Online Resource Library
Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadHeinrich Meyer Commentary - 2 Corinthians 12:11 - 12:11
(Show All Books | Show All Chapters)
This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
2Co_12:11. Paul now comes to a stand, and surveys how much he has said in commendation of himself from chap. 11 onward. This retrospect extorts from him the admission: γέγονα ἄφρων , but as respects its contents he at once proceeds to justify himself, and to impute the blame to the readers. It is not to be taken either as a question or in the sense of a hypothetical protasis (Hofmann gives a choice between the two). The ὑμεῖς κ . τ . λ ., asyndetic, but all the more striking, gives no ground for such a weakening of the meanin.
γέγονα ἄφρων ] ironical exclamation; for it is clear from 2Co_11:16, 2Co_12:6, that Paul did not really regard his apologetic καυχᾶσθαι hitherto as a work of folly. But the opponents took it so! In the emphatically prefixed γέγονα (comp. 2Co_5:17) there is implied: it has come to pass that I am a fool! This now subsists as accomplished fact! “Receptui canit,” Benge.
ὑμεῖς με ἠναγκάσατε · ἐγὼ γὰρ κ . τ . λ .] This justifies him and blames the Corinthians for that γέγονα ἄφρ . The emphatic ὑμεῖς , and afterwards the ἐγώ , the emphasis of which Rückert failed to perceive, correspond to each other significantly: you have compelled me; for I had a claim to be commended by you, instead of commending myself. The stress is on ὑφʼ ὑμῶν , next to the ἐγώ , in which there is a side-glance at the pseudo-apostles, boastful themselves, and boasted of by their partisan.
οὐδὲν γὰρ ὑστέρησα κ . τ . λ .] Reason assigned for ἐγὼ ὤφελον . See, moreover, on 2Co_11:5. The aorist refers to the time of his working at Corinth. The negative form of expression is a pointed litote.
εἰ καὶ οὐδέν εἰμι ] although I am quite without value and without importance. The same humility as in 1Co_15:8-10. But how fraught with shame for the opposing party, with which those false apostles were of so great account! And in this way the significant weight of this closing concessive clause is stronger and more telling than if it were attached as protasis to what follows (Hofmann). It is more striking.
In regard to οὐδὲν εἶναι , see on 1Co_13:2; Gal_6:3.