2 Corinthians 10:13

2 Corinthians 10:13 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But we will not boast of things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you.
• New International Version (NIV)We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the sphere of service God himself has assigned to us, a sphere that also includes you.
• English Standard Version (ESV)But we will not boast beyond limits, but will boast only with regard to the area of influence God assigned to us, to reach even to you.
• New King James Version (NKJV)We, however, will not boast beyond measure, but within the limits of the sphere which God appointed us—a sphere which especially includes you.

Context of 2 Corinthians 10:13

11Anyone who says things like that should understand this: There is no difference between what we write and what we do. When we come to you, we will do what we have written in our letters. 12Some people praise themselves. They say how clever they are. But we could never do that. We could not even try to be like those people. But they do not understand anything. They decide among themselves how good they are. They look at one another to see if they are better or worse. As for us, we will only be proud of the work that God has given us to do. We will not be proud of anything more than that. And that includes our work among you. 14We were the first people to come as far as Corinth and tell you the good news about Christ. That was part of the work that God has given to us to do. So it is right for us to tell you how proud we are. 15We do not praise ourselves for the work that other people have done. That would not be right. But we hope that you will continue to believe more and more strongly. In that way our work among you will become even greater. But it will still be the work that God has given to us, and no more than that.

2 Corinthians 10:13 word by word

ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐκ εἰς τὰ ἄμετρα καυχησόμεθα ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὸ μέτρον τοῦ κανόνος οὗ ἐμέρισεν ἡμῖν ὁ θεὸς μέτρου ἐφικέσθαι ἄχρι καὶ ὑμῶν.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Butδέde · thenG1161
• weἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• willκαυχάομαιkauchaomai · to boastG2744
• notοὐχίouchi · not!G3780
• ofεἰςeis · towardG1519
• thingsὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• withoutἄμετροςametros · immoderateG280
• butἀλλάalla · butG235
• according toκατάkata · according toG2596
• the measureμέτρονmetron · measureG3358
• of the ruleκανώνkanōn · ruleG2583
• whichὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• hath distributedμερίζωmerizō · to divideG3307
• to reachἐφικνέομαιephikneomai · to reachG2185
• evenκαίkai · andG2532
• untoἄχριachri achris · untilG891
• youσύsu · youG4771

Cross-references for 2 Corinthians 10:13

• 2 Corinthians 10:15We do not praise ourselves for the work that other people have done. That would not be right. But we hope that you will continue to believe more and more strongly. In that way our work among you will become even greater. But it will still be the work that God has given to us, and no more than that.
• Proverbs 25:14Some people promise things, but they never do anything. Those people are like clouds and wind that do not bring any rain.
• 2 Corinthians 10:14We were the first people to come as far as Corinth and tell you the good news about Christ. That was part of the work that God has given to us to do. So it is right for us to tell you how proud we are.
• Matthew 25:15The master gave one servant 5,000 gold coins. He gave another servant 2,000 gold coins, and to another servant he gave 1,000 gold coins. The master gave to each servant what he would be able to use well. Then he went away on his journey.
• Romans 12:6God has been kind to us. He has given to each of us different gifts so that we can serve him. God helps some people to speak his messages clearly. Those people should trust God to tell them what to say.
• Romans 15:20I want to go to places where nobody has ever told people about Christ before. I want to tell the good news to people in those places. That is what I have always wanted to do. I do not want to work in a place where someone else has already started to teach God's message.
• 1 Corinthians 12:11There is only one Holy Spirit. The same Spirit helps people to do all these different things. He decides which gifts he will give to each person.
• Ephesians 4:7But God has been kind to all of us. Each of us has received a special gift, just as Christ has decided to give us.
• 1 Peter 4:10God has helped each of you in a certain way. Think carefully about how to use that gift from God well. Remember that God has given many different gifts to his people so that they can help each other.
• Psalms 19:4But their message goes round all the earth. All the world can understand what they say. God has made a home for the sun in the sky.
• Isaiah 28:17Justice and righteousness will make that foundation strong and true. But if you trust in lies, a storm of ice will destroy your safe place. A flood of water will destroy the place where you are hiding.
• Romans 10:18Let me ask you this: ‘Did Israel's people hear that message?’ They certainly did! The Bible says: ‘People have spoken God's message everywhere. People have heard his message in every part of the world.’

Commentaries on 2 Corinthians 10:13

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 13Things without our measure - There is a great deal of difficulty in this and the three following verses, and there is a great diversity among the MSS.; and which is the true reading can scarcely be determined. Our version is perhaps the plainest that can be made of the text. By the measure mentioned here, it seems as if the apostle meant the commission he received from God to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles; a measure or district that extended through…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 13But we will not boast of things without our measure - Tyndale renders this:” But we will not rejoice above measure.” There is great obscurity in the language here, arising from its brevity. But the general idea seems to be plain. Paul says that he had not boldness as they had to boast of things wholly beyond his proper rule and his actual attainments and influence: and, especially, that he was not disposed to enter into other people‘s labors; or to boast…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-18Verses 12-18 If we would compare ourselves with others who excel us, this would be a good method to keep us humble. The apostle fixes a good rule for his conduct; namely, not to boast of things without his measure, which was the measure God had distributed to him. There is not a more fruitful source of error, than to judge of persons and opinions by our own prejudices. How common is it for persons to judge of their own religious character, by the opinions…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 13-16Paul respected the limits God set for his missionary work, which included working with the Corinthians. He defends his honesty and authority, stating that when he first came to Corinth (Acts 18:1–17), he did so because God called him. Paul was determined not to enter another's area (see Romans 15:20), and he was the first to bring the good news about Jesus to Corinth. His recent opponents visited the church much later (2 Corinthians 11:4), so their claim…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1313. not boast ... without ... measure--Greek, "to unmeasured bounds." There is no limit to a man's high opinion of himself, so long as he measures himself by himself (2Co 10:13) and his fellows, and does not compare himself with his superiors. It marks the personal character of this Epistle that the word "boast" occurs twenty-nine times in it, and only twenty-six times in all the other Epistles put together. Undeterred by the charge of vanity, he felt he…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Corinthians 10:13

• Boasting

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Approved
• Beseech
• Captivity
• Measure
• Walk
• Warfare
• Weapon
• Canon of the Old Testament

Commentaries on 2 Corinthians 10

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings