2 Corinthians 11:17

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

New American Standard Bible (1995)
What I am saying, I am not saying as the Lord would, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting.

Legacy Standard Bible
What I am saying, I am not saying according to the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting.

Simplified Cowboy Version
And when I do, I'm not talking like the Boss would talk. You see? I am a fool.

Bible in Basic English
What I am now saying is not by the order of the Lord, but as a foolish person, taking credit to myself, as it seems.

Darby Translation
What I speak I do not speak according to [the] Lord, but as in folly, in this confidence of boasting.

Christian Standard Bible®
What I say in this matter of boasting, I don't speak as the Lord would, but foolishly.

World English Bible
That which I speak, I don't speak after the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
What I speak, I speak not after the Lord; but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of boasting.

Weymouth's New Testament
What I am now saying, I do not say by the Lord's command, but as a fool in his folly might, in this reckless boasting.

King James Version (1611)
That which I speake, I speake it not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly in this confidence of boasting.

Literal Translation
What I speak, I speak not according to the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this boldness of boasting.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
That I speake now, that speake I not after the LORDE, but as it were in folishnes, whyle we are now come to boastinge:

Mace New Testament (1729)
what I say, I say it not as an apostle, but as it were to indulge my vanity in this matter of boasting.

Amplified Bible
What I say in this confident boasting, I say not as the Lord would [with His authority], but foolishly.

American Standard Version
That which I speak, I speak not after the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of glorying.

Revised Standard Version
(What I am saying I say not with the Lord's authority but as a fool, in this boastful confidence;

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
That I speake I speake it not after the wayes of the lorde: but as it were folysshly whill we are now come to bostynge.

Update Bible Version
That which I speak, I don't speak after the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of glorying.

Webster's Bible Translation
That which I speak, I speak [it] not according to the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of boasting.

Young's Literal Translation
That which I speak, I speak not according to the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this the confidence of boasting;

New Century Version
When I brag because I feel sure of myself, I am not talking as the Lord would talk but as a fool.

New English Translation
What I am saying with this boastful confidence I do not say the way the Lord would. Instead it is, as it were, foolishness.

Berean Standard Bible
In this confident boasting of mine, I am not speaking as the Lord would, but as a fool.

Contemporary English Version
When I do all this bragging, I do it as a fool and not for the Lord.

Complete Jewish Bible
What I am saying is not in accordance with the Lord; rather, this conceited boasting is spoken as a fool would speak.

English Standard Version
What I am saying with this boastful confidence, I say not as the Lord would but as a fool.

Geneva Bible (1587)
That I speake, I speake it not after the Lord: but as it were foolishly, in this my great boasting.

George Lamsa Translation
What I now say, I speak not after our LORD, but as it were foolishly, on this occasion of boasting.

Hebrew Names Version
That which I speak, I don't speak after the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting.

International Standard Version
When I talk as a confident boaster, I am not talking with the Lord's authority but like a fool.1 Corinthians 7:6,12; 2 Corinthians 6:4;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
17 The thing which I (now) speak, I do not speak in [fn] our Lord, but as in foolishness in this place of boasting.

Murdock Translation
17 What I am [fn] saying, I say not in our Lord, but as in folly, in this matter of glorying.

New King James Version
What I speak, I speak not according to the Lord, but as it were, foolishly, in this confidence of boasting.

New Living Translation
Such boasting is not from the Lord, but I am acting like a fool.

New Life Bible
The Lord has not told me to talk about myself. I am foolish when I do talk about myself like this.

English Revised Version
That which I speak, I speak not after the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of glorying.

New Revised Standard
What I am saying in regard to this boastful confidence, I am saying not with the Lord's authority, but as a fool;

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
What I am saying, not according to the Lord, am I saying, but as in foolishness, - in this my boastful confidence!

Douay-Rheims Bible
That which I speak, I speak not according to God: but as it were in foolishness, in this matter of glorying.

King James Version
That which I speak, I speak it not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of boasting.

Lexham English Bible
What I am saying in this project of boasting, I am not saying as the Lord would say, but as in foolishness.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
That I speake, I speake it not after the Lorde: but as it were foolishly, in this maner of boastyng.

Easy-to-Read Version
But I am not talking the way the Lord would talk. I am boasting like a fool.

New American Standard Bible
What I am saying, I am not saying as the Lord would, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting.

Good News Translation
Of course what I am saying now is not what the Lord would have me say; in this matter of boasting I am really talking like a fool.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
That that Y speke, Y speke not aftir God, but as in vnwisdom, in this substaunce of glorie.

