2 Corinthians 11:33

KJV

And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.

KJV (with Strong's)

And {G2532} through {G1223} a window {G2376} in {G1722} a basket {G4553} was I let down {G5465} by {G1223} the wall {G5038}, and {G2532} escaped {G1628} his {G846} hands {G5495}.

Complete Jewish Bible

but I was lowered in a basket through an opening in the wall and escaped his clutches.

Berean Standard Bible

But I was lowered in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his grasp.

American Standard Version

and through a window was I let down in a basket by the wall, and escaped his hands.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
In 2 Corinthians 11:33, the Apostle Paul recounts a dramatic and undignified escape from Damascus, where he was lowered through a window in a basket down the city wall to evade capture. This vivid detail serves as a concluding, poignant example in his reluctant defense of his apostolic credentials, highlighting the profound dangers and humble circumstances he endured for the sake of the gospel, thereby demonstrating his genuine reliance on God's providential care amidst profound vulnerability.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse stands as the climactic personal anecdote in Paul's "fool's speech" (2 Corinthians 11:1-21), where he reluctantly boasts about his sufferings and weaknesses to counter the false apostles who were undermining his authority in Corinth. Having listed an extensive catalog of hardships—imprisonments, beatings, shipwrecks, sleepless nights, hunger, and constant anxieties (2 Corinthians 11:23-29)—Paul then shifts to specific, humiliating incidents that further underscore his vulnerability. The escape from Damascus, recounted here and previously in [Acts 9:23-25](/acts/9-23-25 "Acts 9:23-25 - The Plot Against Paul in Damascus"), is presented not as a heroic feat, but as a desperate, undignified act of survival, serving as the final, most recent (at the time of writing) example of his afflictions (2 Corinthians 11:30-32). This narrative choice emphasizes that his apostleship is validated not by worldly power or status, but by his profound suffering and God's sustaining grace.

* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The event described in 2 Corinthians 11:33 took place early in Paul's ministry, shortly after his conversion on the road to Damascus. Following his radical transformation, Paul immediately began boldly proclaiming Jesus as the Son of God in the synagogues of Damascus, which provoked intense opposition from the Jewish authorities. As recorded in [Acts 9](/acts/9 "Acts 9 - Saul's Conversion and Early Ministry"), these leaders conspired to kill him, and the city's ethnarch (governor) under Aretas IV, the Nabatean king, was complicit, guarding the city gates to prevent Paul's escape. Damascus was a walled city, and such walls often had houses built into or atop them, with windows opening outwards. Escaping by being lowered in a basket through such a window was a clandestine, humble, and undignified means of evasion, a stark contrast to any grand, heroic departure. This method of escape highlights the real and constant danger Paul faced and the desperate measures required for his survival and continued ministry.

