2 Corinthians 11:22

THE MESSAGE

Pseudo-Servants of God Will you put up with a little foolish aside from me? Please, just for a moment. The thing that has me so upset is that I care about you so much—this is the passion of God burning inside me! I promised your hand in marriage to Christ, presented you as a pure virgin to her husband. And now I'm afraid that exactly as the Snake seduced Eve with his smooth patter, you are being lured away from the simple purity of your love for Christ. It seems that if someone shows up preaching quite another Jesus than we preached—different spirit, different message—you put up with him quite nicely. But if you put up with these big-shot "apostles," why can't you put up with simple me? I'm as good as they are. It's true that I don't have their voice, haven't mastered that smooth eloquence that impresses you so much. But when I do open my mouth, I at least know what I'm talking about. We haven't kept anything back. We let you in on everything. I wonder, did I make a bad mistake in proclaiming God's Message to you without asking for something in return, serving you free of charge so that you wouldn't be inconvenienced by me? It turns out that the other churches paid my way so that you could have a free ride. Not once during the time I lived among you did anyone have to lift a finger to help me out. My needs were always supplied by the believers from Macedonia province. I was careful never to be a burden to you, and I never will be, you can count on it. With Christ as my witness, it's a point of honor with me, and I'm not going to keep it quiet just to protect you from what the neighbors will think. It's not that I don't love you; God knows I do. I'm just trying to keep things open and honest between us. And I'm not changing my position on this. I'd die before taking your money. I'm giving nobody grounds for lumping me in with those money-grubbing "preachers," vaunting themselves as something special. They're a sorry bunch—pseudo-apostles, lying preachers, crooked workers—posing as Christ's agents but sham to the core. And no wonder! Satan does it all the time, dressing up as a beautiful angel of light. So it shouldn't surprise us when his servants masquerade as servants of God. But they're not getting by with anything. They'll pay for it in the end. Let 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.)

Parallel Translations

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.

Legacy Standard Bible
Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham's seed? So am I.

Simplified Cowboy Version
They say they are Hebrew? Me too! They say they are Israelites? Me too! They are descendants of Abraham? Me too!

Bible in Basic English
Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they of Israel? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.

Darby Translation
Are they Hebrews? *I* also. Are they Israelites? *I* also. Are they seed of Abraham? *I* also.

Christian Standard Bible®
Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I.

World English Bible
Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.

Weymouth's New Testament
Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.

King James Version (1611)
Are they Hebrewes? so am I: are they Israelites? so am I: are they the seed of Abraham? so am I:

Literal Translation
Are they Hebrews? I also. Are they Israelites? I also. Are they Abraham's seed? I also.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
They are Hebrues, so am I. They are Israelites, euen so am I. They are the sede of Abraham, so am I.

Mace New Testament (1729)
Are they Hebrews? so am I: are they Israelites? so am I: are they of the race of Abraham?

Amplified Bible
Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.

American Standard Version
Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.

Revised Standard Version
Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
They are Ebrues so am I: They are Israelites eve so am I. They are ye seede of Abraha even so am I.

Update Bible Version
Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.

Webster's Bible Translation
Are they Hebrews? so [am] I. Are they Israelites? so [am] I. Are they the offspring of Abraham? so [am] I.

Young's Literal Translation
Hebrews are they? I also! Israelites are they? I also! seed of Abraham are they? I also!

New Century Version
Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they from Abraham's family? So am I.

New English Translation
Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.

Berean Standard Bible
Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.

Contemporary English Version
Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Jews? So am I. Are they from the family of Abraham? Well, so am I.

Complete Jewish Bible
Are they Hebrew-speakers? So am I. Are they of the people of Isra'el? So am I. Are they descendants of Avraham? So am I.

English Standard Version
Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I.

Geneva Bible (1587)
They are Hebrues, so am I: they are Israelites, so am I: they are the seede of Abraham, so am I:

George Lamsa Translation
Now if they are Hebrews, so am I. If they are Israelites, so am I. If they are descendants of Abraham, so am I.

Hebrew Names Version
Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Yisra'elites? So am I. Are they the seed of Avraham? So am I.

International Standard Version
Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham's descendants? So am I.Acts 22:3; Romans 11:1; Philippians 3:5;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
If they are Ebroyee, so am I; if they are Isroloyee, so am I; if they are the seed of Abraham, so am I;

Murdock Translation
If they are Hebrews, so I also: or if they are Israelites, I also. If they are the seed of Abraham, I also.

