2 Corinthians 11:3

φθαρῇ (אBDFGP, d g r Copt. Arm. Goth.) rather than οὔτω φθαρῇ (D2D3KLM, f Vulg. Syrr. Aeth.): the variant φθαρει (KLP) may be ignored. It is not easy to decide as to the genuineness of καὶ τῆς ἁγνότητος, which אBFG 17, 74, g Aeth. have after ἀπλότητος, while D, d have τῆς�, and א3D3KLMP, f have τῆς� without κ. τ. ἀγνότητος. It is well attested, but it looks like a gloss, which very early got into the text, sometimes in one place and sometimes in another. It might be accidentally omitted through homœoteleuton. With less doubt read τὸν χριστόν (BDKLP) rather than Χριστόν (אFGM 80, 89).

3. “The Church, as a second Eve, is espoused to Christ, the second Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45). She must beware lest, like Eve, she listen to the voice of the same tempter, who ever lieth in wait to deceive, and so lose the privileges she was destined to enjoy” (Lias). On the supposed allusion to Rabbinic legends about the Fall see Heinrici in Meyer, and Thackeray, The Relation of St Paul to Contemporary Jewish Thought, pp. 50 ff. The identification of the serpent with the devil is found first in Wis 2:24.

φοβοῦμαι δὲ μή πως. Comp. 2 Corinthians 12:20; Galatians 4:11. The δέ marks a contrast to the hopeful παραστῆσαι: he is quite sure that they will be loyal to Christ; but still he is very uneasy.

ἐξηπάτησεν. The strong compound is peculiar to Paul in the N.T. (Romans 7:11; Romans 16:18; 1 Corinthians 3:18; 2 Thessalonians 2:3; 1 Timothy 2:14), and in the LXX. occurs only twice (Exodus 8:29 [25] where A reads ἀπατῆσαι: Sus. 56). In classical Greek the compound is common; ἐξηπατήσας τὴν γυναῖκα (Hdt. II. 114:2). In Genesis 3:3 we have ὁ ὄφις ἠπάτησέν με. Comp. Revelation 12:9.

ἐν τῇ πανουργίᾳ αὐτοῦ, in his craftiness (2 Corinthians 4:2; 1 Corinthians 3:19; Ephesians 4:14; Luke 20:23). ‘Subtilty’ (A.V.) suggests a connexion with Genesis 3:1 (‘was more subtle than any beast of the field’) which does not exist; ὁ δὲ ὄφις ἦν φρονιμώτατος πάντων τῶν θηρίων. Comp. Joshua 9:4; Sir 19:25.

φθαρῇ τα νοήματα ὑμῶν�. Your thoughts (2 Corinthians 2:11; 2 Corinthians 3:14; 2 Corinthians 4:4; 2 Corinthians 10:5) should be corrupted from the simplicity (2 Corinthians 8:2; 2 Corinthians 9:11; 2 Corinthians 9:13) and the purity (2 Corinthians 6:6 only) that is toward (2 Corinthians 8:22) the Christ. See critical note. The ἁγνότης ἡ εἰς τ. χρ. the loyalty of the betrothed παρθένος�. For this use of ἀπό comp. κατήργηται� (Romans 7:2), and ἀνάθεμα εἶναι� (Romans 9:3). The analogy between the serpent, which was Satan, and the Judaizing leaders, who were Satan’s ministers (2 Corinthians 11:15), lay in the cunning with which they seduced people from their loyalty and obedience. And in both cases the bait was similar,—a promise of enlightenment and privilege.

3. How is the statement of S. Paul here, that ‘the ethnarch guarded the city of the Damascenes to take me’, to be reconciled with that of S. Luke (Acts 9:24), that ‘the Jews watched the gates day and night to kill him’? There is no real discrepancy. There were thousands of Jews in Damascus (Joseph. B. J. II. xx. 2, VII. viii. 7), and it was they who moved the ethnarch to persecute Saul. How powerful their synagogues were is seen from Acts 9:2. Of course they would themselves watch the gates along with those who were placed there by Aretas, especially as they wished that Saul should not merely be taken, but be killed: comp. Acts 23:12. The ethnarch would be glad enough to win popularity with so important a section of the population by the sacrifice of a troublesome visitor.

On all these questions see Hastings’ DB. i. pp. 145, 424, 793; Schürer, Jewish People in the Time of Jesus Christ, I. ii. pp. 89, 356, II. i. p. 98; Lewin, Fasti Sacri, pp. 226, 249; Knowling on Acts 9:23-24.