2 Corinthians 11:3

Authorized King James Version (1611)

But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Φοβοῦμαι δὲ, μή πως, ὡς ὁ ὄφις Εὕαν ἐξηπάτησεν ἐν τῇ πανουργίᾳ αὐτοῦ, οὕτως φθαρῇ τὰ νοήματα ὑμῶν ἀπὸ τῆς ἁπλότητος τῆς εἰς τὸν Χριστόν.

Transliteration

I phoboumai but, lest somehow, as the ophis Heuan exēpatēsen in the panourgia of him, thus might be phtharē the noēmata of you from the haplotētos that is toward the Christon.

Grammar Details

• *phoboumai*: present middle/passive indicative, 1st singular - fear/am afraid
• *ophis*: nominative, masculine, singular - serpent/snake
• *Heuan*: accusative, feminine, singular - Eve
• *exēpatēsen*: aorist active indicative, 3rd singular - deceived/beguiled completely
• *panourgia*: dative, feminine, singular - craftiness/cunning
• *phtharē*: aorist passive subjunctive, 3rd singular - might be corrupted/ruined
• *noēmata*: nominative/accusative, neuter, plural - minds/thoughts
• *haplotētos*: genitive, feminine, singular - simplicity/sincerity
• *Christon*: accusative, masculine, singular - Christ

Word Meanings

• *phoboumai*: fear/am afraid/am concerned
• *ophis*: serpent/snake
• *exēpatēsen*: deceived completely/beguiled/seduced
• *panourgia*: craftiness/cunning/trickery
• *phtharē*: might be corrupted/ruined/led astray
• *noēmata*: minds/thoughts/mental perceptions
• *haplotētos*: simplicity/sincerity/singleness/purity

Referenced Verses

• 1 Tim 2:14 : 14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.
• Rev 12:9 : 9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
• Gal 1:6 : 6 ¶ I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
• Col 2:4 : 4 ¶ And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.
• Col 2:8 : 8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
• John 8:44 : 44 ‹Ye are of› [your] ‹father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.›
• Gen 3:4 : 4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
• Gen 3:13 : 13 And the LORD God said unto the woman, What [is] this [that] thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
• Gal 3:1 : 1 ¶ O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
• 2 Cor 1:12 : 12 ¶ For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.
• Heb 13:9 : 9 Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For [it is] a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.
• 2 Pet 2:1-9 : 1 ¶ But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. 3 ¶ And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. 4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast [them] down to hell, and delivered [them] into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; 5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth [person], a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned [them] with an overthrow, making [them] an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; 7 ¶ And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: 8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed [his] righteous soul from day to day with [their] unlawful deeds;) 9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: 10 ¶ But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous [are they], selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities. 11 Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord. 12 But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption; 13 And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, [as] they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots [they are] and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you; 14 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:
• 2 Pet 3:3 : 3 ¶ Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
• 2 Pet 3:17 : 17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know [these things] before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.
• 1 John 2:18 : 18 ¶ Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
• 1 John 4:1 : 1 ¶ Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
• Jude 1:4 : 4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
• Gal 2:4 : 4 And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:
• Rev 20:2 : 2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
• Col 2:18 : 18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
• 1 Thess 3:5 : 5 For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain.
• 2 Thess 2:3-9 : 3 ¶ Let no man deceive you by any means: for [that day shall not come], except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? 6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth [will let], until he be taken out of the way. 8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9 [Even him], whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
• 1 Tim 1:3 : 3 As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine,
• 1 Tim 4:1-4 : 1 ¶ Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; 3 Forbidding to marry, [and commanding] to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. 4 For every creature of God [is] good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:
• 2 Tim 3:1-9 : 1 ¶ This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, 7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. 9 But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all [men], as theirs also was.
• 2 Tim 3:13 : 13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
• 2 Tim 4:3-4 : 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away [their] ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
• Titus 1:10 : 10 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:
• 2 Cor 2:17 : 17 For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.
• 2 Cor 4:2 : 2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
• 2 Cor 11:13-15 : 13 For such [are] false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15 Therefore [it is] no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
• 2 Cor 11:29 : 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?
• 2 Cor 12:20-21 : 20 For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and [that] I shall be found unto you such as ye would not: lest [there be] debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults: 21 [And] lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and [that] I shall bewail many which have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed.
• Gal 4:11 : 11 I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.
• Eph 4:14 : 14 That we [henceforth] be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, [and] cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
• Eph 6:24 : 24 Grace [be] with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.
• Phil 3:18-19 : 18 (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, [that they are] the enemies of the cross of Christ: 19 Whose end [is] destruction, whose God [is their] belly, and [whose] glory [is] in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
• Ps 119:53 : 53 ¶ Horror hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake thy law.
• Matt 24:24 : 24 ‹For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if› [it were] ‹possible, they shall deceive the very elect.›
• Acts 20:30-31 : 30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. 31 Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.
• Rom 12:8 : 8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, [let him do it] with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
• Rom 16:18-19 : 18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. 19 For your obedience is come abroad unto all [men]. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.