2 Corinthians 11:19
New International Version
You gladly put up with fools since you are so wise!

New Living Translation
After all, you think you are so wise, but you enjoy putting up with fools!

English Standard Version
For you gladly bear with fools, being wise yourselves!

Berean Standard Bible
For you gladly tolerate fools, since you are so wise.

Berean Literal Bible
For being wise, you bear with fools gladly!

King James Bible
For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise.

New King James Version
For you put up with fools gladly, since you yourselves are wise!

New American Standard Bible
For you, being so wise, tolerate the foolish gladly.

NASB 1995
For you, being so wise, tolerate the foolish gladly.

NASB 1977
For you, being so wise, bear with the foolish gladly.

Legacy Standard Bible
For you, being so wise, are bearing the foolish gladly.

Amplified Bible
For you, being so wise, gladly tolerate and accept the foolish [like me]!

Christian Standard Bible
For you, being so wise, gladly put up with fools!

Holman Christian Standard Bible
For you, being so wise, gladly put up with fools!

American Standard Version
For ye bear with the foolish gladly, being wise yourselves.

Contemporary English Version
And since you are so smart, you will gladly put up with a fool.

English Revised Version
For ye bear with the foolish gladly, being wise yourselves.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
You're wise, so you'll gladly put up with fools.

Good News Translation
You yourselves are so wise, and so you gladly tolerate fools!

International Standard Version
You are wise, so you will gladly be tolerant of fools.

Majority Standard Bible
For you gladly tolerate fools, since you are so wise.

NET Bible
For since you are so wise, you put up with fools gladly.

New Heart English Bible
For you bear with the foolish gladly, being wise.

Webster's Bible Translation
For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise.

Weymouth New Testament
Wise as you yourselves are, you find pleasure in tolerating fools.

World English Bible
For you bear with the foolish gladly, being wise.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
for you gladly bear with the fools—being wise,

Berean Literal Bible
For being wise, you bear with fools gladly!

Young's Literal Translation
for gladly do ye bear with the fools -- being wise,

Smith's Literal Translation
For ye bear with the mad willingly, being wise.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
For you gladly suffer the foolish; whereas yourselves are wise.

Catholic Public Domain Version
For you freely accept the foolish, though you yourselves claim to be wise.

New American Bible
For you gladly put up with fools, since you are wise yourselves.

New Revised Standard Version
For you gladly put up with fools, being wise yourselves!
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
For you endure fools readily, knowing that you yourselves are wise.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Are you of those who are listening to the stupid, while you are wise?
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
For it is a pleasure to you to bear with men of no understanding, since you yourselves are wise.

Godbey New Testament
For cheerfully do you, being wise, bear with the foolish:

Haweis New Testament
For ye bear with fools easily when you are wise yourselves.

Mace New Testament
for as wise as you are your selves, you easily bear with the folly of others.

Weymouth New Testament
Wise as you yourselves are, you find pleasure in tolerating fools.

Worrell New Testament
for ye gladly bear with the foolish, being yourselves wise.

Worsley New Testament
For ye bear with fools willingly, being yourselves so wise:

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Paul's Suffering and Service
18Since many are boasting according to the flesh, I too will boast. 19For you gladly tolerate fools, since you are so wise. 20In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or exalts himself or strikes you in the face.…

Cross References
Proverbs 26:5
Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he become wise in his own eyes.

Galatians 3:1
O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.

1 Corinthians 1:18-25
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. / For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” / Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? ...

Matthew 23:17
You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes it sacred?

Romans 1:22
Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools,

2 Corinthians 12:11
I have become a fool, but you drove me to it. In fact, you should have commended me, since I am in no way inferior to those “super-apostles,” even though I am nothing.

1 Corinthians 4:10
We are fools for Christ, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are honored, but we are dishonored.

Jeremiah 4:22
“For My people are fools; they have not known Me. They are foolish children, without understanding. They are skilled in doing evil, but they know not how to do good.”

Isaiah 44:25
who foils the signs of false prophets and makes fools of diviners, who confounds the wise and turns their knowledge into nonsense,

2 Timothy 3:13
while evil men and imposters go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

1 Corinthians 3:18-19
Let no one deceive himself. If any of you thinks he is wise in this age, he should become a fool, so that he may become wise. / For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness.”