* **Key Themes:** This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes within 2 Corinthians and Paul's theology. Firstly, it underscores the theme of **Divine Protection and Providence**, illustrating how God sovereignly intervenes to preserve His servants, even through unconventional and seemingly inglorious means. Secondly, it exemplifies **Humility and Weakness** as a hallmark of true apostolic ministry. Paul's escape in a crude basket was far from glorious, reinforcing his consistent message that God's power is made perfect in human weakness (as articulated in [2 Corinthians 12:9](/2_corinthians/12-9 "2 Corinthians 12:9 - God's Grace is Sufficient")). This undignified exit underscored his genuine apostleship, which was marked by suffering for Christ, not by worldly acclaim. Finally, it serves as undeniable proof of **Apostolic Suffering** as a credential. Unlike the false apostles who boasted in their worldly achievements and rhetorical prowess, Paul boasted in his afflictions, demonstrating that genuine following of Christ often involves hardship and persecution, validating his authentic call to ministry.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **Basket (Greek, _sargánē'_):** From G4553, this term refers to a large wicker basket, often used for carrying hay, straw, or even refuse. Its use here emphasizes the crude, unceremonious, and undignified nature of Paul's escape. It was not a noble or heroic exit, but a desperate, humble one, highlighting the Apostle's vulnerability and dependence on others and ultimately on divine providence. The choice of this specific word underscores the lack of human glory in his deliverance.
* **Let down (Greek, _chaláō'_):** From G5465, meaning "to lower (as into a void)" or "to strike." This verb conveys the act of being lowered from a height, implying a passive role for Paul in his escape, completely reliant on those above him. It suggests a descent into vulnerability or a precarious situation, further emphasizing the desperate circumstances and the lack of control Paul had over his own deliverance.
* **Escaped (Greek, _ekpheúgō'_):** From G1628, meaning "to flee out." This word denotes a narrow and successful flight from danger or capture. It highlights the immediate and pressing threat Paul faced and the critical nature of his deliverance. The escape was not merely a departure but a successful evasion of imminent danger, underscoring God's precise timing and intervention in preserving his life and ministry.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"And through a window in a basket":** This phrase immediately sets the scene of an unconventional and precarious escape. The "window" suggests a house built into or upon the city wall, providing a clandestine exit point. The "basket" (sargánē) underscores the humble, undignified, and perhaps even humiliating means of egress, far from any heroic or stately departure.
* **"was I let down by the wall":** This clause emphasizes Paul's passive role in his own deliverance, highlighting his complete reliance on others (his disciples, as mentioned in Acts 9:25) to lower him to safety. The descent "by the wall" indicates the perilous nature of the escape, as he was suspended alongside the formidable city fortifications.
* **"and escaped his hands":** This final phrase states the successful outcome of the precarious maneuver. The "his hands" refers to the ethnarch and his guards, who were actively seeking to apprehend Paul. The escape signifies a direct divine intervention, preserving Paul from capture and likely death, allowing his ministry to continue.

#### Literary Devices
The verse employs several powerful literary devices. **Irony** is prominent, as the great Apostle Paul, a formidable intellectual and spiritual leader, is forced to escape in such an undignified and humble manner, contrasting sharply with any worldly expectations of a powerful figure. This ironic situation serves to underscore Paul's consistent theological point that God's power is made perfect in weakness. The **Symbolism** of the basket itself is significant; it represents vulnerability, dependence, and the unglamorous reality of ministry. It's not a symbol of strength or status, but of being carried and protected in a fragile container. Furthermore, there is a subtle **Narrative Parallelism** or echo to the Old Testament account of Rahab helping the Israelite spies escape Jericho by lowering them from her window in a rope (Joshua 2:15), suggesting a divine pattern of deliverance through unconventional means, often involving a wall and a descent. The concise, factual recounting of this dramatic event also lends it a sense of **Verisimilitude**, grounding Paul's spiritual claims in tangible, personal experience.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
This dramatic escape serves as a profound theological illustration of God's providential care for His servants, often manifesting in the most unexpected and undignified ways. It reinforces the Pauline theme that true strength is found in weakness, and that God's power is most clearly displayed when human resources are exhausted. Paul's willingness to recount such a humiliating event underscores his commitment to the gospel above personal reputation, demonstrating that suffering and vulnerability are not hindrances to God's work but often the very means through which His glory is revealed. This incident teaches us that divine deliverance does not always come in grand, heroic fashion, but can be found in humble, desperate circumstances, testifying to God's faithfulness even when we are at our most vulnerable.

