2 Corinthians 10:12

12. DFG 109, dfg omit οὐ συνιᾶσιν together with ἡμεῖς δέ in 2 Corinthians 10:13.

12. Οὐ γὰρ τολμῶμεν ἐνκρῖναι ἢ συνκρῖναι ἑαυτούς. For we are not bold (2 Corinthians 10:2) to pair or compare ourselves with some of those that commend themselves. The meaning of ἐνκρῖναι is doubtful; but ‘judge amongst, estimate amongst, number with’ is probably right; and ‘pair with,’ which preserves the play on words (comp. 2 Corinthians 10:5-6), has much the same meaning. Moreover, ἐνκρῖναι is stronger than συνκρῖναι, as ‘pair’ than ‘compare’; ‘I should not venture to pair myself, or even compare myself, with them.’ The Vulgate has inserere aut comparare: comp. si me lyricis vatibus inseres (Hor. Od. I. i. 35). Beza preserves the play, at the cost of exactness, with adjungere vel conjungere: inferre aut conferre is better. It is altogether arbitrary to suggest that ἐνκρῖναι ἤ is an interpolation.

ἀλλὰ αὐτοὶ ἐν ἑαυτοῖς ἑαυτοὺς μετροῦντες. But they themselves measuring themselves by themselves. For the repetition comp. 2 Corinthians 8:22 and 2 Corinthians 9:8; also αὐτοὶ δʼ ἑαυτοῖς σύνεισι διʼ ἑαυτῶν (Plat. Protag. 347 E). In classical Greek the ἐν would be omitted; Arist. Rhet. II. xii. sub fin. With his critics everything is measured by ‘our noble selves.’ They are a “mutual admiration and self-admiration society” (Waite). They have a standard of excellence of their own making, and they congratulate themselves and one another on their conformity to it.

οὐ συνιᾶσιν. Are without understanding. For the verb, which resembles our ‘put two and two together = be intelligent,’ comp. Romans 15:21; Ephesians 5:17. These superior persons do not know the value of things, and cannot interpret them. Nothing is to be understood, as ‘do not understand what they are talking about,’ or ‘how arrogant they are,’ or ‘what Apostleship means.’ The representatives of the δ-text (see critical note), which omit these two words and the following ἡμεῖς δέ, make the words which precede οὐ συνιᾶσιν refer to the Apostle, not to his opponents; we ourselves, measuring ourselves by ourselves, and comparing ourselves with ourselves, will not glory beyond measure. Measuring oneself by one’s own standard is thus made to be the right kind of criticism: comp. Metiri se quemque suo modulo ac pede verum est (Hor. Epist. I. vii. 98). This makes good sense; but the four omitted words are too well attested to be dismissed (yet see WH. on Western non-interpolations II. pp. 175 ff.); and if ἡμεῖς δέ is genuine, αὐτοί must mean the opponents. The reading οὐ συνίσασιν (א) involves the construction, but they themselves are not aware that they measure themselves by themselves, which has not much point. The point is that they do it, not that they do not know that they do it. The reading συνιουσιν (D3KLP), if accented συνιοῦσιν, = συνιᾶσιν (א1B); but, if συνίουσιν, it is a participle agreeing with ἑαυτοῖς, and αὐτοί is left without a verb; which is an unnecessary anacoluthon and is not likely to be right.