Proverbs 1:22
“How long, O simple ones, will you love your simple ways? How long will scoffers delight in their scorn and fools hate knowledge?

Colossians 2:8
See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, which are based on human tradition and the spiritual forces of the world rather than on Christ.

Isaiah 5:21
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight.

2 Peter 2:1-3
Now there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. / Many will follow in their depravity, and because of them the way of truth will be defamed. / In their greed, these false teachers will exploit you with deceptive words. The longstanding verdict against them remains in force, and their destruction does not sleep.


Treasury of Scripture

For you suffer fools gladly, seeing you yourselves are wise.

seeing.

1 Corinthians 4:10
We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised.

1 Corinthians 8:1
Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.

1 Corinthians 10:15
I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say.

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2 Corinthians 11
1. Out of his jealousy over the Corinthians, he enters into a forced commendation of himself,
5. of his equality with the chief apostles,
7. of his preaching the gospel to them freely, and without any charge to them;
13. showing that he was not inferior to those deceitful workers in any legal prerogative;
23. and in the service of Christ, and in all kinds of sufferings for his ministry, far superior.














For you gladly tolerate fools
This phrase is a poignant example of Paul's use of irony. The Greek word for "gladly" (ἡδέως, hēdeōs) suggests a sense of pleasure or willingness, indicating that the Corinthians were not merely passive in their acceptance of foolishness but were actively embracing it. The term "tolerate" (ἀνέχεσθε, anechesthe) implies a level of endurance or patience, which in this context, is misplaced. The "fools" (μωροί, mōroi) here are likely false apostles or teachers who were leading the Corinthians astray. Historically, Corinth was a city known for its diversity and philosophical debates, which may have contributed to the church's susceptibility to various teachings. Paul's sarcasm is meant to jolt the Corinthians into recognizing their folly in accepting teachings that deviate from the true Gospel.

since you are so wise
The phrase "since you are so wise" is a continuation of Paul's ironic tone. The Greek word for "wise" (σοφοί, sophoi) is often used in the New Testament to denote true wisdom that comes from God. However, Paul is using it here to highlight the Corinthians' self-perceived wisdom, which is actually foolishness. This reflects a broader biblical theme where human wisdom is contrasted with divine wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:25). The Corinthians prided themselves on their intellectual and spiritual sophistication, yet Paul points out that their actions reveal a lack of true discernment. This serves as a reminder that true wisdom is not measured by intellectual prowess or social acceptance but by alignment with God's truth. Historically, the Greco-Roman world valued rhetoric and philosophy, which may have influenced the Corinthians' attitudes. Paul challenges them to reassess their values and return to the simplicity and purity of the Gospel.

(19) Ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise.--He falls back into the strain of irony of 1Corinthians 4:8-10, to which, indeed, the whole passage presents a striking parallelism. He assumes that in their serene, self-complacent wisdom they will be willing to tolerate even those whom they look upon as half-insane. He drives the sarcasm home by urging that they tolerate those who are morally in a far worse condition.

Verse 19. - Seeing you yourselves are wise; ye gladly tolerate the senseless, being intellectual (comp. 1 Corinthians 4:10). The irony would be very scathing to those whose minds and consciences were sufficiently humble and delicate to feel it.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
For
γὰρ (gar)
Conjunction
Strong's 1063: For. A primary particle; properly, assigning a reason.

you gladly tolerate
ἀνέχεσθε (anechesthe)
Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 430: To endure, bear with, have patience with, suffer, admit, persist.

fools,
ἀφρόνων (aphronōn)
Adjective - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 878: Senseless, foolish, inconsiderate. Properly, mindless, i.e. Stupid, ignorant, egotistic, rash, or unbelieving.

since you are
ὄντες (ontes)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

so wise.
φρόνιμοι (phronimoi)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 5429: Intelligent, prudent, sensible, wise. From phren; thoughtful, i.e. Sagacious or discreet; in a bad sense conceited.


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NT Letters: 2 Corinthians 11:19 For you bear with the foolish gladly (2 Cor. 2C iiC 2Cor ii cor iicor)
2 Corinthians 11:18
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