2 Corinthians 11:32
What does 2 Corinthians 11:32 mean?
A plain-English look at 2 Corinthians 11:32 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What 2 Corinthians 11:32 means
Paul recalls a time in Damascus when the governor under Aretas the king guarded the city to arrest him. Far from being a triumphant public figure, he was hunted. This memory shows that his ministry began, and continued, under threat. It dismantles any illusion that apostleship means earthly security or constant victory. Instead, it often entails danger and flight. By citing a concrete historical episode, Paul grounds his boasts about weakness in fact. He wants the Corinthians to see that his path has been marked by vulnerability, yet God preserved him for continued service.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king guarded the city of the Damascenes in order to take me:
KJV
King James Version · 1611In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me:
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king guarded the city of the Damascenes in order to take me:
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949In Damascus, the ruler under Aretas the king kept watch over the town of the people of Damascus, in order to take me:
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862In Damascus the ethnarch of Aretas the king was watching the city of the Damascenes, wishing to seize me,
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752At Damascus, the governor of the nation under Aretas the king, guarded the city of the Damascenes, to apprehend me.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890In Damascus the ethnarch of Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes shut up, wishing to take me;
Context
Paul moves from solemn affirmation (v.31) to a specific incident of danger (v.32). This sets up the final verse (v.33), describing his humiliating escape. Together they provide a snapshot that encapsulates the chapter’s message: true ministry often looks lowly and fragile. The Damascus episode functions as a case study to confirm that Paul’s boasting in weakness is not theoretical; it is written into his story from the start, contrasting sharply with the triumphalist image projected by his opponents.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Acts 9:24
but their plot became known to Saul. And they watched the gates also day and night that they might kill him:
- 2 Corinthians 11:26
in journeyings often, in perils of rivers, in perils of robbers, in perils from my countrymen, in perils from the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
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