2 Corinthians 11:17
New International Version
In this self-confident boasting I am not talking as the Lord would, but as a fool.

New Living Translation
Such boasting is not from the Lord, but I am acting like a fool.

English Standard Version
What I am saying with this boastful confidence, I say not as the Lord would but as a fool.

Berean Standard Bible
In this confident boasting of mine, I am not speaking as the Lord would, but as a fool.

Berean Literal Bible
What I am saying in this confidence of boasting, I am not saying according to the Lord, but as in foolishness.

King James Bible
That which I speak, I speak it not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of boasting.

New King James Version
What I speak, I speak not according to the Lord, but as it were, foolishly, in this confidence of boasting.

New American Standard Bible
What I am saying, I am not saying as the Lord would, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting.

NASB 1995
What I am saying, I am not saying as the Lord would, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting.

NASB 1977
That which I am speaking, I am not speaking as the Lord would, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting.

Legacy Standard Bible
What I am saying, I am not saying according to the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting.

Amplified Bible
What I say in this confident boasting, I say not as the Lord would [with His authority], but foolishly.

Christian Standard Bible
What I am saying in this matter of boasting, I don’t speak as the Lord would, but as it were, foolishly.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
What I say in this matter of boasting, I don’t speak as the Lord would, but foolishly.

American Standard Version
That which I speak, I speak not after the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of glorying.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Everything that I speak, it is not by our Lord that I speak, but as in folly on this occasion of boasting.

Contemporary English Version
When I do all this bragging, I do it as a fool and not for the Lord.

Douay-Rheims Bible
That which I speak, I speak not according to God, but as it were in foolishness, in this matter of glorying.

English Revised Version
That which I speak, I speak not after the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of glorying.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
What I say as I start bragging is foolishness. It's not something I would say if I were speaking for the Lord.

Good News Translation
Of course what I am saying now is not what the Lord would have me say; in this matter of boasting I am really talking like a fool.

International Standard Version
When I talk as a confident boaster, I am not talking with the Lord's authority but like a fool.

Literal Standard Version
That which I speak, I do not speak according to the LORD, but as in foolishness, in this the confidence of boasting;

Majority Standard Bible
In this confident boasting of mine, I am not speaking as the Lord would, but as a fool.

New American Bible
What I am saying I am not saying according to the Lord but as in foolishness, in this boastful state.

NET Bible
What I am saying with this boastful confidence I do not say the way the Lord would. Instead it is, as it were, foolishness.

New Revised Standard Version
What I am saying in regard to this boastful confidence, I am saying not with the Lord’s authority, but as a fool;

New Heart English Bible
That which I speak, I do not speak according to the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting.

Webster's Bible Translation
That which I speak, I speak it not according to the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of boasting.

Weymouth New Testament
What I am now saying, I do not say by the Lord's command, but as a fool in his folly might, in this reckless boasting.

World English Bible
That which I speak, I don’t speak according to the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting.

Young's Literal Translation
That which I speak, I speak not according to the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this the confidence of boasting;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Paul's Suffering and Service
16I repeat: Let no one take me for a fool. But if you do, then receive me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little. 17 In this confident boasting of mine, I am not speaking as the Lord would, but as a fool. 18Since many are boasting according to the flesh, I too will boast.…

Cross References
1 Corinthians 7:12
To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If a brother has an unbelieving wife and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her.

1 Corinthians 7:25
Now about virgins, I have no command from the Lord, but I give a judgment as one who by the Lord's mercy is trustworthy.

2 Corinthians 11:1
I hope you will bear with a little of my foolishness, but you are already doing that.

2 Corinthians 11:21
To 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.


Treasury of Scripture

That which I speak, I speak it not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of boasting.

I speak it.

1 Corinthians 7:6,12
But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment…

foolishly.

2 Corinthians 11:18-27
Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also…

2 Corinthians 9:4
Lest haply if they of Macedonia come with me, and find you unprepared, we (that we say not, ye) should be ashamed in this same confident boasting.

