2 COR 11:7 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) Or did I disobey God when I humbled myself so that all of you might be elevated, because I shared the good message with you all without any personal gain?

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, orange:accusative/object, pink:genitive/possessor, cyan:dative/indirect object.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT Or did I commit a sin, humbling myself so that you yourselves might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you without payment?

UST You know that I did not sin against you when I did not ask you to pay me for proclaiming to you the good news from God. By doing that, I made myself less important to make you more important.

BLB Or did I commit a sin, humbling myself, so that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you freely?

AICNT Or did I commit a sin by humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you without charge?

OEB Perhaps you say that I did wrong in humbling myself that you might be exalted – I mean because I told you God’s good news without payment.

WEBBE Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached to you God’s Good News free of charge?

WMBB (Same as above)

NET Or did I commit a sin by humbling myself so that you could be exalted, because I proclaimed the gospel of God to you free of charge?

LSV Did I do sin—humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I freely proclaimed the good news of God to you?

FBV Was it wrong of me to humble myself so you could be elevated, since I shared the good news with you at no charge?

TCNT Did I commit a sin by humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge?

T4T I refused to accept money from you as pay for teaching you God’s message about Christ. ◄It is ridiculous for you to think that what I did was wrong!/Was that wrong?► [RHQ] I know that by teaching you without pay, I made myself seem [IRO] unimportant to you. But I did it to honor you.

LEB Or did I commit a sin by[fn] humbling myself in order that you may be exalted, because I proclaimed the gospel of God to you without payment?

11:7 *Here “by” is supplied as a component of the participle (“humbling”) which is understood as means

BBE Or did I do wrong in making myself low so that you might be lifted up, because I gave you the good news of God without reward?

Moff But perhaps I did wrong in taking a humble place that you might have a high one — I mean, in preaching the gospel of God to you for nothing!

Wymth Is it a sin that I abased myself in order for you to be exalted, in that I proclaimed God's Good News to you without fee or reward?

ASV Or did I commit a sin in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I preached to you the gospel of God for nought?

DRA Or did I commit a fault, humbling myself, that you might be exalted? Because I preached unto you the gospel of God freely?

YLT The sin did I do — myself humbling that ye might be exalted, because freely the good news of God I did proclaim to you?

Drby Have I committed sin, abasing myself in order that ye might be exalted, because I gratuitously announced to you the glad tidings of [fn]God?

11.7 Elohim

RV Or did I commit a sin in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I preached to you the gospel of God for nought?
(Or did I commit a sin in abasing myself that ye/you_all might be exalted, because I preached to you the gospel of God for naught/nothing? )

SLT Or did I a sin, humbling myself that ye might be exalted, because I announced to you the good news of God gratuitously?

Wbstr Have I committed an offense in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God without reward?

KJB-1769 Have I committed an offence in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely?
(Have I committed an offence in abasing myself that ye/you_all might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely? )

KJB-1611 Haue I committed an offence in abasing my selfe, that you might be exalted, because I haue preached to you the Gospel of God freely?
(Have I committed an offence in abasing myself, that you might be exalted, because I have preached to you the Gospel of God freely?)

Bshps Dyd I sinne because I submitted my selfe, that ye myght be exalted, & because I preached to you the Gospell of God freely?
(Did I sin because I submitted myself, that ye/you_all might be exalted, and because I preached to you the Gospel of God freely?)

Gnva Haue I committed an offence, because I abased my selfe, that ye might be exalted, and because I preached to you ye Gospell of God freely?
(Have I committed an offence, because I abased myself, that ye/you_all might be exalted, and because I preached to you ye/you_all Gospel of God freely? )

Cvdl Or dyd I synne therin because I submytted my selfe, that ye mighte be exalted?For I preached vnto you the Gospell of God frely,
(Or did I sin therein because I submitted myself, that ye/you_all might be exalted?For I preached unto you the Gospel of God freely,)

TNT Did I therin synne be cause I submitted my silfe that ye myght be exalted and because I preached to you the gospell of God fre?
(Did I therein sin be cause I submitted myself that ye/you_all might be exalted and because I preached to you the gospel of God fre? )

Wycl Or whether Y haue don synne, mekynge my silf, that ye be enhaunsid, for freli Y prechide to you the gospel of God?
(Or whether I have done sin, meking myself, that ye/you_all be enhanced, for freely I preached to you the gospel of God?)

