2 Corinthians 11:24 kjv
Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
2 Corinthians 11:24 nkjv
From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one.
2 Corinthians 11:24 niv
Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.
2 Corinthians 11:24 esv
Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one.
2 Corinthians 11:24 nlt
Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes.
2 Corinthians 11 24 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Act 16:22-23 | Mobs attacked them, magistrates ordered them stripped and beaten. | Suffering persecution |
| Act 16:23-24 | Thrown into prison, feet fastened in the stocks. | Imprisonment |
| 2 Cor 6:5 | Besides hardships, in beatings, in imprisonments, in riots. | Catalog of sufferings |
| Gal 6:17 | I bear on my body the marks of Jesus. | Suffering for Christ |
| Phil 3:10 | becoming like him in his death. | Sharing in Christ's sufferings |
| Col 1:24 | I fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ. | Suffering for the church |
| 1 Thes 2:2 | We had already suffered and been shamefully mistreated in Philippi. | Prior mistreatment |
| 1 Thes 2:14 | You also suffered the same things from your own countrymen. | Suffering from fellow Jews |
| Heb 11:36 | others suffered mocking, flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. | Faith's suffering endurance |
| Heb 12:3 | Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart. | Christ's endurance |
| 2 Cor 4:8-9 | We are hard-pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. | Enduring hardship |
| 2 Cor 11:22-23 | They are Hebrews? So am I. Israelites? So am I. Descendants of Abraham? So am I. Are they servants of Christ? (I am talking like a madman) I more so. | Paul's claims of service |
| 2 Cor 11:24 | Five times I received punishment from the Jews by the fewer of forty lashes less one. | Beatings by Jews |
| Rom 10:2 | For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their knowledge is imperfect. | Zealous but misguided |
| Acts 14:5 | an attempt by both Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to mistreat them and to stone them. | Gentile and Jewish opposition |
| Acts 22:19-20 | Speaking boldly in the name of Jesus and teaching publicly. | Speaking boldly |
| Acts 9:23-24 | The Jews plotted to kill him. | Plots against Paul |
| 1 Cor 4:9-13 | Made an spectacle to the world, to angels and to men. | Public humiliation |
| Rom 8:18 | For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. | Present sufferings vs future glory |
| 2 Cor 1:8-9 | We were made to suffer an unduly heavy burden, and were weighed down, so much so that we despaired of life itself. | Despair amidst suffering |
| Acts 13:45 | the Jews saw the crowds, they were jealous and began to contradict Paul’s preaching. | Jealousy causing contradiction |
| Acts 17:5 | the Jews became jealous. They grabbed Jason and some other believers and dragged them into the city government. | Jealousy and accusation |
2 Corinthians 11 verses
2 Corinthians 11 24 Meaning
Paul is stating that he and his fellow missionaries have experienced severe physical beatings, having received the penalty of 39 lashes (flogging) five times. This was a Roman and Jewish legal punishment for various offenses, intended to be severe but not fatal.
2 Corinthians 11 24 Context
This verse is found within the latter half of 2 Corinthians, where Paul defends his apostleship against false apostles who were challenging his authority and ministry. In this specific chapter, Paul recounts his own suffering and hardships endured for the sake of the gospel, contrasting them with the exaggerated claims and likely false teachings of his opponents. He lists severe trials, including repeated beatings by Jewish authorities, to demonstrate his authentic commitment and suffering for Christ. This defense is not merely personal but serves to bolster the credibility of the gospel message they had received.
2 Corinthians 11 24 Word Analysis
five times (Greek: πέντακις, pentakis): This adverb indicates frequency, emphasizing that the severe punishment was not a one-off event but a recurring experience.
I received (Greek: ἔλαβον, elabōn): Aorist tense of lambanō, indicating a completed action in the past, confirming these events indeed happened.
of the Jews (Greek: ἀπὸ τῶν Ἰουδαίων, apo tōn Ioudaion): Denotes the agents or source of the punishment – Jewish authorities or individuals acting under their legal framework. This highlights persecution originating from his own people.
forty stripes (Greek: τεσσεράκοντα πληγὰς, tessarakonta plēgas): Refers to the prescribed number of lashes in Jewish law for certain transgressions, as seen in Deuteronomy 25:3 ("forty lashes, but no more").
less one (Greek: πλὴν ἑνός, plēn henos): This crucial phrase signifies that the maximum number of stripes administered was thirty-nine, not forty. Jewish practice avoided the exact number of forty to prevent the possibility of exceeding the limit, which would be a transgression of the law. This precision highlights the meticulous nature of Jewish legal punishments and Paul's understanding of it.
Beatings and Legal Procedures: The punishment described (39 lashes) is consistent with the application of Jewish disciplinary law (Deuteronomy 25:3). This implies that Paul was brought before Jewish judicial bodies and convicted of offenses deemed worthy of this punishment, according to their interpretation of the Law.
Suffering for the Gospel: This enumeration of hardships, including the beatings, serves as a testament to Paul’s unwavering dedication to proclaiming the gospel, even in the face of severe persecution from those who should have been receptive.
Contrast with False Apostles: By listing his own genuine sufferings, Paul implicitly contrasts them with the potentially unproven or boastful claims of the false apostles who may have presented a more comfortable or less arduous experience of ministry.
2 Corinthians 11 24 Bonus Section
The precision of "forty stripes, less one" (thirty-nine) demonstrates a common practice in rabbinic jurisprudence. To avoid violating the Mosaic Law (Deuteronomy 25:3) by exceeding forty stripes, Jewish courts would administer thirty-nine. This adherence to a strict interpretation of the law, even in its punitive application against Paul, highlights the legal framework under which he operated and was judged. Paul's recounting of these events serves as a form of "boasting in afflictions" (2 Corinthians 12:5), positioning his suffering as a mark of authenticity and divine commission, which aligns with a theme of vicarious suffering found in Old Testament prophetic ministries.
2 Corinthians 11 24 Commentary
Paul details significant physical abuse he endured from Jewish authorities, receiving the prescribed number of lashes, but precisely one less than the forbidden forty. This reveals the harsh opposition he faced, even from within his own people, and underscores his genuine suffering for Christ. It emphasizes his commitment to the gospel, enduring severe penalties for his ministry, thus contrasting with the self-promotion of his adversaries.