2 Corinthians 11:32 - Exposition

In Damascus. (For the incident referred to, see Acts 9:22-25 .) The governor; literally, the ethnarch . This is obviously the title given to the commandant of the city (whether an Arabian or a Jew), left in charge by Aretas. The word does not occur elsewhere in the New Testament, but is found in 1Ma 14:47; Josephus, 'Ant.,' 14:7, § 2. Under Aretas the king. Hareth, the Emir of Petra, father-in-law of Herod the Great. He had either seized the city during his war with Herod, to avenge the insult offered to his daughter by Herod's adultery with Herodias; or it may have been assigned to him by Caligula. His relations with Damascus are confirmed by coins (see 'Life of St. Paul,' exc. 8.). Kept… with a garrison; literally, was guarding . It is said in Acts 9:24 that the Jews did this; but they could not in any case have done it without leave from the ethnarch, and qui facit per alium, facit per se . Desirous to apprehend me. Both words are a little stronger in the Greek—"determining to seize me."