New King James Version
Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I.

New Living Translation
Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.

New Life Bible
Are they Jews? So am I. Are they from the family of Israel? So am I. Are they from the family of Abraham? So am I.

English Revised Version
Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.

New Revised Standard
Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Hebrews, are they? I also, Israelites, are they? I also, seed of Abraham, are they? I also,

Douay-Rheims Bible
They are Hebrews: so am I. They are Israelites: so am I. They are the seed of Abraham: so am I.

King James Version
Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.

Lexham English Bible
Are they Hebrews? I am also! Are they Israelites? I am also! Are they descendants of Abraham? I am also!

Bishop's Bible (1568)
They are Ebrues, euen so am I. They are Israelites, euen so am I. They are the seede of Abraham, euen so am I.

Easy-to-Read Version
Are those people Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they from Abraham's family? So am I.

New American Standard Bible
Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.

Good News Translation
Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham's descendants? So am I.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Thei ben Ebrewis, and Y; thei ben Israelitis, and Y; thei ben the seed of Abraham, and Y;

Contextual Overview

²²Pseudo-Servants of God Will you put up with a little foolish aside from me? Please, just for a moment. The thing that has me so upset is that I care about you so much—this is the passion of God burning inside me! I promised your hand in marriage to Christ, presented you as a pure virgin to her husband. And now I'm afraid that exactly as the Snake seduced Eve with his smooth patter, you are being lured away from the simple purity of your love for Christ. It seems that if someone shows up preaching quite another Jesus than we preached—different spirit, different message—you put up with him quite nicely. But if you put up with these big-shot "apostles," why can't you put up with simple me? I'm as good as they are. It's true that I don't have their voice, haven't mastered that smooth eloquence that impresses you so much. But when I do open my mouth, I at least know what I'm talking about. We haven't kept anything back. We let you in on everything. I wonder, did I make a bad mistake in proclaiming God's Message to you without asking for something in return, serving you free of charge so that you wouldn't be inconvenienced by me? It turns out that the other churches paid my way so that you could have a free ride. Not once during the time I lived among you did anyone have to lift a finger to help me out. My needs were always supplied by the believers from Macedonia province. I was careful never to be a burden to you, and I never will be, you can count on it. With Christ as my witness, it's a point of honor with me, and I'm not going to keep it quiet just to protect you from what the neighbors will think. It's not that I don't love you; God knows I do. I'm just trying to keep things open and honest between us. And I'm not changing my position on this. I'd die before taking your money. I'm giving nobody grounds for lumping me in with those money-grubbing "preachers," vaunting themselves as something special. They're a sorry bunch—pseudo-apostles, lying preachers, crooked workers—posing as Christ's agents but sham to the core. And no wonder! Satan does it all the time, dressing up as a beautiful angel of light. So it shouldn't surprise us when his servants masquerade as servants of God. But they're not getting by with anything. They'll pay for it in the end. Let 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.) ²³I'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. ²⁸And 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. ³⁰If 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

Hebrews: Exodus 3:18, Exodus 5:3, Exodus 7:16, Exodus 9:1, Exodus 9:13, Exodus 10:3, Acts 22:3, Romans 11:1, Philippians 3:5

the seed: Genesis 17:8, Genesis 17:9, 2 Chronicles 20:7, Matthew 3:9, John 8:33-39, Romans 4:13-18

Reciprocal: Genesis 14:13 - the Jeremiah 34:9 - Hebrew Acts 6:1 - Hebrews Romans 2:17 - thou art 2 Corinthians 11:21 - whereinsoever

