OET interlinear 2 COR 11:23

11:23a–b

The clause “I am out of my mind to talk like this” stands between Paul’s question and his answer. See the General Comment at the end of 11:23b for suggestions as to how possibly to reorder this verse.

11:23a

Are they servants of Christ?: This is also a rhetorical question. Translate it in a similar way to the rhetorical questions in 11:22.

servants of Christ: This phrase refers to people who serve Christ. They serve him by preaching, teaching, evangelizing, and things like that. The false teachers claimed to be servants of Christ but actually served Satan (11:13–15).

11:23b

I am speaking like I am out of my mind: This clause explains the manner in which Paul stated that he serves Christ more than they. Paul boasted when he said that he served Christ more. He had already explained that such boasting was foolish (11:21b). So this clause is an apology for speaking like a fool. He exaggerated the meaning of “fool” by saying that he was insane. But Paul was not actually saying he was insane.

In some languages a literal translation would wrongly indicate that Paul admitted to being insane. If that is true in your language, you may want to:

• Indicate that only the following words are “insane” words. For example:

  It’s insane to say it, but (GW)

  Well, here are some crazy/insane words:

• Translate the clause as a simile. For example:

  I speak as if insane (NASB)

  I sound like a madman (GNT)

• Translate the meaning of “insane” without the exaggeration. For example:

  I speak in utter folly (NJB)

  I am a fool to talk this way (CEV)

I am so much more: This clause indicates that Paul served Christ more than the false teachers claimed to. Other ways to translate this clause are:

I more so (NASB)

I have served him far more (NLT)

I serve him better than they do (CEV)

I have more claim to this title than they (JBP)

11:23c–f

In 11:23c–f, Paul gave examples of how he served Christ more (11:23b).

11:23c

in harder labor: A literal translation of the Greek here is “much more in labor.” Here the phrase indicates that Paul worked much more for God than the false teachers did. He did much more preaching, teaching, evangelizing, and things like that.

In some languages a literal translation would wrongly refer only to physical work or secular jobs. If that is true in your language, you may want to explain in your translation. For example:

I have done God’s work much more

I have worked for God much harder than they

I have served God much more

See how you translated the Greek word in 6:5 (“labor”).

11:23d

in more imprisonments: This phrase refers to people putting Paul in prison because he preached about Jesus. Clement, a church leader who died about a hundred years after Jesus was born, wrote that people put Paul in prison seven times.

In some languages a literal translation would wrongly refer only to being in prison for stealing, killing, or another crime. If that is true in your language, you may want to explain in your translation. For example:

been in prison for the sake of Christ more frequently

people put me in prison more frequently because I preached Christ

11:23e

in worse beatings: Exactly who gave Paul these beatings is not important here. However, some languages must state an agent. Here is one way to do that:

someone flogged me

worse: There are two ways to interpret the Greek word that the BSB translates as worse:

1. It means to a much greater extent here. For example:

   hurt more (NCV) (BSB, NIV, GNT, NJB, NABRE, GW, CEV, NET, REB, NCV)

2. It means countless times here. Paul exaggerated to indicate “very many times.” For example:

   without number (NASB) (RSV, NASB, NLT, ESV, KJV)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1).Harris (p. 791) and Furnish (p. 512) translate the Greek word as “far worse.” Thrall (p. 722) translates the Greek clause as “exceptionally subject to beatings.” Kistemaker (p. 388) translates the Greek word as “more severely.”

beatings: This word refers to someone using a whip to cut the skin or leave a painful red welt.

The Greek word can also refer to someone hitting with a hard stick or even with fists. Other ways to translate this word are:

whipped (GNT)

scourged (REB)

11:23f

in frequent danger of death: The Greek words are literally “in deaths often.” The phrase refers to Paul almost being killed on numerous occasions. This phrase probably includes things such as people trying to kill Paul (Acts 21:31) as well as the danger of drowning in a shipwreck (Acts 27). Other ways to translate this are:

faced death again and again (NLT)

I have been near death many times (NCV)

Many times I almost died