Albert Barnes Commentary 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." — 2 Corinthians 11:22 (ASV)

Are they Hebrews? This proves that the persons who had caused the difficulty in Corinth were those of Hebrew extraction, though it may be that they had been born in Greece and educated in Grecian philosophy and rhetoric. It is also clear that they prided themselves on being Jews—on having a connection with the people and land from where the religion which the Corinthian church now professed had emanated. Indications are apparent everywhere in the New Testament of the superiority Jewish converts to Christianity claimed over those converted from among the Gentiles. Their boast would probably be that they were the descendants of the patriarchs, that the land of the prophets was theirs, that they spoke the language in which the oracles of God were given, and that the true religion had proceeded from them, etc.

So am I. I have as high claims as any of them to distinction in this regard. Paul had all their advantages of birth. He was an Israelite, of the honored tribe of Benjamin, a Pharisee, circumcised at the usual time (Philippians 3:5), and educated in the best manner at the feet of one of their most eminent teachers (Acts 22:3).

Are they Israelites? This is another name, signifying substantially the same thing.

The only difference is that the word "Hebrew" properly signified one who was from beyond the Euphrates. (The name "Hebrew" is from a root meaning "to pass" or "to pass over"—hence it was applied to Abraham because he had come from a foreign land; and the word properly denoted a foreigner—a man from the land or country beyond, which is the essence of the name "Hebrew" itself.)

The name Israelite, on the other hand, properly denoted one descended from Israel or Jacob. The distinction between them was that the name Israelite, being a patronymic derived from one of the founders of their nation, was in use among themselves. The name Hebrew was applied to them by the Canaanites as those who had come from beyond the river, and it was the current name among foreign tribes and nations. (See Gesenius' Lexicon on the word Hebrew.)

Paul, in the passage before us, means to say that he had as good a claim to the honor of being a native-born descendant of Israel as could be urged by any of them.

Are they the seed of Abraham? Do they boast that they are descended from Abraham? This, with all the Jews, was regarded as a distinguished honor (John 8:39), and no doubt the false teachers in Corinth boasted of it as eminently qualifying them to engage in the work of the ministry.

So am I. Paul had the same qualification. He was a Jew also by birth. He was of the tribe of Benjamin (Philippians 3:5).