Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the descendants of Abraham? so am I.
Read Chapter 11
Ambrosiaster
AD 400
Paul is making it clear that he is the equal of the men to whom he referred above. His purpose was to show that the disparaging opinions by which they were judging him were false. Commentary on Paul’s Epistles.
Are they Hebrews? so am I. The word Hebrew is derived either (1.) from a Hebrew word denoting "across the stream," in allusion to their descent from Abraham, who crossed the Euphrates from Chaldæa to dwell in Palestine. Hebrews in this sense would mean (to coin a word) transamnine, as we speak of transmarine or transalpine. Abraham, after crossing the Euphrates, is the first to be called Hebrew (Gen. xiv13). The LXX and Aquila render the word here "crosser;" S. Augustine (qu29 in Gen.) renders it "transfluvial." So Chrysostom, Origen, Theodoret understand the word. (2.) Or the Jews were called Hebrews as being descended from Heber, Abraham"s forefather, the only man who with his family, after the confusion of tongues at Babel, retained the primeval Hebrew tongue, together with true faith, religion, and piety. (Cf. Genesis 10:21, and Genesis 11:1, et seq.) Those, then, are wrong who suppose that Hebræi is derived from Abrahæi. S. Augustine, it is true, at one time held this opinion (d...
Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I.
For it was not all Hebrews that were Israelites, since both the Ammonites and Moabites were Hebrews. Wherefore he added somewhat to clear his nobility of descent, and says,
Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I. Are they ministers of Christ. (I speak as one beside himself,) I more.
He is not content with his former deprecation, but uses it again here also. I speak as one beside himself, I more. I am their superior and their better. And indeed he possessed clear proofs of his superiority, but nevertheless even so he terms the thing a folly. And yet if they were false Apostles, he heeded not to have introduced his own superiority by way of comparison, but to have destroyed their claim to be ministers at all. Well, he did destroy it, saying, False Apostles, deceitful workers, fashioning themselves into Apostles of Christ, 2 Corinthians 11:13 but now he does not proceed in that way, for his discourse was about to proceed to ...
