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2Co_11:26 f. After the parenthesis of 2Co_11:24-25, the series begun in 2Co_11:23 is now continued, dropping, however, the instrumental ἐν , which is not to be supplied, and running on merely with the instrumental dative—through frequent journeys, through dangers from rivers, etc. The expression ὁδοιπορ . πολλάκις is not to be taken as saying too little, for Paul was not constantly engaged in journeys (comp. his somewhat lengthy sojourns at Ephesus and at Corinth); wherefore he had the less occasion here to put another expression in place of the πολλάκις which belonged, as it were, to the symmetry of the context (2Co_11:23; 2Co_11:27). Hofmann wrongly joins πολλάκις with κινδύνοις , and takes πολλάκ . κινδύνοις as in apposition to ὁδοιπορίαις : “journeys, which were often dangers.” As if Paul were under the necessity of expressing (if he wished to express at all) the quite simple thought: ὁδοιπορίαις πολλάκις ἐπικινδύνοις (journeys which were often dangerous), in a way so singularly enigmatical as that which Hofmann imputes to him. Besides, if the following elements are meant to specify the dangers of travel, the two points ἐκ γένους and ἐξ ἐθνῶν at least are not at all specific perils incident to travel. And how much, in consequence of this erroneous connection of ὁδοιπορ . πολλάκ . κινδυν ., does Hofmann mar the further flow of the passage, which he subdivides as ποταμῶν κινδύνοις , ληστῶν κινδύνοις , ἐκ γένους κινδύνοις κ . τ . λ . down to ἐν θαλάσσῃ κινδύνοις , but thereafter punctuates: ἐν ψευδαδέλφοις κόπῳ κ . μόχθῳ ἐν ἀγρυπνίαις , πολλάκις ἐν λιμῷ κ . δίψει , ἐν νηστείαις πολλάκις ἐν ψυχ . κ . γυμν .[338] In this way is lost the whole beautiful and swelling symmetry of this outburst, and particularly the essential feature of the weighty anaphora, in which the emphatic word (and that is in 2Co_11:26 ΚΙΝΔΎΝΟΙς ) is placed first (comp. e.g. Hom. Il. x. 228 ff., i. 436 ff., ii. 382 ff., v. 740 f.; Arrian, Diss. i. 25; Quinctil ix. 3. Comp. also 2Co_11:20; 2Co_7:2; Php_3:2; Php_4:8, al.).
κινδ . ποταμῶν κ . τ . λ .] The genitive denotes the dangers arising from rivers (in crossing, swimming through them, in inundations, and the like) and from robbers. Comp. Heliod. ii. 4 65: κινδύνοι θαλασσῶν , Plat. Pol. i. p. 332 E; Euthyd. p. 279; Sir_43:24.
The κινδύνοις each time prefixed has a strong oratorical emphasis. Auct. ad Herenn. iv. 28. There lies in it a certain tone of triump.
ἘΚ ΓΈΝΟΥς ] on the part of race, i.e. on the part of the Jews, Act_7:19; Gal_1:14. The opposite: ἐξ ἐθνῶν .
ἐν πόλει , in city, as in Damascus, Jerusalem, Ephesus, and others; the opposite is ἐν ἐρημίᾳ , in desert. On the form of expression, comp. ἐν οἴκῳ , ἐν ἀγρῷ , ἐν μεγάρῳ , and the like. Xen. de rep. Lac. viii. 3 : ἐν πόλει καὶ ἐν στρατιᾷ καὶ ἐν οἴκῳ .
ἐν ψευδαδέλφοις ] among false brethren, i.e. among Judaistic pseudo-Christians, Gal_2:4, οἱ ὑπεκρίνοντο τὴν ἀδελφότητα , Chrysostom. Why should not these, with their hostile and often vehement opposition to the Pauline Christianity (comp. Php_3:2), have actually prepared dangers for him? Rückert, without reason, finds this inconceivable, and believes that Paul here means an occasion on which non-Christians, under cover of the Christian name, had sought to entice the apostle into some danger (? κινδύνοις ).—2Co_11:27. ΚΌΠῼ Κ . ΜΌΧΘῼ ] by trouble and toil; comp. 1Th_2:9; 2Th_3:8.[339] Then with ἘΝ ἈΓΡΥΠΝ . there again appears the instrumental ἘΝ . On ἘΝ ΛΙΜῷ Κ . Τ . Λ ., comp. Deu_28:48.
ἘΝ ΝΗΣΤΕΊΑΙς ΠΟΛΛΆΚΙς ] by frequent fastings. Here precisely, where ἐν λιμῷ κ . δίψει , and so involuntary fasting, precedes, the reference of νηστ . to voluntary fasting is perfectly clear (in opposition to Rückert, de Wette, Ewald). Comp. on 2Co_6:5. Estius aptly observes: “jejunia ad purificandam mentem et edomandam carnem sponte assumta.” Comp. Theodoret and Pelagius.
[338] So that πολλάκ . ἐν λιμῷ κ . δίψει would belong to ἀγρυπνίαις , and πολλάκ . ἐν ψύχει κ . γυμνότητι , to νηστείαις , each as a circumstance of aggravation; while both ἐν ἀγρυπνίαις and ἐν νηστείαις belong to κόπῳ κ . μόχθῳ .
[339] From these passages, combined with Act_20:31, we may at the same time explain the ἀγρυπνίαι , which Hofm. interprets of night-watchings in anxiety about the pseudo-Christians. This results from his error in thinking that all the points in ver. 27 are to be referred to ἐν ψευδαδέλφ .