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Are they Hebrews? so am I,.... The nation of the Jews were called Hebrews, not from Abraham, as some have w thought, through ignorance of the Hebrew language, which will by no means admit of such a derivation and etymology of the name; wherefore the Jewish writers never make mention of this opinion as among any of them; had they took their name from Abram or Abraham, they would rather have been called Abramires or Abrahamites, and not Hebrews; besides, Abraham himself is called an Hebrew, Genesis 14:13 and to be so called from himself, and not denominated from some other person or thing, can never be imagined, it would be most absurd and ridiculous; to which may be added, that the apostle in this verse makes mention of being the seed of Abraham, as a distinct character from that of Hebrews: others have been of opinion that the name is derived from עבר, "Habar", which signifies, "to pass over"; and was occasioned by one or other of the following events; either from Abraham's passing over the river Euphrates, when he came out of Mesopotamia into the land of Canaan, and so was called Abram, העברי "Hahibri, the passer over", or the Hebrew x, and so his posterity were called after him; or from the posterity of Canaan, who, after the confusion at Babel, settled in that part of Asia which lies between the river Jordan and the Mediterranean sea, and from them called the land of Canaan; and who were called by the Chaldeans, from whom they separated, and by the neighbouring nations, Hebrews, or passers over, because they passed over the river Jordan; and so Abraham passing over the river Euphrates to them, and learning their language, and continuing there, he was called an Hebrew also, and his posterity after him y; or from Arphaxad, or Heber, passing over the river Tigris or Euphrates, and settling in the land of Canaan z; but it is not likely that a nation should take its name from such an event: others think it a more probable opinion that Abraham was so called, and hence his posterity after him, from the name which the Canaanites gave to Mesopotamia, from whence he came; calling it Heber Hannahar, or the country beyond the river: just as we call foreigners Transmarines, or people beyond sea; and of this opinion were some of the Jewish writers a; but not Mesopotamia, but Canaan, is called the land of the Hebrews, Genesis 40:15. The more commonly received opinion with the b Jews is, and which is most likely, that they are so called from Heber, the father of Peleg, in whose days the confusion of languages was made, and what is now called the Hebrew language being the first and original one, was retained in him and in his family; hence Shem is said to be the father of all the children of Heber, Genesis 10:21 that is, the Hebrews, as the same people are called the children of Israel from Israel, and the children of Judah from Judah, and sometimes they go by the name of Heber, as in Numbers 24:24 when as the Assyrians are called Ashur, from whom they have their name, so the Hebrews are called Heber, from whom they take their denomination: and it should be observed, that this is not only a national but a religious name, and those people were called so, because they were of the faith as well as the descendants of Heber; so Shem was the father of others, but in a peculiar manner the father of the children of Heber, because the religion he professed was continued with them; and so Abraham is particularly called the Hebrew, not only because he descended from Heber, but was of the same, religion; and so his posterity, not in the line of Ishmael, but of Isaac, are so called; and not as descending from Isaac in the line of Esau, but of Jacob; and hence it was not lawful for the Egyptians to eat bread with the Hebrews, not because they were of another nation, but because of another religion, Genesis 43:32. It seems that these false apostles were Jews, since it is not denied by the apostle, but granted; they were some such like false brethren as those who came from Judea to Antioch, and disturbed the church there, Acts 15:1 and whereas they boasted of their being Hebrews, the descendants of the ancient patriarch Heber in the line of Abraham; the apostle was able to match them in this, and asserts himself to be an Hebrew too, which he could do with the strictest truth, for he was an Hebrew of the Hebrews, he was an Hebrew by father and mother's side:

are they Israelites? so am I. The Jews were called Israelites from Israel, a name which was given to Jacob their ancestor, upon his wrestling with an angel, and prevailing over him; and was accounted an honourable one, or title of honour; for the people of Israel were they whom God chose for a peculiar people to himself above all others, brought them out of Egypt, fed them in the wilderness, and led them through it, and settled them in the land of Canaan, and bestowed upon them special and peculiar privileges; see Romans 9:4. The Jews are very extravagant in the praise of Israelites; they not only make them the favourites of God, beloved of him, because called children, and had the law given them c, and extol them above all mankind; Romans 9:4- : but they even make them equal to the ministering angels, and say they are pure from sin as they, especially on the day of atonement d, yea, more excellent than they e: in this also the apostle could answer them, for he was of the stock of Israel, and of the tribe of Benjamin, a son of Jacob, or Israel; and was an Israelite indeed, as Nathanael, for all are not Israel that are of Israel:

are they the seed of Abraham? so am I: of this the Jews mightily boasted; see John 8:33 they reckon themselves, even the poorest among them, as the nobles and princes of the earth f; and even other people have been fond of being reckoned of the stock of Abraham, as particularly the Lacedemonians,

"Areus king of the Lacedemonians to Onias the high priest, greeting: It is found in writing, that the Lacedemonians and Jews are brethren, and that they are of the stock of Abraham:'' (1 Maccabees 12:20,21)

