2 Corinthians 11:25
Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
Original Language Analysis
ἐῤῥαβδίσθην,
was I beaten with rods
G4463
ἐῤῥαβδίσθην,
was I beaten with rods
Strong's:
G4463
Word #:
2 of 11
to strike with a stick, i.e., bastinado
ἐναυάγησα
I suffered shipwreck
G3489
ἐναυάγησα
I suffered shipwreck
Strong's:
G3489
Word #:
6 of 11
to be shipwrecked (stranded, "navigate"), literally or figuratively
νυχθήμερον
a night and a day
G3574
νυχθήμερον
a night and a day
Strong's:
G3574
Word #:
7 of 11
a day-and-night, i.e., full day of twenty-four hours
τῷ
G3588
τῷ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
9 of 11
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
Cross References
Acts 14:19And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead.Hebrews 11:37They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;Acts 16:37But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out.Acts 16:33And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.
Historical Context
Roman citizens were legally exempt from beating with rods (virgae), making Paul's three such beatings illegal (Acts 22:25). Stoning was Jewish execution for blasphemy (Lev 24:16; cf. Stephen, Acts 7:58). Shipwrecks were common in Mediterranean travel; Paul's three occurred before Acts 27's famous Malta shipwreck, indicating extensive sea travel and danger.
Questions for Reflection
- How does Paul's matter-of-fact recounting of near-death experiences reveal a perspective radically different from our safety-focused culture?
- What does it mean that Paul's worst suffering came not from pagans but from religious authorities (Jews) and unjust government (Roman beatings)?
- In what ways might modern ministry avoid suffering not out of wisdom but out of comfort-seeking that Paul would consider unfaithful?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep. Four more categories of suffering pile up: tris errabdisthēn (τρὶς ἐρραβδίσθην, 'three times I was beaten with rods')—Roman punishment for citizens improperly (Acts 16:22-23 records one). Hapax elithasthēn (ἅπαξ ἐλιθάσθην, 'once I was stoned')—at Lystra (Acts 14:19), left for dead. Tris enauagēsa (τρὶς ἐναυάγησα, 'three times I was shipwrecked')—none recorded in Acts before this letter; Acts 27 occurs later.
A night and a day I have been in the deep (nychthēmeron en tō bythō pepoiēka, νυχθήμερον ἐν τῷ βυθῷ πεποίηκα)—24 hours adrift in open sea, clinging to wreckage. The perfect tense pepoiēka (πεποίηκα, 'I have spent') suggests the trauma remains vivid. This goes beyond shipwreck to describe floating helpless in the Mediterranean awaiting death or rescue.
The rapid accumulation—rods, stones, shipwrecks, drowning—creates breathless effect. Each item is life-threatening. Paul's casualness ('thrice... once... thrice') about near-death experiences reveals how normalized suffering had become. These aren't complaints but credentials—marks of authentic apostolic ministry.