Bible Strands
2 Corinthians 11:32
In Damascus, the governor under King Aretas secured the city of the Damascenes in order to arrest me.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Paul writes to the Corinthian church while recounting a specific persecution incident in Damascus to substantiate his claim of apostolic suffering.
The words — The text records ἐθνάρχης (ethnarchēs), translated as "governor," and ἐφρούρει (ephrourei), meaning "was guarding" or "secured," to describe the official's action.
The thread — This account aligns with the assassination plot described in Acts 9:24 and directly precedes the basket escape narrative in 2 Corinthians 11:33.
Why it lands — The verse first states the governor's physical containment of the city to arrest Paul, then establishes the concrete threat that necessitates his desperate flight.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me:
Cross-references
- Acts 9:24 but Saul learned of their plot. Day and night they watched the city gates in order to kill him.
- 2 Corinthians 11:26 In my frequent journeys, I have been in danger from rivers and from bandits, in danger from my countrymen and from the Gentiles, in danger in the city and in the country, in danger on the sea and among false brothers,