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

11Those people should realize that our actions when we arrive in person will be as forceful as what we say in our letters from far away. 12Oh, don’t worry; we wouldn’t dare say that we are as wonderful as these other men who tell you how important they are! But they are only comparing themselves with each other, using themselves as the standard of measurement. How ignorant! We will not boast about things done outside our area of authority. We will boast only about what has happened within the boundaries of the work God has given us, which includes our working with you. 14We are not reaching beyond these boundaries when we claim authority over you, as if we had never visited you. For we were the first to travel all the way to Corinth with the Good News of Christ. 15Nor do we boast and claim credit for the work someone else has done. Instead, we hope that your faith will grow so that the boundaries of our work among you will be extended.

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 10:15Nor do we boast and claim credit for the work someone else has done. Instead, we hope that your faith will grow so that the boundaries of our work among you will be extended.
• Proverbs 25:14A person who promises a gift but doesn’t give it is like clouds and wind that bring no rain.
• 2 Corinthians 10:14We are not reaching beyond these boundaries when we claim authority over you, as if we had never visited you. For we were the first to travel all the way to Corinth with the Good News of Christ.
• Matthew 25:15He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip.
• Romans 12:6In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you.
• Romans 15:20My ambition has always been to preach the Good News where the name of Christ has never been heard, rather than where a church has already been started by someone else.
• 1 Corinthians 12:11It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.
• Ephesians 4:7However, he has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity of Christ.
• 1 Peter 4:10God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.
• Psalms 19:4Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world. God has made a home in the heavens for the sun.
• Isaiah 28:17I will test you with the measuring line of justice and the plumb line of righteousness. Since your refuge is made of lies, a hailstorm will knock it down. Since it is made of deception, a flood will sweep it away.
• Romans 10:18But I ask, have the people of Israel actually heard the message? Yes, they have: “The message has gone throughout the earth, and the words to all 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