2 Corinthians 11:22

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2 Corinthians 11:22 in Multiple Translations

Berean Standard Bible BSB

Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.

King James Version KJV

Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.

American Standard Version ASV

Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.

Bible in Basic English BBE

Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they of Israel? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.

Free Bible Version FBV

Are they Hebrews? Me too. Are they Israelites? Me too. Are they descendants of Abraham? Me too.

Geneva Bible 1599 GNV

They are Hebrues, so am I: they are Israelites, so am I: they are the seede of Abraham, so am I:

Young's Literal Translation YLT

Hebrews are they? I also! Israelites are they? I also! seed of Abraham are they? I also!

World English Bible WEB

Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the offspring of Abraham? So am I.

Noah Webster Bible WBS

Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the offspring of Abraham? so am I.

Douay-Rheims 1899 DRV

They are Hebrews: so am I. They are Israelites: so am I. They are the seed of Abraham: so am I.

Translation for Translators T4T

Do they tell you that they are Hebrews and can speak the Hebrew language? Well, I can say the same thing about myself. Do they tell you that they belong to God’s people, the nation of Israel? Well, I can say the same thing about myself. Do they tell you that they are descendants of our great ancestor Abraham? Well, he is my ancestor, too.

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Berean Amplified Bible — 2 Corinthians 11:22

BAB

Word Study

Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.

Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.

2 Corinthians 11:22 Interlinear (Deep Study)

BIB

GRK εβραιοι εισιν καγω ισραηλιται εισιν καγω σπερμα αβρααμ εισιν καγω

εβραιοι Hebraios G1445 Hebrew Adj-NPM

εισιν eimi G1510 to be Verb-PAI-3P

καγω kagō G2504 and I Pron-1NS-K

ισραηλιται Israēlitēs G2475 Israelite Noun-NPM

εισιν eimi G1510 to be Verb-PAI-3P

καγω kagō G2504 and I Pron-1NS-K

σπερμα sperma G4690 seed: offspring Noun-NSN

αβρααμ Abraam G11 Abraham Noun-PRI

εισιν eimi G1510 to be Verb-PAI-3P

καγω kagō G2504 and I Pron-1NS-K

Greek Word Study

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Greek Word Reference — 2 Corinthians 11:22

εβραιοι Hebraios G1445 "Hebrew" Adj-NPM

This term refers to a Hebrew or Jew, often used in the Old Testament to distinguish Israelites from other races. In the New Testament, it describes a Jew who has adopted Greek culture and language.

Definition: Ἑβραῖος (WH, Ἐβ-), -α, -ον (Aram, עִבְרַי), as subst., ὁ Ἑ., [in LXX for עֵבֶר, עִבְרִי ;] a Hebrew. __1. In OT, of Israelites in contrast with those of another race (Gen.14:13, Exo.1:15, Deu.15:12, al.). __2. In NT as the correlative of Ἑλληνιστής, a Jew who had adopted, in greater or less degree, Greek culture and Greek language. The distinction was not merely linguistic (DB, ii, 325); as far as it was so, Συριστής would be a more correct Greek term for the Jew of Semitic speech (see: Ἑβραΐς, and cf. Dalman, Words, 7): Act.6:1, 2Co.11:22, Php.3:5.† (AS)

Usage: Occurs in 3 NT verses. KJV: Hebrew See also: 2 Corinthians 11:22; Acts 6:1; Philippians 3:5.

εισιν eimi G1510 "to be" Verb-PAI-3P

To be or exist, a basic verb used to describe something or someone, like God saying 'I am' in John 8:58.

