2 Corinthians 11:22

 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.

a. NASB 2020: Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they [fn]descendants of Abraham? So am I.  [NASB20 New American Standard Bible. Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation; All Rights Reserved]

b. YLT: Hebrews are they? I also! Israelites are they? I also! seed of Abraham are they? I also!  [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. Classic Amplified: They are Hebrews? So am I! They are Israelites? So am I! They are descendants of Abraham? So am I!  [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

d. Peshitta Eastern Text: Now if they are Hebrews, so am I. If they are Israelites, so am I. If they are descendants of Abraham, so am I. [HOLY BIBLE FROM THE ANCIENT EASTERN TEXT. Copyright  Ⓒ 1933 by A.J. Holmon Co.; copyright  Ⓒ renewed 1968 by A.J. Holmon Co.; All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. HarperCollins Publishers, 195 Broadway, New York, NY 10007.]

e. ESV: Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I. [Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001, 2007, 2011, 2016 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved."]

1. “Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.”

a. Are [they] [Strong: 1526 eisí, i-see'; 3rd person plural present indicative of G1510; they are:—agree, are, be, dure, × is, were.]

b. Hebrews [Strong: 1445 Hebraîos, heb-rah'-yos; from G1443; a Hebræan (i.e. Hebrew) or Jew:—Hebrew.]

c. so am [I] [Strong: 2504 kagṓ, kag-o'; from G2532 and G1473; so also the dative case κἀμοί kamoí kam-oy', and accusative case κἀμέ kamé kam-eh' and (or also, even, etc.) I, (to) me:—(and, even, even so, so) I (also, in like wise), both me, me also.]

d. Are [they] [Strong: 1526 eisí, i-see'; 3rd person plural present indicative of G1510; they are:—agree, are, be, dure, × is, were.]

e. Israelites [Strong: 2475 Israēlítēs, is-rah-ale-ee'-tace; from G2474; an "Israelite", i.e. descendant of Israel (literally or figuratively):—Israelite.]

f. so am [I] [Strong: 2504 kagṓ, kag-o'; from G2532 and G1473; so also the dative case κἀμοί kamoí kam-oy', and accusative case κἀμέ kamé kam-eh' and (or also, even, etc.) I, (to) me:—(and, even, even so, so) I (also, in like wise), both me, me also.]

g. Are [they] [Strong: 1526 eisí, i-see'; 3rd person plural present indicative of G1510; they are:—agree, are, be, dure, × is, were.]

h. [the] seed [Strong: 4690 spérma, sper'-mah; from G4687; something sown, i.e. seed (including the male "sperm"); by implication, offspring; specially, a remnant (figuratively, as if kept over for planting):—issue, seed.]

i. [of] Abraham [Strong: 11 Abraám, ab-rah-am'; of Hebrew origin [H85]; Abraham, the Hebrew patriarch:—Abraham. (In Acts 7:16 the text should probably read Jacob.)]

j. so am [I] [Strong: 2504 kagṓ, kag-o'; from G2532 and G1473; so also the dative case κἀμοί kamoí kam-oy', and accusative case κἀμέ kamé kam-eh' and (or also, even, etc.) I, (to) me:—(and, even, even so, so) I (also, in like wise), both me, me also.]

1). Benson Commentary: 2 Corinthians 11:22. Are they Hebrews? — Descended from Heber, (see Genesis 11:14,) and speaking the Hebrew language, though with some variation; so am I — Paul indeed was a native of Tarsus in Cilicia, but his father and mother were Hebrews, Php 3:5. And having been sent to Jerusalem when young, he was instructed by Gamaliel, a noted Jewish doctor, Acts 22:3. So that in Jerusalem he perfected himself both in the language and religion of his nation, on all which accounts he was truly a Hebrew descended of Hebrews. Are they Israelites? — Descended from Jacob, who, in preference to his brother Esau, was chosen to be the root of the visible church of God in that early age, and was called Israel for the reason mentioned Genesis 32:28. This appellation, therefore, signified that the persons to whom it was given were members of God’s visible church by their descent from Jacob, and consequently were distinguished from proselytes who were members by circumcision, and not by descent. Are they the seed of Abraham? — Inasmuch as Abraham, being constituted a father of many nations, had two kinds of seed; the one by natural descent, called his seed by the law; the other by faith, called that which is of the faith of Abraham, see Romans 4:13; Romans 4:16. Macknight thinks, that by the seed of Abraham, the apostle intended here his seed by faith, or his spiritual seed; because if he had meant his natural seed, this question would have been the same with the preceding: a tautology, he thinks, not to be imputed to the apostle.