English Standard Version
2 Corinthians 11:3
3But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
2 Corinthians 11:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
- New International Version (NIV)But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
- New King James Version (NKJV)But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
- New Living Translation (NLT)But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent.
Context of 2 Corinthians 11:3
1I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness. Do bear with me! 2For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 4For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough. 5Indeed, I consider that I am not in the least inferior to these super-apostles.
Read all of 2 Corinthians 112 Corinthians 11:3 word by word
φοβοῦμαι δὲ μή πως ὡς ὁ ὄφις ἐξηπάτησεν Εὕαν ἐν τῇ πανουργίᾳ αὐτοῦ, φθαρῇ τὰ νοήματα ὑμῶν ἀπὸ τῆς ἁπλότητος καὶ τῆς ἁγνότητος τῆς εἰς τὸν Χριστόν.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Butδέde · thenG1161
- I fearφοβέωphobeō · to fearG5399
- lest by any meansμήπωςmēpōs mē pōs · so thatG3381
- asὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
- the serpentὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- the serpentὄφιςophis · snakeG3789
- beguiledἐξαπατάωexapataō · to deceiveG1818
- EveΕὖαEua · EveG2096
- throughἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- subtiltyπανουργίαpanourgia · craftinessG3834
- soοὕτωςhoutō · thus(-ly)G3779
- yourσύsu · youG4771
- mindsνόημαnoēma · mind/thoughtG3540
- should be corruptedφθείρωphtheirō · to destroyG5351
- fromἀπόapo · away fromG575
- the simplicityἁπλότηςhaplotēs · opennessG572
- inεἰςeis · towardG1519
- ChristΧριστόςChristos · ChristG5547
Cross-references for 2 Corinthians 11:3
- 2 Corinthians 11:29Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?
- 2 Corinthians 12:20For I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish—that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder.
- Psalms 119:53Hot indignation seizes me because of the wicked, who forsake your law.
- Galatians 1:6I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—
- Galatians 3:1O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified.
- Galatians 4:11I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain.
- Philippians 3:18For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.
- Genesis 3:4But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die.
- John 8:44You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
- 1 Timothy 2:14and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.
- Revelation 12:9And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
- Revelation 20:2And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years,
- 2 Corinthians 11:13For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.
- 2 Corinthians 2:17For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.
- 2 Corinthians 4:2But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God.
- Matthew 24:24For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.
Commentaries on 2 Corinthians 11:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3As the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty - This is a strong reflection on the false apostle and his teaching: he was subtle, and by his subtlety (, from , all, and , work; his versatility of character and conduct, his capability of doing all work, and accommodating himself to the caprices, prejudices, and evil propensities of those to whom he ministered) he was enabled to corrupt the minds of the people from the simplicity of the Gospel of Christ…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3But I fear - Paul had just compared the church to a virgin, soon to be presented as a bride to the Redeemer. The mention of this seems to have suggested to him the fact that the first woman was deceived and led astray by the tempter, and that the same thing might occur in regard to the church which he was so desirous should be preserved pure. The grounds of his fear were: (1)That Satan had seduced the first woman, thus demonstrating that the most holy…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3The false teachers were leading the Corinthian believers away from pure devotion to Christ. They were doing Satan's work, like the serpent did in Eden (11:14; see Genesis 3:4, 13).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. I fear--(2Co 12:20); not inconsistent with love. His source of fear was their yielding character. subtilty--the utter foe of the "simplicity" which is intent on ONE object, Jesus, and seeks none "other," and no "other" and different Spirit (2Co 11:4); but loves him with tender SINGLENESS OF AFFECTION. Where Eve first gave way, was in mentally harboring for a moment the possibility insinuated by the serpent, of God not having her truest interests at…Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Corinthians 11:3
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 2 Corinthians 11
- 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
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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