SEV Biblia, Chapter 11:20
porque toleris si alguno os pone en servidumbre, si alguno os devora, si alguno toma, si alguno se ensalza, si alguno os hiere en la cara.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 2 Corinthians 11:20
Verse 20. For ye suffer] As you are so meek and gentle as to submit to be brought into bondage, to have your property devoured, your goods taken away, yourselves laid in the dust, so that others may exalt themselves over you, yea, and will bear from those the most degrading indignity; then of course, you will bear with one who has never insulted, defrauded, devoured, taken of you, exalted himself against you, or offered you any kind of indignity; and who only wishes you to bear his confident boasting, concerning matters which he can substantiate. The expressions in this verse are some evidence that the false apostle was a Judaizing teacher. You suffer, says the apostle, if a man, katadouloi, bring you into bondage, probably meaning to the Jewish rites and ceremonies, Gal. iv. 9; v. 1. If he devour you; as the Pharisees did the patrimony of the widows, and for a pretense made long prayers; if a man take of you, exact different contributions, pretendedly for the temple at Jerusalem, &c. If he exalt himself, pretending to be of the seed of Abraham, infinitely higher in honour and dignity than all the families of the Gentiles; if he smite you on the face-treat you with indignity, as the Jews did the Gentiles, considering them only as dogs, and not fit to be ranked with any of the descendants of Jacob.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 20. For ye suffer if a man bring you into bondage , etc..] They not only suffered and tolerated the foolish boasting of these men with pleasure, but patiently and stupidly bore their oppressions, injuries, and insults, things that were intolerable, which no man of any sense and wisdom would ever suffer; and yet they took all quietly from them, made no objection, but patiently submitted to them, and therefore might well bear a little with him; they were voluntarily led captive, and brought into bondage by them, to the yoke of the ceremonial law, to the observance of circumcision, meats and drinks, days, months, times and years; and to the yoke of human doctrines, traditions, tenets, laws, and rules: if a man devour or eat; though they devoured their houses, as the Pharisees did; ate up their substance, were insatiable in their covetousness; were greedy dogs that could never have enough, could not satisfy their voracious appetites, without devouring and consuming all they had, yet they took it patiently: if a man take of you ; not food and raiment, or a proper stipend, or wages which might be voluntarily raised, and cheerfully given; but they took away their goods from them by force, as the Arabic version reads it, whether they would or not, to which they quietly submitted: if a man exalt himself ; as these men did, extolling their nation, their descent and lineage, their parentage and education, and fleshly privileges; in suiting the Corinthians as persons of a mean and base extraction, as having been Heathens and sinners of the Gentiles, yet not a word was returned in answer thereunto: if a man smite you on the face ; though they gave them very opprobrious language, vilifying and reproaching them as uncircumcised persons, upbraiding and hitting them on the teeth with their former idolatries and manners of life; yet all was taken in good part, so much were they under the government and influence of these men.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 16-21 - It is the duty and practice of Christians to humble themselves, in obedience to the command and example of the Lord; yet prudence mus direct in what it is needful to do things which we may do lawfully even the speaking of what God has wrought for us, and in us, and by us Doubtless here is reference to facts in which the character of the false apostles had been shown. It is astonishing to see how such me bring their followers into bondage, and how they take from them an insult them.
Greek Textus Receptus
ανεχεσθε 430 5736 V-PNI-2P γαρ 1063 CONJ ει 1487 COND τις 5100 X-NSM υμας 5209 P-2AP καταδουλοι 2615 5719 V-PAI-3S ει 1487 COND τις 5100 X-NSM κατεσθιει 2719 5719 V-PAI-3S ει 1487 COND τις 5100 X-NSM λαμβανει 2983 5719 V-PAI-3S ει 1487 COND τις 5100 X-NSM επαιρεται 1869 5731 V-PMI-3S ει 1487 COND τις 5100 X-NSM υμας 5209 P-2AP εις 1519 PREP προσωπον 4383 N-ASN δερει 1194 5719 V-PAI-3S
Vincent's NT Word Studies
20. Bringeth you into bondage (katadouloi). Only here and Galatians ii. 4, where it is used of the efforts of the Jewish party to bring the christian Church under the ceremonial law. Compare Gal. v. 1.Devour (katesqiei). Your property. Compare Matt. xxiii. 14.
Take (lambanei). A.V. supplies of you, evidently with reference to property, which has already been touched upon in devour. The meaning is to take as a prey, as Luke v. 5.
Exalteth himself (epairetai). As ch. x. 5. It is noticeable that these are the only two instances out of nineteen in the New Testament where the word is used figuratively.
Smite you on the face. The climax of insult. Compare Matt. v. 39; Luke xxii. 64; Acts xxiii. 2. Also the injunction to a bishop not to be a striker, 1 Tim. iii. 3; Tit. i. 7. Stanley notes the decree of the Council of Braga, A.D. 675, that no bishop, at his will and pleasure, shall strike his clergy.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
11:20 {For ye bear with a man} (anecesqe gar). " You tolerate tyranny, extortion, craftiness, arrogance, violence, and insult" (Plummer). Sarcasm that cut to the bone. Note the verb with each of the five conditional clauses (enslaves, devours, takes captive, exalteth himself, smites on the face). The climax of insult, smiting on the face.
