◄ 2 Corinthians 12:5 ►
Verse  (Click for Chapter)
New International Version
I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses.

New Living Translation
That experience is worth boasting about, but I’m not going to do it. I will boast only about my weaknesses.

English Standard Version
On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses—

Berean Standard Bible
I will boast about such a man, but I will not boast about myself, except in my weaknesses.

Berean Literal Bible
Concerning such a man I will boast; but concerning myself I will not boast, except in the weaknesses.

King James Bible
Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities.

New King James Version
Of such a one I will boast; yet of myself I will not boast, except in my infirmities.

New American Standard Bible
In behalf of such a man I will boast; but in my own behalf I will not boast, except regarding my weaknesses.

NASB 1995
On behalf of such a man I will boast; but on my own behalf I will not boast, except in regard to my weaknesses.

NASB 1977
On behalf of such a man will I boast; but on my own behalf I will not boast, except in regard to my weaknesses.

Legacy Standard Bible
On behalf of such a man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except in weaknesses.

Amplified Bible
On behalf of such a man [and his experiences] I will boast; but in my own behalf I will not boast, except in regard to my weaknesses.

Christian Standard Bible
I will boast about this person, but not about myself, except of my weaknesses.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
I will boast about this person, but not about myself, except of my weaknesses.

American Standard Version
On behalf of such a one will I glory: but on mine own behalf I will not glory, save in my weaknesses.

Contemporary English Version
I will brag about that man, but not about myself, except to say how weak I am.

English Revised Version
On behalf of such a one will I glory: but on mine own behalf I will not glory, save in my weaknesses.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I'll brag about this person, but I won't brag about myself unless it's about my weaknesses.

Good News Translation
So I will boast about this man--but I will not boast about myself, except the things that show how weak I am.

International Standard Version
I will boast about this man, but as for myself I will boast only about my weaknesses.

Majority Standard Bible
I will boast about such a man, but I will not boast about myself, except in my weaknesses.

NET Bible
On behalf of such an individual I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except about my weaknesses.

New Heart English Bible
On behalf of such a one I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except in my weaknesses.

Webster's Bible Translation
Of such one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in my infirmities.

Weymouth New Testament
Of such a one I will boast; but of myself I will not boast, except in my weaknesses.

World English Bible
On behalf of such a one I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except in my weaknesses.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Of such a one I will boast, and of myself I will not boast, except in my weaknesses,

Berean Literal Bible
Concerning such a man I will boast; but concerning myself I will not boast, except in the weaknesses.

Young's Literal Translation
Of such an one I will boast, and of myself I will not boast, except in my infirmities,

Smith's Literal Translation
Of such a one will I boast: and of myself I will not boast, except in my weakness.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
For such an one I will glory; but for myself I will glory nothing, but in my infirmities.

Catholic Public Domain Version
On behalf of someone like this, I will glory. But on behalf of myself, I will not glory about anything, except my infirmities.

New American Bible
About this person I will boast, but about myself I will not boast, except about my weaknesses.

New Revised Standard Version
On behalf of such a one I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Of such a person, I will boast; but of myself, I will not boast, except in my weaknesses.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Concerning this man I shall glory, but concerning myself I shall not glory, except only in sufferings.
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
Of such a one I will boast; but of myself I will not boast, unless in my infirmities.

Godbey New Testament
Concerning such a one I will glory: but concerning myself I will not glory, except in my infirmities.

Haweis New Testament
Of such a one will I boast; but in myself will I not boast, save in my infirmities.

Mace New Testament
I might glory in being the man; but I will not glory in any thing relating to myself, unless it be my sufferings.

Weymouth New Testament
Of such a one I will boast; but of myself I will not boast, except in my weaknesses.

Worrell New Testament
On behalf of such a one I will glory; but on my own behalf I will not glory, except in my weaknesses.

Worsley New Testament
Of such a one I will boast; but of myself I will not boast, unless in my infirmities.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Paul's Thorn and God's Grace
…4was caught up to Paradise. The things he heard were too sacred for words, things that man is not permitted to tell. 5I will boast about such a man, but I will not boast about myself, except in my weaknesses. 6Even if I wanted to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will credit me with more than he sees in me or hears from me,…
Berean Standard Bible · Download


Cross References
Philippians 3:3-8
For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh— / though I myself could have such confidence. If anyone else thinks he has grounds for confidence in the flesh, I have more: / circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin; a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; ...

Galatians 6:14
But as for me, may I never boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Jeremiah 9:23-24
This is what the LORD says: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, nor the strong man in his strength, nor the wealthy man in his riches. / But let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, who exercises loving devotion, justice and righteousness on the earth—for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD.

1 Corinthians 1:31
Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”

Romans 15:17-18
Therefore I exult in Christ Jesus in my service to God. / I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obedience by word and deed,

1 Corinthians 15:9-10
For I am the least of the apostles and am unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. / But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not in vain. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.

Ephesians 2:8-9
For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, / not by works, so that no one can boast.

1 Timothy 1:15-16
This is a trustworthy saying, worthy of full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst. / But for this very reason I was shown mercy, so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display His perfect patience as an example to those who would believe in Him for eternal life.

Isaiah 45:25
In the LORD all descendants of Israel will be justified and will exult.