Definition: εἰμί, with various uses and significations, like the English verb to be. __I. As substantive verb. __1. Of persons and things, to be, exist: Act.17:28, Jhn.1:1, 8:58, 17:5, al; ὁ ὢν καὶ ὁ ἦν (for past ptcp.), Rev.1:4, 8, 4:8, 11:17, 16:5 (see Swete, Ap., 5; M, Pr., 228); τὰ (μὴ) ὄντα, Rom.4:17, 1Co.1:28. __2. Of times, events, etc., to be, happen, take place: Mat.24:3, Mrk.14:2, 15:42, Luk.21:23, Jhn.4:6, 23, 5:10, al. __3. to be present, be in a place, have come: Mat.2:13, 15, Mrk.1:45, 5:21, 15:40, Luk.1:80, 5:29, Jhn.7:30, al.; before εἰς, Mrk.2:1; before ἐκ, (ἐξ), Mat.1:20, 21:25, Mrk.11:30, Jhn.3:31, al. __4. Impers., ἔστι, ἦν, etc.; __(a) there is (Fr. il y a), was, etc.: Mat.16:28, Luk.16:19, Jhn.3:1, 5:2, Rom.3:10, al.; with dative (of the possessor; Bl., §37, 3), Mat.16:22, Luk.1:7, Jhn.18.10, Rom.9:2, al.; ἔστιν ὅς, ὅστις (chiefly in pl), Mat.16:28, 19:2, Mrk.9:1, al.; __(b) with inf., = ἔξεστιν (which see), it is possible: Heb.9:5, 1Co.11:20, RV (but see ICC, in l.). __II. As copula uniting subject and predicate. __1. Expressing simply identity or equivalence: Mat.5:13, 14:15, Luk.1:18, 19, Jhn.1:1, 4:19, Rev.3:9, al. mult. __2. Explicative, as in parable, figure, type, etc.: Mat.13:19, 1Co.9:2, 10:4, 11:25, Gal.4:24, Rev.17:15, al.; ταῦτ᾽ ἔστιν, Mat.27:46, Mrk.7:2, Rom.7:18 al.; ὅ ἐστιν, Mrk.3:17, Col.1:24, Heb.7:2, al.; akin to this is the sacramental usage: Mat.26:26-28, Mrk.14:22, 24, Luk.22:19, 1Co.11:24 (see ICC on Mk, I Co, ll. with; DB, iii, 148 f.). __3. C. genitive: qual., etc., Mrk.5:42, Luk.3:23, 1Co.14:33, Heb.12:11, al.; part., 1Ti.1:20, 2Ti.1:15; poss., Mat.5:3, 10, Mrk.12:7, Luk.4:7; of service or partisanship, Rom.8:9, 1Co.1:12, 2Co.10:7, 2Ti.2:19. __4. C. dative (BL, §37, 3): Act.1:8, 9:15, Rom.4:12, 1Co.1:18, 2:14, Rev.21:7, al. __5. C. ptcp., as a periphrasis for the simple verb (Bl., §62, 1, 2; M, Pr., 225 ff.); __(a) with ptcp. pf. (cl.): Mat.10:30, Luk.9:32, Jhn.3:24, Act.21:35, 1Co.15:19, al; __(b) with ptcp. pr. (esp. in impf., as in Heb. and Aram.; Dalman, Words, 35 f.), Mat.7:29, Mrk.1:22, Luk.4:31, 14:1, Act.1:10, al. mult., id. for imper. (M, Pr., 180f., 182f.), with ellipsis of εἰμί, Rom.12:9, 10, Heb.13:5, al.; __(with) with ptcp. aor. (cl), Luk.23:9. __6. Seq. εἰς (cf. Heb. הָיָה לְ), a vernac. usage (M, Pr., 71): Mat.19:5, Mrk.10:8, Heb.8:10, al. __7. C. adv.: Mat.19:20, Mrk.4:26, Luk.18:11, al. __8. Ellipses; __(a) of the copula (Bl., §30, 3): Mat.8:29, 24:32, Jhn.21:22, 23, Heb.6:4, al.; __(b) of the predicate: ἐγώ εἰμί, Mat.14:27, Mrk.6:50, al.; absol. (cf. Deu.32:39; אֲנִי הוּא), Mrk.13:6, Jhn.4:26, al. (cf. ἄπ-, ἔν-, πάρ-, συμ-πάρ-, σύν-ειμι). (AS)

Usage: Occurs in 2123 NT verses. KJV: am, have been, X it is I, was See also: 1 Corinthians 1:2; 1 Corinthians 13:2; 1 Peter 1:6.

καγω kagō G2504 "and I" Pron-1NS-K

And I, or me, is a phrase used to include oneself in a statement. It is used by Jesus and other biblical figures to express their thoughts and feelings.

