2 Corinthians 11:22-24

Expanded Bible

²² Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they from Abraham’s ·family [descendants; ^Lseed]? So am I. ²³ Are they servants of Christ? I am serving him more. (I am crazy to talk like this.) I have worked much harder than they. I have been in prison more often [Acts 16:23–40]. I have been ·hurt more in beatings [flogged more severely; Acts 16:22]. I have been near death many times. ²⁴ Five times the Jews have given me ·their punishment of thirty-nine lashes with a whip [^Lforty minus one; ^Ca shorthand phrase for the standard Jewish punishment; Deut. 25:1–3 allowed a maximum of forty lashes; the Jews gave thirty-nine to avoid breaking the law].