Luth Oder habe ich gesündiget, daß ich mich erniedriget habe, auf daß ihr erhöhet würdet? Denn ich habe euch das Evangelium umsonst verkündigt
(Or have I sinned, that I me erniedriget have, on/in/to that you(pl)/their/her increased/enhanced wouldt? Because I have you the gospel for_free verkündigt)

ClVg Aut numquid peccatum feci, meipsum humilians, ut vos exaltemini? quoniam gratis Evangelium Dei evangelizavi vobis?[fn]
(Aut is_it sin I_did, meipsum humilians, as you(pl) exaltemini? since/because for_free the_Gospel of_God evangelizavi to_you(pl)? )

11.7 Quoniam gratis Evangelium. Minus non feci, sed plus: quia gratis, unde mihi irascimini, et alios mihi præponitis: cum hoc non sit peccati, sed gloriæ.

11.7 Since for_free the_Gospel. Minus not/no I_did, but plus: because for_free, from_where/who to_me angercimini, and others to_me prefersis: when/with this not/no be of_sin, but of_glory.

UGNT ἢ ἁμαρτίαν ἐποίησα ἐμαυτὸν ταπεινῶν, ἵνα ὑμεῖς ὑψωθῆτε, ὅτι δωρεὰν τὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ εὐαγγέλιον εὐηγγελισάμην ὑμῖν?
(aʸ hamartian epoiaʸsa emauton tapeinōn, hina humeis hupsōthaʸte, hoti dōrean to tou Theou euangelion euaʸngelisamaʸn humin?)

SBL-GNT Ἢ ἁμαρτίαν ἐποίησα ἐμαυτὸν ταπεινῶν ἵνα ὑμεῖς ὑψωθῆτε, ὅτι δωρεὰν τὸ τοῦ θεοῦ εὐαγγέλιον εὐηγγελισάμην ὑμῖν;
(Aʸ hamartian epoiaʸsa emauton tapeinōn hina humeis hupsōthaʸte, hoti dōrean to tou theou euangelion euaʸngelisamaʸn humin;)

RP-GNT Ἢ ἁμαρτίαν ἐποίησα ἐμαυτὸν ταπεινῶν ἵνα ὑμεῖς ὑψωθῆτε, ὅτι δωρεὰν τὸ τοῦ θεοῦ εὐαγγέλιον εὐηγγελισάμην ὑμῖν;
(Aʸ hamartian epoiaʸsa emauton tapeinōn hina humeis hupsōthaʸte, hoti dōrean to tou theou euangelion euaʸngelisamaʸn humin;)

TC-GNT Ἢ ἁμαρτίαν ἐποίησα [fn]ἐμαυτὸν ταπεινῶν ἵνα ὑμεῖς ὑψωθῆτε, ὅτι δωρεὰν τὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ εὐαγγέλιον εὐηγγελισάμην ὑμῖν;
(Aʸ hamartian epoiaʸsa emauton tapeinōn hina humeis hupsōthaʸte, hoti dōrean to tou Theou euangelion euaʸngelisamaʸn humin; )

11:7 εμαυτον ¦ εαυτον PCK

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs (from our SR-GNT base).

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 11:1–15: Paul spoke against the false teachers

In 11:1, Paul prepared his readers for what he would say in 11:7–10 and 11:16. He described the way he would speak as “foolishness.” Paul used the term “foolishness” here in a special way. In this chapter Paul said he was “foolish” because he praised himself for his own good character, attitudes, and actions. He called this praise “foolish” especially because he had just said in 10:17–18 that believers should not praise themselves.

Paul was very concerned for the believers in Corinth, like a father wanting his daughter to be faithful to the man whom she would marry one day (11:2). In the same way he worried that the false teachers might have led the believers away from following Jesus (11:3–4).

Since the false teachers had deceived some of the believers in Corinth, Paul had to defend himself to the believers (11:5–6). The false teachers had praised themselves and some of the believers had believed them, so Paul had to praise himself. He reminded them that he had not allowed them to support him. He wanted them to know that he was serving them because he truly loved them and wanted to help them, unlike the false teachers.

In Greek culture, a teacher expected those whom he taught to support him. It was an honor to support a well-known teacher. But Paul had not let the believers in Corinth support him. Using irony, Paul asked them if they were upset about his not letting them support him (11:7). Using irony again, he told them that churches in other cities had supported him while he lived in Corinth so that he could serve them full time (11:8–9). But the false teachers probably did the culturally expected thing and accepted money from the believers. Paul explained that he loved the believers in Corinth and therefore had not accepted their money (11:10–11). This example of love showed that the false teachers were not equals with Paul as apostles (11:12). He described the false teachers as claiming to be apostles while actually following Satan (11:13–15).

