Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Corinthians 11:11
Wherefore? because I love you not? God knoweth.
11. Wherefore? because I love you not?] See 2Co 11:7 and note. The same ironical tone is adopted. ‘Can you suppose that this is a proof of my indifference towards you?’ And then the Apostle suddenly becomes serious, and appeals to God who knows the heart.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Wherefore … – It is not because I do not love you. It is not from pride, or because I would not as willingly receive aid from you as from any other. It is not because I am more unwilling to be under obligation to you than to others. I have a deep and tender attachment to you; but it is because I can thus best promote the gospel and advance the kingdom of the Redeemer. Possibly it might have been thought that his unwillingness to receive aid from them was some proof of reserve toward them or lack of affection, and this may have been urged against him. This he solemnly denies.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 11. Wherefore] Why have I acted thus? and why do I propose to continue to act thus? is it because I love you not, and will not permit you to contribute to my support? God knoweth the contrary; I do most affectionately love you.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Can you possibly interpret my not being chargeable to you, as proceeding from a want of love in me to you? God knoweth the contrary.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
11. Love is often offended atits favors being not accepted, as though the party to whom they areoffered wished to be under no obligation to the offerer.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Wherefore? because I love you not?…. Why did the apostle do this? why did he take nothing, and resolve to take nothing of the Corinthians, for preaching the Gospel to them? why did he determine, that no man should prevent his glorying of this, in all the country of Achaia? was it because he did not love the Corinthians? some might insinuate this was the reason of it, that he had no true affection for them, and therefore would take none of their gifts, but despised both them and theirs, and loved the Macedonian and other churches better than they. To which he answers by saying,
God knoweth; which is another form of an oath, and is a solemn appeal to God, the searcher of hearts, who knows all things, that he knew he heartily loved them; that it was not want of love to them, which was the reason of his entering into such a resolution, never to take anything of them; but it was something else, quite another thing, which induced him to it, and is mentioned in the following verse.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
God knoweth ( ). Whether they do or not. He knows that God understands his motives.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
1) “Wherefore?” (dia ti) “Why?” on account of what?
2) “Because I love you not,” (hoti ouk agapo humas) “Because I do not love you?” Is it really as false witnesses insinuate, that I am “a self-promoter and do not love you all?” 2Co 11:7; 2Co 7:3; 2Co 12:15.
3) “God knoweth,” (ho theos oiden) “God knows, or perceives,” that I do have an holy love for you all, 2Ti 2:19; Joh 10:14; Joh 10:17.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
11. Is it because I love you not? Those that we love, we treat with greater familiarity. Lest the Corinthians, therefore, should take it amiss, that he refused their liberality, while he allowed himself to be assisted by the Macedonians, and even declared with an oath that he would do so still, he anticipates that suspicion also. And by the figure termed anthypophora, (828) he asks, as it were in their name, whether this is a token of a malevolent mind? He does not return a direct answer to the question, but the indirect answer that he returns has much more weight, inasmuch as he calls God to be a witness of his good disposition towards them. You see here, that in the course of three verses (829) there are two oaths, but they are lawful and holy, because they have a good design in view, and a legitimate reason is involved. Hence to condemn indiscriminately all oaths is to act the part of fanatics, who make no distinction between white and black. (830)
(828) “ Pour repoudre & l’objection;” — “With the view of replying to the objection.” — See Calvin on the Corinthians, volume 1.
(829) “ Ces trois lignes;” — “These three lines.”
(830) “An oath is to be used, when other means are deficient; and more particularly, we are then only to swear, when the honor of God is concerned, or Religion and Christianity is falsely accused; and these are public grounds. To which we may add the good of the Commonwealth: or we are to swear upon a particular occasion to clear ourselves from false accusations and crimes charged upon us, if otherwise our innocency cannot appear; or in the behalf of others, when they shall suffer either in name, life, or estate, and we are required thereunto by the Magistrate, that so justice may proceed.” — Burgesse on 2Co 1:0. — See Calvin’s Harmony, volume 1. — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(11) Because I love you not . .This then had been said. Some of the Corinthians were jealous, or affected to be jealous, of the preference shown to the Macedonians in receiving gifts from them. With an emphatic appeal to Him who reads the secrets of mens hearts, he disclaims that imputation.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
11. It was not from want of love that St. Paul thus left Corinth in the shade.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
2Co 11:11 . Negative specification of the reason for his continuing to preach gratuitously in Achaia.
How easily, since he had accepted something from the poorer Macedonians, might his conduct appear or be represented to the Corinthians as the result of a cold, disdainful, distrustful disposition towards them! Love willingly accepts from the beloved one what is due to i.
] namely, that the reason is not want of love to you.
Observe the lively interrogative form (Dissen, ad Dem, de cor. pp. 186, 347).
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
11 Wherefore? because I love you not? God knoweth.
Ver. 11. Because I lose you not? ] It should be a minister’s care to preserve in the hearts of his people an opinion of his love to them. For if they once conceive an incurable prejudice against him, that he hates them, or the like, there is no good will be done.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
11. ] He presupposes , and negatives, a reason likely to be given for this resolution; viz. that he loves them not , and therefore will be under no obligation to them: for we willingly incur obligations to those whom we love.
, scil. .
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
2Co 11:11 . ; . . . .: wherefore? because I love you not? God knoweth, i.e. , that I do love you.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
love. Greek. agapao. App-132.
knoweth. Greek. oida. App-132.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
11.] He presupposes, and negatives, a reason likely to be given for this resolution; viz. that he loves them not, and therefore will be under no obligation to them: for we willingly incur obligations to those whom we love.
, scil. .
Fuente: The Greek Testament
2Co 11:11. , because) Love is often offended even by refusing [favours].
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
2Co 11:11
2Co 11:11
Wherefore? because I love you not? God knoweth-He appeals to God as to how strong his love was for them.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
because: 2Co 6:11, 2Co 6:12, 2Co 7:3, 2Co 12:15
God: 2Co 11:10, 2Co 12:2, 2Co 12:3, Jos 22:22, Psa 44:21, Joh 2:24, Joh 2:25, Joh 21:17, Act 15:8, Heb 4:13, Rev 2:23
Reciprocal: Gen 18:21 – I will know Jdg 11:27 – be judge 2Ch 18:22 – the lord hath Rom 1:9 – God 1Co 4:14 – my 1Co 10:14 – my 1Co 16:24 – love 2Co 1:23 – I call 2Co 3:2 – in 2Co 6:6 – love 2Co 7:12 – that our Gal 1:20 – behold Col 2:4 – lest 1Th 2:10 – witnesses Heb 13:9 – carried
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2Co 11:11. Wherefore means, why am I doing this? He then affirms that God knoweth it is not through any lack of love for them. (It was rather for an opposite reason.)
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
2Co 11:11. Wherefore? because I love you not? God knoweth.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Verse 11 Some wondered why he did this. Perhaps they suggested that it was out of a lack of love. Paul calls God as his witness that this was not true.
Fuente: Gary Hampton Commentary on Selected Books
Wherefore? because I love you not? God knoweth.
Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)
Verse 11
The idea is, that his unwillingness to receive pecuniary aid from them, did not arise from want of affection or confidence, but from other reasons.