Philippians 3:3-6
For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh…

Jump to Previous
Authority Boastful Boasting Command Confidence Credit Folly Fool Foolish Foolishly Foolishness Glorying Lord's Order Reckless Speak Talking
Jump to Next
Authority Boastful Boasting Command Confidence Credit Folly Fool Foolish Foolishly Foolishness Glorying Lord's Order Reckless Speak Talking
2 Corinthians 11
1. Out of his jealousy over the Corinthians, he enters into a forced commendation of himself,
5. of his equality with the chief apostles,
7. of his preaching the gospel to them freely, and without any charge to them;
13. showing that he was not inferior to those deceitful workers in any legal prerogative;
23. and in the service of Christ, and in all kinds of sufferings for his ministry, far superior.














(17) I speak it not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly.--Better, in foolishness; as keeping up the emphatic repetition of the same word in the English as in the Greek. From one point of view the distinction drawn is the same as that which we find in 1Corinthians 7:6; 1Corinthians 7:10; 1Corinthians 7:12. There is, however, a marked difference in the subject-matter of the two cases. There he distinguishes a private opinion from a principle or rule which he feels to be divine. Here he draws the line of demarcation between human feelings and a divine inspiration. It is, of course, easy to raise questions which would be hard, if they were not also frivolous and foolish. Are we to class what he places on the lower side of the boundary-line as inspired or uninspired teaching? If the former, are we not contradicting what he writes as inspired? If the latter, are we not depriving what follows of the authority of an inspired writing? Are we not, in so doing, admitting the principle of recognising a human element mingling with the divine in other parts of Scripture as well as this? The answer to these questions, so far as they need an answer, is best found in taking St. Paul's words in their plain and natural sense, believing that his words have just the authority which he claims for them, and no more. Speaking apart from these questions, there is something almost pathetic in the consciousness which he feels that self-vindication can never, as such, come from the Spirit of God, and that it is, at the best, a pardonable human weakness. It is not wrong, or else his conscience would have forbidden it. It is not the note of the highest or noblest temper, or else he would have felt the Spirit's guidance in it.

Verse 17. - Not after the Lord. "Boasting," or what might be stigmatized as such, may become a sort of painful necessity, necessitated by human baseness; but in itself it cannot be "after the Lord." There is nothing Christ-like in it. It is human, not Divine; an earthly necessity, not a heavenly example; a sword of the giant Philistine, which yet David may be forced to use. Confidence; hypostasis, as in 2 Corinthians 9:4, where exactly the same phrase occurs.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
In
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

this
ταύτῃ (tautē)
Demonstrative Pronoun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3778: This; he, she, it.

confident
ὑποστάσει (hypostasei)
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 5287: From a compound of hupo and histemi; a setting under, i.e. concretely, essence, or abstractly, assurance.

boasting [of mine],
καυχήσεως (kauchēseōs)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 2746: The act of boasting, glorying, exultation. From kauchaomai; boasting, in a good or a bad sense.

I am not speaking
λαλῶ (lalō)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 2980: A prolonged form of an otherwise obsolete verb; to talk, i.e. Utter words.

as
κατὰ (kata)
Preposition
Strong's 2596: A primary particle; down, in varied relations (genitive, dative or accusative) with which it is joined).

[the] Lord {would},
Κύριον (Kyrion)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2962: Lord, master, sir; the Lord. From kuros; supreme in authority, i.e. controller; by implication, Master.

but
ἀλλ’ (all’)
Conjunction
Strong's 235: But, except, however. Neuter plural of allos; properly, other things, i.e. contrariwise.

as
ὡς (hōs)
Adverb
Strong's 5613: Probably adverb of comparative from hos; which how, i.e. In that manner.

a fool.
ἀφροσύνῃ (aphrosynē)
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 877: Want of sense, foolishness, impiety, wickedness. From aphron; senselessness, i.e. egotism; recklessness.


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NT Letters: 2 Corinthians 11:17 That which I speak I don't speak (2 Cor. 2C iiC 2Cor ii cor iicor)
2 Corinthians 11:16
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