2 Corinthians 11:30
If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.

Romans 5:2-3
through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. / Not only that, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;

1 Peter 5:5-6
Young men, in the same way, submit yourselves to your elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” / Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, so that in due time He may exalt you.

James 1:9-10
The brother in humble circumstances should exult in his high position. / But the one who is rich should exult in his low position, because he will pass away like a flower of the field.

Matthew 5:3
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Luke 18:9-14
To some who trusted in their own righteousness and viewed others with contempt, He also told this parable: / “Two men went up to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. / The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—swindlers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. ...


Treasury of Scripture

Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in my infirmities.

such.

2 Corinthians 12:2-4
I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven…

yet.

2 Corinthians 12:9,10
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me…

2 Corinthians 11:30
If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.

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2 Corinthians 12
1. For commending of his apostleship, though he might glory of his wonderful revelations,
9. yet he rather chooses to glory of his infirmities;
11. blaming the Corinthians for forcing him to this vain boasting.
14. He promises to come to them again; but yet altogether in the affection of a father;
20. although he fears he shall to his grief find many offenders, and public disorders there.














Berean Study Bible
I will boast
The Greek word for "boast" is "καυχάομαι" (kauchaomai), which means to glory or to take pride in something. In the context of 2 Corinthians, Paul uses this term to emphasize the paradox of Christian boasting. Unlike worldly boasting, which is often rooted in self-aggrandizement, Paul’s boasting is centered on what God has accomplished through him and in his weaknesses. This reflects a deep understanding of humility and the recognition that all glory belongs to God.

about such a man
This phrase refers to the man Paul described earlier in the chapter, who was caught up to the third heaven. Historically, many scholars believe Paul is speaking about himself in the third person to avoid drawing attention to his own experiences and to maintain humility. This approach underscores the Christian principle of self-effacement and the focus on God’s work rather than personal achievements.

but I will not boast about myself
Here, Paul contrasts his willingness to boast about the man who had heavenly visions with his reluctance to boast about himself. This distinction highlights the Christian virtue of humility. Paul’s refusal to boast about himself aligns with the teachings of Jesus, who emphasized servanthood and humility as key aspects of the Christian life. It serves as a reminder that self-promotion is contrary to the spirit of the Gospel.

except in my weaknesses
The Greek word for "weaknesses" is "ἀσθένεια" (astheneia), which can refer to physical, emotional, or spiritual frailty. Paul’s choice to boast in his weaknesses is a profound theological statement. It reflects the Christian belief that God’s power is made perfect in human weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). This concept is countercultural, as it challenges the worldly view that strength and self-sufficiency are paramount. Instead, it invites believers to rely on God’s strength and grace, recognizing that true power comes from dependence on Him.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
(5) Of such an one will I glory.--There is, if we rightly understand it, an almost exquisite sadness in the distinction which is thus drawn by the Apostle between the old self of fourteen years ago, with this abundance of revelations, and the new self of the present, feebler and sadder than the old, worn with cares and sorrows, the daily rush of life and its ever-growing anxieties. Then he saw with open vision; now he walks by faith and not by the thing seen. He can hardly recognise his own identity, and can speak of the man who had then this capacity for the beatific vision as though he were another--almost as if he were dead and gone. The "non sum qualis eram" of decay and age presents manifold varieties of form, the soldier recalling the stir and the rush of battle, the poet finding that the vision and the "faculty divine" are no longer entrusted to his keeping, the eloquent orator who had "wielded at will a fierce democracy," complaining of slow speech and of a stammering tongue; but this has a sadness peculiar to itself. Faith, hope, love, peace, righteousness, are still there, but there has passed away a glory from the earth, and the joy of that ecstatic rapture lies in the remote past, never to return on earth.

Pulpit Commentary
Verse 5. - Of such a one. These are legitimate subjects of "boast," because they are heavenly privileges, not earthly grounds of superiority. Except in my infirmities (2 Corinthians 11:30).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
I will boast
καυχήσομαι (kauchēsomai)
Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 2744: To boast; I glory (exult) proudly. From some base akin to that of aucheo and euchomai; to vaunt.

about
Ὑπὲρ (Hyper)
Preposition
Strong's 5228: Gen: in behalf of; acc: above.

such a man,
τοιούτου (toioutou)
Demonstrative Pronoun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 5108: (including the other inflections); from toi and houtos; truly this, i.e. Of this sort (to denote character or individuality).

but
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

I will not boast
καυχήσομαι (kauchēsomai)
Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 2744: To boast; I glory (exult) proudly. From some base akin to that of aucheo and euchomai; to vaunt.

about
ὑπὲρ (hyper)
Preposition
Strong's 5228: Gen: in behalf of; acc: above.

myself,
ἐμαυτοῦ (emautou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1683: Genitive case compound of emou and autos; of myself so likewise the dative case emautoi em-ow-to', and accusative case emauton em-ow-ton'.

except
εἰ (ei)
Conjunction
Strong's 1487: If. A primary particle of conditionality; if, whether, that, etc.

in
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

[my]
ταῖς (tais)
Article - Dative Feminine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

weaknesses.
ἀσθενείαις (astheneiais)
Noun - Dative Feminine Plural
Strong's 769: From asthenes; feebleness; by implication, malady; morally, frailty.


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NT Letters: 2 Corinthians 12:5 On behalf of such a one (2 Cor. 2C iiC 2Cor ii cor iicor)
2 Corinthians 12:4
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