Other examples for this section heading are:

Paul Contrasts Himself With False Apostles (GW)

Paul and His Opponents (NET)

11:7a–b

Was it a sin for me to humble myself in order to exalt you, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge?: This is a rhetorical question. It emphasizes the fact that it was not a sin for Paul to lower himself in order to elevate the believers. Translate this with that meaning. Some ways to translate it are:

As a rhetorical question. For example:
Could it possibly be a sin for me to lower myself in order to elevate you by preaching the gospel of God to you free of charge?
How can it be a sin for me to lower myself in order to elevate you by preaching the gospel of God to you free of charge?
I did not charge you a thing when I preached the Good News of God to you; I humbled myself in order to make you important. Was that wrong of me? (GNT)
As a statement. For example:
It was certainly not a sin for me to lower myself in order to elevate you by preaching the gospel of God to you free of charge.
As a command. For example:
Do not think that I sinned when I lowered myself in order to elevate you by preaching the gospel of God to you free of charge!

11:7a

Was it a sin for me to humble myself in order to exalt you,

¶ Can it be that I sinned when I humbled myself in order to cause you^(plur) to have high status,
¶ Surely I did not sin when I humbled myself so that you might be exalted/honored,

humble myself: This phrase refers to Paul humbling himself. He did not act like a worldly leader and make demands. Instead he served them and supported himself by making tents (Acts 18:1–5). Other ways to translate this phrase are:

lower myself (NIV)

I made myself unimportant (NCV)

I did what lower class people do

Paul may have been also thinking of a common Greek attitude. They believed that a free citizen should not do manual labor (such as making tents), because that made him like a slave or lower class person.

in order to exalt you: This phrase refers to causing someone to have high status. Before Paul came, the people in Corinth lived apart from God. Now the believers had a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. So through Paul’s ministry, the believers in Corinth became of high status in God’s eyes. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

so that you might be raised up (NJB)

in order to make you important (GNT)

in order to give/confer high status to you

11:7b

because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge?

which I did by proclaiming the gospel of God without cost to you?
because I did not accept any pay from you while I preached God’s message to you!

the gospel of God: This phrase refers to the good news about Jesus and restoring people’s relationship with God. In some languages a literal translation would wrongly refer to something other than the gospel of Jesus. If that is true in your language, you may want to:

Explain in your translation. For example:
the gospel of God concerning Jesus
Translate literally and explain the meaning in a footnote. An example footnote is:
This refers to the gospel of Jesus.

free of charge: This phrase refers to not taking pay. Paul did not allow the Corinthians to give him money when he preached and taught among them. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

without cost (RSV)

without taking money for my work/ministry

Some Greek wise men (Sophists) said that if someone taught without receiving pay, then their teaching was worth nothing. This may have been part of the accusation of those “super-apostles” against Paul.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-contrast

ἢ

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἤ ἁμαρτίαν ἐποίησα ἐμαυτόν ταπεινῶν ἵνα ὑμεῖς ὑψωθῆτε ὅτι δωρεάν τό τοῦ Θεοῦ εὐαγγέλιον εὐηγγελισάμην ὑμῖν)

The word Or introduces an alternate to what Paul said in the previous verse, where he stated that he has “knowledge” (See: [11:6](../11/06.md)). With Or, then, Paul introduces a question that raises another possible objection to his authority as an apostle: he did not charge them money for teaching them. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express Or with a word that signifies a contrast or gives an alternative. Alternate translation: [But] or [However,]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

ἢ ἁμαρτίαν ἐποίησα ἐμαυτὸν ταπεινῶν, ἵνα ὑμεῖς ὑψωθῆτε, ὅτι δωρεὰν τὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ εὐαγγέλιον εὐηγγελισάμην ὑμῖν?

Paul is using the question form to show the Corinthians that he did not commit a sin. If you would not use the question form for this purpose in your language, you could translate this as a statement or an exclamation. Alternate translation: [But I certainly did not commit a sin, humbling myself so that you yourselves might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you without payment!]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ἐμαυτὸν ταπεινῶν

Here Paul refers to how he worked to make money for himself. In his culture, this was humbling, since good speakers and teachers would not need to do extra work, because they would make enough money from the people they taught. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make this idea more explicit. Alternate translation: [humbling myself by supporting myself]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

ὑμεῖς ὑψωθῆτε

you_all ˓may_be˒_exalted

If your language does not use this passive form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. If you need to say who does the action, it is clear from the context that it was Paul. Alternate translation: [I might exalt you yourselves]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / rpronouns

ὑμεῖς ὑψωθῆτε

you_all ˓may_be˒_exalted

Here, the word translated yourselves emphasizes you. Consider using a natural way to emphasize you in your language. Alternate translation: [you indeed might be exalted] or [it was you who might be exalted]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

τὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ εὐαγγέλιον

Here Paul uses the possessive form to describe a gospel that could: (1) come from God. Alternate translation: [the gospel that came from God] (2) come from and be about God. Alternate translation: [the gospel from and about God]

Parallel 2 COR 11:7

Section 11:1–15: Paul spoke against the false teachers

11:7a–b

11:7a

11:7b

Parallel 2 COR 11:7