The Jews make a merciful disposition to men to be a sign and evidence of being of the seed of Abraham g; but in a spiritual sense, an interest in Christ, and faith in him, denominate men to be truly Abraham's seed, and heirs of the promise: this is to be understood here in a natural sense, and of being of Abraham's seed in the line of Jacob, for otherwise the Ishmaelites and Idumeans were of the seed of Abraham; but they were his seed in that line in which the promised seed, the Messiah, was to come; though this was of no avail, without having the same faith Abraham had, and believing truly in Christ, as his spiritual seed do, whether they be Jews or Gentiles; however, the apostle was equal to them in this respect; he was of the seed of Abraham according to the flesh, and above them in another, in that he was of Abraham's spiritual seed by faith in Christ Jesus.

w Artapanus apud Euseb. praepar. l. 9. c. 18. p. 420. Ambrosius sive Hilarius in Phil. iii. 5. & alii. x Hicronymus in Ezek. c. 7. fol. 183. B. Theodoret. in Gen. Qu. 60. y Erpeuius. z Ar. Montan. Canaan, c. 9. Vid. Sigonium de Repub. Heb. l. 1. c. 1. p. 16. a Bereshit Rabba, sect. 42. fol. 37. 3. Vid. Jarchium in Gen. x. 21. & xiv. 13. & Aben Ezram in Exod. xxi. 2. b Joseph. Antiqu. l. 1. c. 6. sect. 4. Targ. Jon. in Gen. x. 21. Sepher Cosri, par. 1. sect. 49. fol. 24. 2. R. Nehemiah in Bereshit Rabba, ut supra, Aben Ezra in Gen. x. 21. & xxxix. 14. & in Exod. i. 16. Kimchi in rad. עבר. c Pirke Abot, c. 3. sect. 14. d Pirke Eliezer, c. 48. e lb. c. 47. f Misn. Bava Kama, c. 8. sect. 6. g T. Bab. Betza, fol. 32. 2.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Are they Hebrews? - This proves that the persons who had made the difficulty in Corinth were those who were of Hebrew extraction though it may be that they had been born in Greece and had been educated in the Grecian philosophy and art of rhetoric. It is also clear that they prided themselves on being Jews - on having a connection with the people and land from whence the religion which the Corinthian church now professed had emanated. Indications are apparent everywhere in the New Testament of the superiority which the Jewish converts to Christianity claimed over those converted from among the pagan. Their boast would probably be that they were the descendants of the patriarchs; that the land of the prophets was theirs; that they spake the language in which the oracles of God were given; that the true religion had proceeded from them, etc.

So am I - I have as high claims as any of them to distinction on this head. Paul had all their advantages of birth. He was an Israelite; of rite honored tribe of Benjamin; a Pharisee, circumcised at the usual time Philippians 3:5, and educated in the best manner at the feet of one of their most eminent teachers; Acts 22:3.

Are they Israelites? - Another name, signifying substantially the same thing. The only difference is, that the word “Hebrew” signified properly one who was from beyond (צברי ‛Ibriy from צבר ‘aabar, to pass, to pass over - hence, applied to Abraham, because he had come from a foreign land; and the word denoted properly a foreigner - a man from the land or country beyond, צבר ‘aabar the Euphrates. The name Israelite denoted properly one descended from Israel or Jacob, and the difference between them was, that the name Israelite, being a patronymic derived from one of the founders of their nation, was in use among themselves; the name Hebrew was applied by the Canaanite to them as having come from beyond the river, and was the current name among foreign tribes and nations. See Gesenius’ Lexicon on the word צברי ‛Ibriy Hebrew. Paul in the passage before us means to say that he had as good a claim to the honor of being a native born descendant of Israel as could be urged by any of them.

Are they the seed of Abraham? - Do they boast that they are descended from Abraham? This with all the Jews was regarded as a distinguished honor (see Matthew 3:9; John 8:39), and no doubt the false teachers in Corinth boasted of it as eminently qualifying them to engage in the work of the ministry.

So am I - Paul had the same qualification. He was a Jew also by birth. He was of the tribe of Benjamin; Philippians 3:5.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 22. Are they Hebrews — Speaking the sacred language, and reading in the congregation from the Hebrew Scriptures? the same is my own language.

Are they Israelites — Regularly descended from Jacob, and not from Esau? I am also one.

Are they the seed of Abraham — Circumcised, and in the bond of the covenant? So am I. I am no proselyte, but I am a Hebrew of the Hebrews both by father and mother; and can trace my genealogy, through the tribe of Benjamin, up to the father of the faithful.