2 Corinthians 11:3 New English Translation

³But I am afraid that^[a] just as the serpent^[b] deceived Eve by his treachery,^[c] your minds may be led astray^[d] from a sincere and pure^[e] devotion to Christ.

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Footnotes

2 Corinthians 11:3 tn Grk “I fear lest somehow.”
2 Corinthians 11:3 tn Or “the snake.”
2 Corinthians 11:3 tn Or “craftiness.”
2 Corinthians 11:3 tn Or “corrupted,” “seduced.”
2 Corinthians 11:3 tc Although most mss (א² H Ψ 0121 0243 1739 1881 M) lack “and pure” (καὶ τῆς ἁγνότητος, kai tēs hagnotētos; Grk “and purity”) several significant and early witnesses (P⁴⁶ א* B D^[2] F G 33 81 104 ar r co) retain these words. Their presence in such mss across such a wide geographical distribution argues for their authenticity. The omission from the majority of mss can be explained by haplography, since the -τητος ending of ἁγνότητος is identical to the ending of ἁπλότητος (haplotētos, “sincerity”) three words back (ἁπλότητος καὶ τῆς ἁγνότητος); further, since the meanings of “sincerity” and “purity” are similar they might seem redundant. A copyist would scarcely notice the omission because Paul’s statement still makes sense without “and from purity.”

2 Corinthians 11:3 in all English translations

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