A.T. Robertson Commentary


A.T. Robertson Commentary
"[in] journeyings often, [in] perils of rivers, [in] perils of robbers, [in] perils from [my] countrymen, [in] perils from the Gentiles, [in] perils in the city, [in] perils in the wilderness, [in] perils in the sea, [in] perils among false brethren;" — 2 Corinthians 11:26 (ASV)
In journeyings (οδοιποριαις). Locative case of old word, only here in N.T. and Joh 4:6, from οδοιπορος, wayfarer.
In perils (κινδυνοις). Locative case of κινδυνος, old word for danger or peril. In N.T. only this verse and Ro 8:35. The repetition here is very effective without the preposition εν (in) and without conjunctions (asyndeton). They are in contrasted pairs. The rivers of Asia Minor are still subject to sudden swellings from floods in the mountains. Cicero and Pompey won fame fighting the Cilician pirates and robbers (note ληιστων, not κλεπτων, thieves, brigands or bandits on which see Mt 26:55). The Jewish perils (εκ γενους, from my race) can be illustrated in Ac 9:23,29; 13:50; 14:5; 17:5,13; 18:12; 23:12; 24:27, and they were all perils in the city also. Perils from the Gentiles (εξ εθνων) we know in Philippi (Acts 16:20) and in Ephesus (Acts 19:23f.). Travel in the mountains and in the wilderness was perilous in spite of the great Roman highways.
Among false brethren (εν ψευδαδελφοις). Chapters 2Colossians 10; 11 throw a lurid light on this aspect of the subject.