as the false apostles were, men of such large gifts, and of such great learning and eloquence; though they may be understood without an irony, that the modesty of the apostle and his fellow ministers would not suffer them to mingle with such persons, and act the vainglorious part they did: or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves; they were not so vain and foolish, as to give high encomiums of themselves, therefore would not boast even of the authority they had, and much less say that in letters, which they could not make good in fact:

but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise, or "understand not"; how foolish they are, how ridiculous they make themselves; they do not understand what they say, nor whereof they affirm; they do not understand themselves, what they really are; for to form a right judgment of themselves, they should have considered the gifts and abilities, the learning and knowledge of others, and thereby might have taken an estimate of their own; but instead of this, they only consulted themselves, and measured and compared themselves with themselves; which was acting just such a foolish part, as if a dwarf was to measure himself not with any kind of measure, or with another person, but with himself; only surveys himself, and his own dimensions, and fancies himself a giant. Just the reverse is this, to what is said in Philo the Jew o,

"thn gar ouyeneian thn emautou metrein emayon, "I have learned to measure the nothingness of myself", and to contemplate thy exceeding great bounties; and moreover, perceive myself to be dust and ashes, or if there is any thing more abject.''

o Quis rer. divin. Haeres, p. 485.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

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, 2 Corinthians 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. 2 Corinthians 1:7. 98) has an expression similar to this:

“Metirise quemque sue modulo ac pede verum est.”

The sense of Paul is, that they made themselves the standard of excellence; that they were satisfied with their own attainments; and that they overlooked the superior excellence and attainments of others. This is a graphic description of pride and self-complacency; and, alas! it is what is often exhibited. How many there are, and it is to be feared even among professing Christians, who have no other standard of excellence than themselves. Their views are the standard of orthodoxy; their modes of worship are the standard of the proper manner of devotion; their habits and customs are in their own estimation perfect; and their own characters are the models of excellence, and they see little or no excellence in those who differ from them. They look on themselves as the true measure of orthodoxy, humility, zeal, and piety; and they condemn all others, however excellent they may be, who differ from them.

And comparing themselves ... - Or rather comparing themselves with themselves. Themselves they make to be the standard, and they judge of everything by that.

Are not wise - Are stupid and foolish. Because:

(1) They had no such excellence as to make themselves the standard.

(2) Because this was an indication of pride.

(3) Because it made them blind to the excellences of others. It was to be presumed that others had endowments not inferior to theirs.

(4) Because the requirements of God, and the character of the Redeemer, were the proper standard of conduct. Nothing is a more certain indication of folly than for a man to make himself the standard of excellence. Such an individual must be blind to his own real character; and the only thing certain about his attainments is, that he is inflated with pride. And yet how common! How self-satisfied are most persons! How pleased with their own character and attainments! How grieved at any comparison which is made with others implying their inferiority! How prone to undervalue all others simply because they differ from them! - The margin renders this: “understand it not,” that is, they do not understand their own character or their inferiority.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Corinthians 10:12. We dare not make ourselves, c.] 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. As they dare not compare themselves with the true apostles of Christ, they compare themselves with each other; and, as they have no perfect standard, they can have no excellence; nor can they ever attain true wisdom, which is not to be had from looking at what we are but to what we should be; and if without a directory, what we should be will never appear, and consequently our ignorance must continue. This was the case with these self-conceited false apostles; but ουσυνιουσιν, are not wise, Mr. Wakefield contends, is an elegant Graecism signifying they are not aware that they are measuring themselves by themselves, &c.