Definition: κἀγώ see: ἐγώ. ἐγώ, genitive, etc., ἐμοῦ, ἐμοί, ἐμέ (enclitic μου, μοι, με), pl. ἡμεῖς, -ῶν, -ῖν, -ᾶς, of person(s) pron. I. __(a) The nom. is usually emphatic, when expressed as subjc, as in Mat.3:11, Mrk.1:8, Luk.3:16, al. But often there is no apparent emphasis, as Mat.10:16, Jhn.10:17; ἰδοὺ ἐ. (= Heb. הִנֵּנִי, cf. 1Ki.3:8), Act.9:10; ἐ. (like Heb. אֲנִי), I am, Jhn.1:23 (LXX), Act.7:32 (LXX). __(b) The enclitic forms (see supr.) are used with nouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs, where there is no emphasis: ἐν τ. πατρί μου, Jhn.14:20; μου τ. λόγους, Mat.7:24; ὀπίσω μου, Mat.3:11; ἰσχυρότερός μου, ib.; λέγει μοι, Rev.5:5; also with the prep. πρός, as Mrk.9:19, al. The full forms (ἐμοῦ, etc.) are used with the other prepositions, as δι᾽ ἐμοῦ, ἐν ἐμοί, εἰς ἐμέ, etc., also for emphasis, as Luk.10:16, Jhn.7:23, Mrk.14:7, al. __(with) The genitive μου and ἡμῶν are often used for the poss. pronouns ἐμός, ἡμέτερος: τ. λαόν μου, Mat.2:6; μου τῂ ἀπιστιᾳ, Mrk.9:24. __(d) τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοί ( = Heb. מַה־לִי וָלָךְ, Jdg.11:12, al.), i.e. what have we in common: Mat.8:29, Mrk.1:24, 5:7, Luk.8:28, Jhn.2:4; τί γάρ μοι, 1Co.5:2. __(e) The interchange of ἐγώ and ἡμεῖς, common in π., appears in Pauline Epp. (see M, Pr., 86f., M, Th., 131f.). __(f) κἀγώ (= καὶ ἐγώ), and I, even I, I also: Mat.2:8, Luk.2:48, Jhn.6:56, Rom.3:7, 1Co.7:40, al.; κἀγώ . . . καί, both . . . and, Jhn.7:28. (AS)

Usage: Occurs in 67 NT verses. KJV: (and, even, even so, so) I (also, in like wise), both me, me also See also: 1 Corinthians 2:1; John 10:27; Hebrews 8:9.

ισραηλιται Israēlitēs G2475 "Israelite" Noun-NPM

An Israelite is a descendant of Israel, used in the Bible to describe those with a special relationship with God, as seen in Romans 9:4 and 11:1. This term emphasizes their theocratic privilege. It is also used in Acts 2:22 and John 1:48.

Definition: Ἰσραηλείτης (Rec. -λίτης), ου, ὁ [in LXX: Num.25:8 (יִשְׂרָאֵל), 3Ki.21:1 (יִזְרְעֵאלִי; Luc. Ἰεζραηλίτης), etc. ;] an Israelite, the name expressive of theocratic privilege (see: Ἑβραῖος): Rom.9:4 11:1, 2Co.11:22; ἀληθῶς Ἰ., Jhn.1:48; ἄνδρες Ἰ., Act.2:22 3:12 5:35 13:16 21:23.† (AS)

Usage: Occurs in 9 NT verses. KJV: Israelite See also: 2 Corinthians 11:22; Acts 13:16; Romans 9:4.

εισιν eimi G1510 "to be" Verb-PAI-3P

To be or exist, a basic verb used to describe something or someone, like God saying 'I am' in John 8:58.

Usage: Occurs in 2123 NT verses. KJV: am, have been, X it is I, was See also: 1 Corinthians 1:2; 1 Corinthians 13:2; 1 Peter 1:6.

καγω kagō G2504 "and I" Pron-1NS-K

And I, or me, is a phrase used to include oneself in a statement. It is used by Jesus and other biblical figures to express their thoughts and feelings.

Usage: Occurs in 67 NT verses. KJV: (and, even, even so, so) I (also, in like wise), both me, me also See also: 1 Corinthians 2:1; John 10:27; Hebrews 8:9.

σπερμα sperma G4690 "seed: offspring" Noun-NSN

The Greek word for seed or offspring, used in Matthew 13:24 and Romans 9:29 to describe a remnant or descendants. It can also refer to the male sperm or a plant's seed.

