2 Corinthians 12:11

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

I have become foolish in boasting; you compelled me. For I ought to have been commended by you, because I am in no way inferior to the 'super-apostles,' even though I am nothing.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Γέγονα ἄφρων καυχώμενος· ὑμεῖς με ἠναγκάσατε: ἐγὼ γὰρ ὤφειλον ὑφʼ ὑμῶν συνίστασθαι: οὐδὲν γὰρ ὑστέρησα τῶν ὑπερλίαν ἀποστόλων, εἰ καὶ οὐδέν εἰμι.

Transliteration

I have gegona aphrōn kauchōmenos; you me ēnagkasate: I for ōpheilon by you synistasthai: nothing for I hysterēsa of the hyperlian apostolōn, ei kai nothing I eimi.

Grammar Details

• *gegona*: perfect indicative, active, 1st singular - I have become
• *aphrōn*: nominative, masculine, singular - foolish/senseless
• *kauchōmenos*: present participle, middle, nominative, masculine, singular - boasting/glorying
• *ēnagkasate*: aorist indicative, active, 2nd plural - you compelled/forced
• *ōpheilon*: imperfect indicative, active, 1st singular - I ought/should
• *synistasthai*: present infinitive, passive - to be commended/approved
• *hysterēsa*: aorist indicative, active, 1st singular - I fell short/was inferior
• *hyperlian*: adverb - super/exceedingly/preeminently
• *apostolōn*: genitive, masculine, plural - of apostles
• *ei kai*: concessive conjunction - even if/although
• *eimi*: present indicative, 1st singular - I am

Word Meanings

• *gegona*: I have become/I have been made
• *aphrōn*: foolish/senseless/without reason
• *kauchōmenos*: boasting/glorying/exulting
• *ēnagkasate*: you compelled/you forced/you necessitated
• *ōpheilon*: I ought/I should/I was obligated
• *synistasthai*: to be commended/to be approved/to be recommended
• *hysterēsa*: I fell short/I was inferior/I lacked
• *hyperlian*: super/exceedingly/preeminently/super-apostles
• *apostolōn*: apostles/sent ones/messengers

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  I am become a fool in glorying; ye have compelled me: for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I be nothing.

• KJV1611 – Modern English

  I have become a fool in boasting; you have compelled me, for I ought to have been commended by you. For in nothing am I behind the very chief apostles, though I am nothing.

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

  I am become a fool in glorying; ye have compelled me: for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I be nothing.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  I am become{G1096} foolish:{G878} {G2744} ye{G5210} compelled{G315} me;{G3165} for{G1063} I{G1473} ought{G3784} to have been commended{G4921} of{G5259} you:{G5216} for{G1063} in nothing{G3762} was I behind{G5302} the very{G5228} chiefest{G3029} apostles,{G652} though{G1487} {G2532} I am{G1510} nothing.{G3762}

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  I am become{G1096}{(G5754)} a fool{G878} in glorying{G2744}{(G5740)}; ye{G5210} have compelled{G315}{(G5656)} me{G3165}: for{G1063} I{G1473} ought{G3784}{(G5707)} to have been commended{G4921}{(G5745)} of{G5259} you{G5216}: for{G1063} in nothing{G3762} am I behind{G5302}{(G5656)} the very chiefest{G3029} apostles{G652}{G5228}, though{G1499} I be{G1510}{(G5748)} nothing{G3762}.

• Tyndale Bible (1526/1534)

  I am made a fole in bostynge my silfe. Ye have copelled me: I ought to have bene comeded of you. For in nothinge was I inferior vnto ye chefe apostels Though I be nothynge

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  I am become a fole i boastinge my selfe: Ye haue copelled me. For I oughte to be comended of you, in so moch as I am in nothinge inferior to ye hye Apostles. Though I be nothinge,

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  I was a foole to boast my selfe: yee haue compelled mee: for I ought to haue bene commended of you: for in nothing was I inferiour vnto the very chiefe Apostles, though I bee nothing.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  I am become a foole in gloriyng. Ye haue compelled me: for I ought to haue ben commended of you. For nothyng was I inferiour vnto the chiefe Apostles, though I be nothyng,

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  ¶ I am become a fool in glorying; ye have compelled me: for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I be nothing.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  I have become foolish in boasting. You compelled me, for I ought to have been commended by you, for in nothing was I inferior to the very best apostles, though I am nothing.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  I have become a fool -- boasting; ye -- ye did compel me; for I ought by you to have been commended, for in nothing was I behind the very chiefest apostles -- even if I am nothing.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  I am become foolish: ye compelled me; for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing was I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I am nothing.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  I am become foolish: ye compelled me; for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing was I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I am nothing.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  I have been forced by you to become foolish, though it was right for my praise to have come from you: for in no way was I less than the chief of the Apostles, though I am nothing.

• World English Bible (2000)

  I have become foolish in boasting. You compelled me, for I ought to have been commended by you, for in nothing was I inferior to the very best apostles, though I am nothing.

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  The Signs of an Apostle I have become a fool. You yourselves forced me to do it, for I should have been commended by you. For I lack nothing in comparison to those“super-apostles,” even though I am nothing.

Referenced Verses

• 2 Cor 11:5 : 5 I do not consider myself in any way inferior to these 'super-apostles.'
• 2 Cor 11:1 : 1 I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness. Indeed, you are bearing with me.
• 2 Cor 11:16-17 : 16 I repeat, let no one take me for a fool. But if you do, then tolerate me as you would a fool, so that I too may boast a little. 17 What I am saying, I do not say as from the Lord, but as if in foolishness, with this confidence of boasting.
• 2 Cor 12:6 : 6 For if I desire to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, lest anyone think more of me than what they see in me or hear from me.
• 2 Cor 12:12 : 12 The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs, wonders, and miracles.
• Gal 2:6-9 : 6 Now from those who seemed to be important—whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not show partiality—those of reputation contributed nothing to me. 7 On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter was to the circumcised— 8 (For He who worked through Peter for his apostleship to the circumcised also worked through me for mine to the Gentiles)— 9 And recognizing the grace given to me, James, Cephas, and John, who were esteemed as pillars, gave the right hand of fellowship to me and Barnabas, so that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. 10 They asked only that we remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do. 11 But when Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they came, he began to draw back and separate himself, fearing those of the circumcision group. 13 And the rest of the Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, 'If you, being a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?'
• Eph 3:8 : 8 To me, the very least of all the saints, this grace was given: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,
• Luke 17:10 : 10 In the same way, when you have done all that you were commanded, you should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.'
• 1 Cor 3:4-7 : 4 For when someone says, 'I follow Paul,' and another, 'I follow Apollos,' are you not acting like mere humans? 5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos? They are servants through whom you believed, as the Lord has assigned to each. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So then, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.
• 1 Cor 3:22 : 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours,
• 1 Cor 15:8-9 : 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God, I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.
• 2 Cor 1:6 : 6 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces patient endurance of the same sufferings we also endure.