On frequent journeys: this may be understood as the first in the series of hardships, as the wording of Revised Standard Version (and Revised English Bible) seems to imply. But it is better to understand this phrase as referring to the time when the hardships of this verse were experienced. The latter is the interpretation followed by Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, and many other versions. It was during Paul’s many journeys that the following dangers arose.

Danger: the word so translated is found only in this verse and in Rom 8.35, where it is rendered “peril.” But it is used eight times in succession here. The repetition serves to reinforce the sense of peril, and this recurrence may be reflected in the receptor language if it is not unnatural. While the list of ways in which Paul experienced danger may seem at first haphazard, it should be noted that there are important pairs or triplets that are apparently intended to be all-inclusive. For example, my own people and Gentiles as well as city, wilderness and sea.

My own people is literally “from people.” The specific mention of the Gentiles in the next phrase justifies understanding this to mean the Jews, as Good News Translation and Bible en français courant (“fellow-Jews”) make explicit. Revised English Bible says “from my fellow-countrymen.” And New International Version translates similarly but without the word “fellow.” Gentiles may be quite naturally translated “people who are not Jews” in this case.

Danger in the city, danger in the wilderness is literally “danger in city, danger in wilderness.” Paul is not referring to one specific city or one specific wilderness, as Revised Standard Version may suggest by using the definite articles. Good News Translation is the more natural translation of the meaning in English, using plural nouns. City and wilderness refer to contrasting places—places where many people live, and places that have little or no population. The term wilderness may be better translated in some languages as “the open country” (New Jerusalem Bible, Translator’s New Testament, and Biblia Dios Habla Hoy) or “in uninhabited places” (Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente). Compare Mark 1.3.

Danger at sea: this will be difficult to translate in those languages where there is no word for “sea.” Some are forced to use expressions like “the great water” or something similar.

False brethren is not to be taken in the literal biological sense. Good News Translation‘s “false friends” is perhaps too general. Paul is referring to persons whom he regards as “false Christians” (Revised English Bible). In some cases it may be necessary to say something like “people who pretend to be Christians” or something similar.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellingworth, Paul. A Handbook on Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1993. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .