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John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Corinthians 11:32

In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king ,.... Aretas or Al-Hareth was a king of Arabia, of the family of the Gassanii; among whom were many of this name F18 Pocock. Specimen Hist. Arab. p. 76, 77, 78. ; and who for some hundreds of years ruled over Syria, of which Damascus was the metropolis. The fourth king of that family was of this name, and perhaps is the person here meant; and after him there were four more of the same family so called; it was a name of Arabian kings in... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Corinthians 11:33

And through a window in a basket was I let down ,.... The house in which he was, like Rahab's, was built upon the wall of the city, and as she let down the spies by a cord through the window, and as David was by Michal; so the apostle was let down by the brethren with cords, as Jeremiah was, Jeremiah 38:6 where the Septuagint use the same word as here, through a window; "which", as the Arabic version reads it, "was in the wall"; or he was let down by the wall side, "in a basket or net"; so... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Corinthians 11:24

Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one - That is, he was five times scourged by the Jews, whose law ( Deuteronomy 25:3 ;) allowed forty stripes; but they, pretending to be lenient, and to act within the letter of the law, inflicted but thirty-nine. To except one stripe from the forty was a very ancient canon among the Jews, as we learn from Josephus, Antiq. lib. iv. ch. viii. sec. 21, who mentions the same thing: πληγας μιας λειπουσης τεσσαπακοντα· forty stripes,... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Corinthians 11:25

Thrice was I beaten with rods - This was under the Roman government, as their lictors beat criminals in this way. We hear of the apostle's being treated thus once, namely at Philippi, Acts 16:22 . See Section 9 of the Introduction. Once was I stoned - Namely, at Lystra, Acts 14:19 , etc. A night and a day I have been in the deep - To what this refers we cannot tell; it is generally supposed that in some shipwreck not on record the apostle had saved himself on a plank, and was a... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Corinthians 11:26

In journeyings often - He means the particular journeys which he took to different places, for the purpose of propagating the Gospel. In perils of waters - Exposed to great dangers in crossing rivers; for of rivers the original, ποταμων , must be understood. Of robbers - Judea itself, and perhaps every other country, was grievously infested by banditti of this kind; and no doubt the apostle in his frequent peregrinations was often attacked, but, being poor and having nothing to... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Corinthians 11:27

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... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Corinthians 11:28

Beside those things that are without - Independently of all these outward things, I have innumerable troubles and mental oppressions. Which cometh upon me - Ἡ επισυατασις· This continual press of business; this insurrection of cases to be heard, solved, and determined, relative to the doctrine, discipline, state, persecution, and supply of all the Churches. All his perils were little in comparison of what he felt relative to the peace, government, and establishment of all the... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Corinthians 11:29

Who is weak - What Church is there under persecution, with which I do not immediately sympathize? or who, from his weakness in the faith, and scrupulousness of conscience, is likely to be stumbled, or turned out of the way, to whom I do not condescend, and whose burden I do not bear? Who is offended - Or likely to be turned out of the way, and I burn not with zeal to restore and confirm him? This seems to be the sense of these different questions. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Corinthians 11:30

I will glory - which concern mine infirmities - I will not boast of my natural or acquired powers; neither in what God has done by me; but rather in what I have suffered for him. Many persons have understood by infirmities what they call the indwelling sin of the apostle, and say that "he gloried in this, because the grace of Christ was the more magnified in his being preserved from ruin, notwithstanding this indwelling adversary." And to support this most unholy interpretation, they quote... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Corinthians 11:31

The God and Father of our Lord - Here is a very solemn asseveration; an appeal to the ever blessed God for the truth of what he asserts. It is something similar to his asseveration or oath in 2 Corinthians 11:10 ; of this chapter; see also Romans 9:5 , and Galatians 1:20 . And from these and several other places we learn that the apostle thought it right thus to confirm his assertions on these particular occasions. But here is nothing to countenance profane swearing, or taking the name... read more

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