* [Acts 9:23-25](/acts/9-23-25 "Acts 9:23-25 - The Plot Against Paul in Damascus")
* [2 Corinthians 12:9-10](/2_corinthians/12-9-10 "2 Corinthians 12:9-10 - God's Power in Weakness")
* [Philippians 3:7-8](/philippians/3-7-8 "Philippians 3:7-8 - Counting All as Loss for Christ")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Paul's undignified escape in a basket offers a powerful and relatable lesson for believers today: God's protection and provision are not limited by our circumstances or by the "dignity" of our deliverance. We often desire God to rescue us in ways that preserve our reputation or comfort, but Paul's experience reminds us that God's methods are often unconventional, highlighting our dependence on Him rather than our own strength or cleverness. This verse challenges us to embrace our vulnerabilities, knowing that it is precisely in our weakness that God's power can be most profoundly displayed. When we face seemingly inescapable situations, whether physical dangers, professional setbacks, or personal struggles, Paul's example encourages us to trust in God's faithfulness to make a way, even if that way involves an undignified "basket escape." It calls us to boast not in our achievements or resilience, but in our weaknesses, recognizing that our limitations become the very canvas upon which God paints His glorious strength.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **In what areas of your life are you tempted to rely on your own strength or reputation rather than God's unconventional methods of deliverance?**
* **How does Paul's "basket escape" challenge your perception of what it means to be strong or successful in God's service?**
* **Can you identify a time when God delivered you in a way that felt undignified or unexpected, and how did that experience deepen your trust in Him?**

### FAQ
**Why does Paul choose to recount this specific, seemingly humiliating event in his defense?**

Answer: Paul recounts this event not to boast in his own cleverness or bravery, but precisely because of its humiliating and undignified nature. In [2 Corinthians 11:30](/2_corinthians/11-30 "2 Corinthians 11:30 - Paul Boasts in Weakness"), he states, "If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities." The false apostles in Corinth likely boasted in their eloquence, worldly success, or impressive credentials. Paul, by contrast, deliberately highlights his weaknesses, sufferings, and even this undignified escape, to demonstrate that his apostleship is validated by his profound suffering for Christ and his utter reliance on God, not by worldly status or power. It serves as a stark contrast to the superficial claims of his opponents, proving his genuine call through his experience of Christ's suffering.

**Is there any other biblical account of this escape?**

Answer: Yes, this very event is also recorded in [Acts 9:23-25](/acts/9-23-25 "Paul's Escape from Damascus"). In Acts, the narrative focuses on the plot by the Jews to kill Paul and how his disciples helped him escape by lowering him through the wall in a basket. Paul's brief mention in 2 Corinthians serves as a personal, first-hand confirmation of this early and dramatic incident in his ministry, underscoring the constant peril he faced from the very beginning of his apostolic work.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Paul's ignominious escape in a basket from Damascus, far from being merely a historical anecdote, resonates deeply with the Christ-centered narrative of salvation. Just as Paul was lowered in a humble basket to escape the "hands" of those seeking his life, so too was Christ, in profound humility, "lowered" from His heavenly glory to enter the human condition. [Philippians 2:5-8](/philippians/2-5-8 "Philippians 2:5-8 - Christ's Humiliation") beautifully describes this divine condescension, where Christ "emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant." His ultimate "escape" from the clutches of sin and death was not through a glorious display of power, but through the ultimate act of vulnerability and suffering on the cross. The cross, like Paul's basket, was an instrument of humiliation and weakness in the eyes of the world, yet it was precisely through this undignified means that God accomplished the greatest deliverance for humanity. Christ's death was His "being let down by the wall" into the abyss of human sin and mortality, only to "escape" the power of death through His resurrection, triumphing over the "hands" of the devil and sin (as seen in [Hebrews 2:14-15](/hebrews/2-14-15 "Hebrews 2:14-15 - Christ's Victory over Death")). Paul's experience thus foreshadows the divine paradox: true victory and deliverance are often found not in strength and glory, but in the profound humility and weakness exemplified by Christ on the cross, through whom all believers find their ultimate escape from spiritual death into eternal life.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Acts 9:25

Then the disciples took him by night, and let [him] down by the wall in a basket.

1 Samuel 19:12

So Michal let David down through a window: and he went, and fled, and escaped.

Joshua 2:18

Behold, [when] we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou shalt bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father's household, home unto thee.