Definition: σπέρμα, -τος, τό (σπείρω) [in LXX chiefly for זֶרַע ;] seed; __(a) of plants: Mat.13:24, 27 13:37-38, 2Co.9:10; pl., Mat.13:32, Mrk.4:31, 1Co.15:33; metaphorically, of an escaping remnant (שָׂרִיד, Isa.1:9; cf. Wis.14:6; Plat., Tim., 23c; FlJ, Ant., xi, 5, 3), Rom.9:29; __(b) of men (as γονή; Lat. semen genitale; so in cl.; cf. in LXX, Lev.15:16, al.): Heb.11:11; metaphorically, of the divine influence, 1Jn.3:9; by meton. (as frequently in poets), seed, offspring, posterity: Mat.22:24-25, Mrk.12:19-22, Luk.1:55 20:28" (LXX) Jhn.7:42 8:33, 37 Act.3:25 7:5-6 13:23, Rom.1:3 4:13, 18 9:7-8 11:1, 2Co.11:22, Gal.3:16, 19, 2Ti.2:8, Heb.2:16 11:18; pl. (FlJ, Ant., viii, 7, 6; Flat., Leg., ix, 853 with; 4Ma.18:1; in Ga, l.with, contrasted with sing., see Lft., in l; Milligan, NTD, 105 f.), Gal.3:16; of spiritual offspring, Rom.4:16, 18 9:8, Gal.3:29, Rev.12:17.† (AS)

Usage: Occurs in 41 NT verses. KJV: issue, seed See also: 1 Corinthians 15:38; Mark 4:31; Hebrews 2:16.

αβρααμ Abraam G11 "Abraham" Noun-PRI

Abraham was a Hebrew patriarch, mentioned in Matthew 1:1 and other passages. He is considered the father of the Jewish nation and is an important figure in the Bible. Abraham's story is told in the book of Genesis.

Definition: Ἀβραάμ (Heb. אַבְרָהָם), ὁ, indecl. (in FlJ, Ἄβραμος, -ου; MM, VGT, see word), Abraham (Gen.17:5 al.): Mat.1:1, 2 al. (AS)

Usage: Occurs in 69 NT verses. KJV: Abraham See also: 1 Peter 3:6; John 8:52; Hebrews 2:16.

εισιν eimi G1510 "to be" Verb-PAI-3P

To be or exist, a basic verb used to describe something or someone, like God saying 'I am' in John 8:58.

Usage: Occurs in 2123 NT verses. KJV: am, have been, X it is I, was See also: 1 Corinthians 1:2; 1 Corinthians 13:2; 1 Peter 1:6.

καγω kagō G2504 "and I" Pron-1NS-K

And I, or me, is a phrase used to include oneself in a statement. It is used by Jesus and other biblical figures to express their thoughts and feelings.

Usage: Occurs in 67 NT verses. KJV: (and, even, even so, so) I (also, in like wise), both me, me also See also: 1 Corinthians 2:1; John 10:27; Hebrews 8:9.

Study Notes — 2 Corinthians 11:22

Show Verse Quote Highlights

Context
Cross References
2 Corinthians 11:22 Summary
Frequently Asked Questions
Reflection Questions
Gill's Exposition on 2 Corinthians 11:22
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 2 Corinthians 11:22
Matthew Poole's Commentary on 2 Corinthians 11:22
Trapp's Commentary on 2 Corinthians 11:22
Ellicott's Commentary on 2 Corinthians 11:22
Adam Clarke's Commentary on 2 Corinthians 11:22
Cambridge Bible on 2 Corinthians 11:22
Barnes' Notes on 2 Corinthians 11:22
Sermons on 2 Corinthians 11:22

Context — Paul’s Suffering and Service

20In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or exalts himself or strikes you in the face. 21To my shame I concede that we were too weak for that! Speaking as a fool, however, I can match what anyone else dares to boast about.

22Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.

23Are they servants of Christ? (I am speaking as if I were out of my mind.) I am so much more: in harder labor, in more imprisonments, in worse beatings, in frequent danger of death. 24Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.