Contextual Overview

¹⁶Let me come back to where I started—and don't hold it against me if I continue to sound a little foolish. Or if you'd rather, just accept that I am a fool and let me rant on a little. I didn't learn this kind of talk from Christ. Oh, no, it's a bad habit I picked up from the three-ring preachers that are so popular these days. Since you sit there in the judgment seat observing all these shenanigans, you can afford to humor an occasional fool who happens along. You have such admirable tolerance for impostors who rob your freedom, rip you off, steal you blind, put you down—even slap your face! I shouldn't admit it to you, but our stomachs aren't strong enough to tolerate that kind of stuff. Since you admire the egomaniacs of the pulpit so much (remember, this is your old friend, the fool, talking), let me try my hand at it. Do they brag of being Hebrews, Israelites, the pure race of Abraham? I'm their match. Are they servants of Christ? I can go them one better. (I can't believe I'm saying these things. It's crazy to talk this way! But I started, and I'm going to finish.) I've worked much harder, been jailed more often, beaten up more times than I can count, and at death's door time after time. I've been flogged five times with the Jews' thirty-nine lashes, beaten by Roman rods three times, pummeled with rocks once. I've been shipwrecked three times, and immersed in the open sea for a night and a day. In hard traveling year in and year out, I've had to ford rivers, fend off robbers, struggle with friends, struggle with foes. I've been at risk in the city, at risk in the country, endangered by desert sun and sea storm, and betrayed by those I thought were my brothers. I've known drudgery and hard labor, many a long and lonely night without sleep, many a missed meal, blasted by the cold, naked to the weather. And that's not the half of it, when you throw in the daily pressures and anxieties of all the churches. When someone gets to the end of his rope, I feel the desperation in my bones. When someone is duped into sin, an angry fire burns in my gut. If I have to "brag" about myself, I'll brag about the humiliations that make me like Jesus. The eternal and blessed God and Father of our Master Jesus knows I'm not lying. Remember the time I was in Damascus and the governor of King Aretas posted guards at the city gates to arrest me? I crawled through a window in the wall, was let down in a basket, and had to run for my life.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

I speak it: 1 Corinthians 7:6, 1 Corinthians 7:12

foolishly: 2 Corinthians 11:18-27, 2 Corinthians 9:4, Philippians 3:3-6

Reciprocal: 1 Corinthians 7:25 - have 2 Corinthians 5:13 - we be beside 2 Corinthians 11:10 - no man shall stop me of this boasting 2 Corinthians 11:21 - I speak 2 Corinthians 12:11 - become Galatians 2:4 - because Hebrews 11:1 - substance

Gill's Notes on the Bible

That which I speak,.... Meaning in vindication and commendation of himself, on this subject of glorying; or, as here expressed,

in this confidence of boasting; for which he thought he had good ground and foundation to go upon, and therefore might express himself with the greatest assurance, see 2 Corinthians 9:4 this he declares he spoke not as from the Lord, but of himself:

I speak it not after the Lord; or "Christ", as some copies read; or "our Lord", as the Syriac version; his sense is, that he did not then speak as an apostle, or one sent by Christ; he put off this character for the present, and took that of a fool upon him, that he might speak the more freely to the Corinthians, and the more severely against the false apostles; he did not pretend to any express command from Christ for so doing, or that he acted in imitation of him, who was meek and lowly; or that what he said came from the Spirit of the Lord; or, indeed, that it was agreeably to his own Spirit, and the principles of grace formed in him; but was obliged to it, through the boasts of the false apostles; which though it was not criminal and unlawful, but necessary, right, and proper, considering the reasons of it, the end for which, and the intention and view with which it was done; yet viewing the form and manner of this boasting, without attending to the circumstances of it, it had the appearance of folly: wherefore the apostle says, he spoke not as according to the commandment, or example of his Lord; or according to the Spirit of the Lord, or his own Spirit, as renewed by his grace:

but as it were foolishly; he does not say that what he said was foolishness, but it looked like it, and would be deemed so by such who were strangers to the true springs of it.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

That which I speak - In praise of myself.

I speak it not after the Lord - see the note on 1 Corinthians 7:12. The phrase here may mean either, I do not speak this by inspiration or claiming to be inspired by the Lord; or more probably it may mean, I do not speak this imitating the example of the Lord Jesus or strictly as becomes his follower. He was eminently modest, and never vaunted or boasted. And Paul probably means to say, “I do not in this profess to follow him entirely. I admit that it is a departure from his pure example in this respect. But circumstances have compelled me and much as I would prefer another strain at remark, and sensible as I am in general of the folly of boasting, yet a regard to my apostolic office and authority urges me to this course.” Bloomfield supposes that the apostle is not speaking seriously, but that he has an allusion to their view of what he was saying. “Be it so, if you think that what I speak, I speak not as I profess to do according to the Lord, or with a view to subserve the purposes of his religion, but as it were in folly, in the confidence of boasting, yet permit me to do it notwithstanding, since you allow others to do it.” It is not easy to settle which is the true sense of the passage. I see no conclusive evidence against either. But the former seems to me to be most in accordance with the scope of the whole. Paul admitted that what he said was not in exact accordance with the spirit of the Lord Jesus; and in admitting this he designed probably to administer a delicate hint that all their boasting was a wide departure from that spirit.

As it were foolishly - As in folly. It is to be admitted that to boast is in general foolish; and I admit that my language is open to this general charge.

In this confidence of boasting - In confident boasting. I speak confidently and I admit in the spirit of boasting.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 17. I speak it not after the Lord — Were it not for the necessity under which I am laid to vindicate my apostleship, my present glorying would be inconsistent with my Christian profession of humility, and knowing no one after the flesh.