Cross References

	Reference	Text (BSB)
1	Philippians 3:5	circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin; a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee;
2	Romans 11:1	I ask then, did God reject His people? Certainly not! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin.
3	Romans 9:4	the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory and the covenants; theirs the giving of the law, the temple worship, and the promises.
4	2 Chronicles 20:7	Our God, did You not drive out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham Your friend?
5	John 8:33–39	“We are Abraham’s descendants,” they answered. “We have never been slaves to anyone. How can You say we will be set free?” Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know you are Abraham’s descendants, but you are trying to kill Me because My word has no place within you. I speak of what I have seen in the presence of the Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.” “Abraham is our father,” they replied. “If you were children of Abraham,” said Jesus, “you would do the works of Abraham.
6	Acts 22:3	“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but raised in this city. I was educated at the feet of Gamaliel in strict conformity to the law of our fathers. I am just as zealous for God as any of you here today.
7	Exodus 9:1	Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and tell him that this is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may worship Me.
8	Exodus 9:13	Then the LORD said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning, stand before Pharaoh, and tell him that this is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may worship Me.
9	Exodus 10:3	So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and told him, “This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people go, so that they may worship Me.
10	Exodus 7:16	Then say to him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to tell you: Let My people go, so that they may worship Me in the wilderness. But you have not listened until now.

2 Corinthians 11:22 Summary

[In 2 Corinthians 11:22, the Apostle Paul is saying that he has the same heritage as the false apostles he is addressing, but this doesn't make him any more special or important in God's eyes. As it says in Galatians 3:28, 'There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.' Paul is using a bit of sarcasm to point out that earthly credentials don't matter, what matters is serving Jesus and being a slave to all, as he says in 2 Corinthians 4:5. He wants us to focus on what truly matters, not on comparing ourselves to others or seeking human approval.]

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does the Apostle Paul list his Hebrew heritage in 2 Corinthians 11:22?

The Apostle Paul lists his Hebrew heritage to show that he has the same roots and background as the false apostles he is addressing, as seen in Romans 11:1 where he says, 'I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin.'

What is the significance of being a descendant of Abraham?

Being a descendant of Abraham is significant because it connects Paul to the covenant promises made by God to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3 and Genesis 15:1-6, which ultimately point to Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of those promises, as seen in Galatians 3:6-9.

Is Paul boasting about his heritage in 2 Corinthians 11:22?

Although it may seem like Paul is boasting, he is actually using a form of sarcasm to point out the foolishness of comparing earthly credentials, as he explains in 2 Corinthians 11:21, saying 'Speaking as a fool, however, I can match what anyone else dares to boast about.'

How does this verse relate to Paul's overall argument in 2 Corinthians?

This verse is part of Paul's larger argument that true ministry is not about comparing earthly credentials or seeking human approval, but rather about serving Christ and being a slave to all, as he says in 2 Corinthians 4:5, 'For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.'

Reflection Questions

What are some ways that I try to establish my own credibility or worth, and how can I shift my focus to serving Christ instead?
How can I, like Paul, use my own experiences and background to connect with others and point them to Jesus?
In what ways do I compare myself to others, and how can I cultivate a sense of humility and contentment in my own unique calling and role?
What are some 'earthly credentials' that I tend to prioritize, and how can I remind myself of their relative insignificance in light of eternity?

Gill's Exposition on 2 Corinthians 11:22

Are they Hebrews? so am I,.... The nation of the Jews were called Hebrews, not from Abraham, as some have (w) thought, through ignorance of the Hebrew language, which will by no means admit of such a

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 2 Corinthians 11:22

Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I. Hebrews ... Israelites ... the seed of Abraham.

Matthew Poole's Commentary on 2 Corinthians 11:22

Are they Hebrews? so am I: this would incline us to think, that some, at least, of those corrupt teachers, upon whom the apostle hath so much reflected, were Jews; who had endeavoured to corrupt the Gentile churches with their traditions, and imposing on them the ceremonial rites of the Jewish church. Others think otherwise, and that the words import no more than this; Do they glory in the antiquity of their stock and parentage, as descending from Abraham? I have as much upon that account to glory in as they; for although I was born, not in Judea, but in Tarsus, a city of Cilicia, , yet I was a Jew, an Hebrew of the Hebrews, . Are they Israelites? Will they derive from Jacob, to whom God gave the name of Israel, from whence all his posterity were called Israelites? So am I, ( saith he), I can derive from Jacob as well as they. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I: will they glory in this, that they are the seed of Abraham? ; saith the apostle, I have on that account as much to glory in as they. Some here inquire: What difference there is in these three things? For to be a Hebrew, and an Israelite, and of the seed of Abraham, seem all to signify the same thing. Nor indeed have we any need to assign any difference, it seemeth to be but the same thing amplified in three phrases. But others distinguish more subtlely, and think the first may signify a glorying in the ancientness of their pedigree, or in their ability to speak in the Hebrew tongue; the second, may refer to the nation of which they were; the third, to the promise made to Abraham and his seed.

Trapp's Commentary on 2 Corinthians 11:22

22 Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I. Ver. 22. Are they Israelites] God’ s select, peculiar. "Happy art thou, O Israel; who is like unto thee, O people!" Deuteronomy 33:29. The Jews say that those seventy souls that went with Jacob into Egypt were as much as all the seventy nations of the world. Tabor and Hermen, the east and west of Judea, are put for the east and west of the world, Psalms 89:12.

Ellicott's Commentary on 2 Corinthians 11:22

(22) Are they Hebrews?—This, then, was one of their boasts. They were Jews of Palestine, speaking Aramaic, reading the Law and Prophets in the original. He, they asserted, or implied, was a Hellenistic Jew (his birth at Tarsus naturally suggesting that thought), content to use the Greek version of the LXX., over which many of the more exclusive Hebrews mourned on an annual fast-day as a national degradation. St. Paul’s answer is, that he too was a Hebrew; or, as he puts it in Philippians 3:5, “a Hebrew born of Hebrews.” What he means is obviously that his parents were Jews of Palestine, and that the accident of his birth in Tarsus had not annulled his claim to that nationality. As a matter of fact it made him able to unite things that were commonly looked on as incompatible, and to be both a Hebrew and a Hellenist. Are they Israelites? . . .—The words imply another insinuation. They whispered doubts whether he had any right to call himself an Israelite at all. Had he a drop of Abraham’s blood flowing in his veins? Might he not, after all, be but the grandson of a proselyte, upon whom there rested the stigma which, according to a Jewish proverb, was not effaced till the twenty-fourth generation? Did not this account for his heathen sympathies? Strange as the thought may seem to us, the calumny survived, and the later Ebionites asserted (Epiphanius, Hær. xxx. 16) that he was a Gentile by birth, who had only accepted circumcision that he might marry the high priest’s daughter. The kind of climax which the verse presents points not only to three claims to honour on their part, for in that case the first would include both the second and the third, and the climax would have little meaning, but to successive denials that he possessed any of the three. Jerome, strangely enough (Cat. Vir. Illust. c. 5), asserts that St. Paul was a Galilean, born at Gischala; but this, though it may possibly point to a tradition as to the home of his parents, can hardly be allowed to outweigh his own positive statement (Acts 22:3).

Adam Clarke's Commentary on 2 Corinthians 11:22

Verse 22. Are they Hebrews] Speaking the sacred language, and reading in the congregation from the Hebrew Scriptures? the same is my own language. Are they Israelites] Regularly descended from Jacob, and not from Esau? I am also one. Are they the seed of Abraham] Circumcised, and in the bond of the covenant? So am I. I am no proselyte, but I am a Hebrew of the Hebrews both by father and mother; and can trace my genealogy, through the tribe of Benjamin, up to the father of the faithful.

Cambridge Bible on 2 Corinthians 11:22

22. Are they Hebrews?] We may take the words Hebrew, Israelite, seed of Abraham, as referring respectively to the nationality, theocratic condition, and Messianic rights of the Jewish people. Thus the Hebrew would not only be one who was of pure descent, but whose attachment to Jewish nationality caused him to cling to the Jewish language (see Acts 6:1; Acts 21:40; Acts 22:2; and Philippians 3:5). The Israelite would be a man attached to the covenant privileges of his nation (cf. John 1:47; Acts 2:22; Acts 3:12; Acts 5:35; Acts 13:16; Acts 21:28; and especially Romans 9:4). Seed of Abraham must refer to the pure Abrahamic descent of St Paul, and his consequent title to all the promises made to Abraham. See Romans 9:7; Romans 11:1.

Barnes' Notes on 2 Corinthians 11:22

Are they Hebrews? - This proves that the persons who had made the difficulty in Corinth were those who were of Hebrew extraction though it may be that they had been born in Greece and had been

Sermons on 2 Corinthians 11:22

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	The Priesthood of Melchizedek by Zac Poonen	This sermon emphasizes the importance of understanding the spiritual application of Old Testament events to grasp New Testament truths better. It delves into the significance of Je
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