Verse 26. In journeyings often. Of course subject to the fatigue, toil, and danger which such a mode of life involves.

In perils of waters. In danger of losing my life at sea, or by floods, or by crossing streams.

Of robbers. Many of the countries, especially Arabia, through which he travelled, were then infested, as they are now, with robbers. It is not impossible or improbable that he was often attacked, and his life endangered. It is still unsafe to travel in many of the places through which he travelled.

By mine own countrymen. The Jews. They often scourged him; laid wait for him; and were ready to put him to death. They had deep enmity against him as an apostate, and he was in constant danger of being put to death by them.

By the heathen. By those who had not the true religion. Several instances of his danger from this quarter are mentioned in the Acts.

In the city. In cities, as in Derbe, Lystra, Philippi, Jerusalem, Ephesus, etc.

In the wilderness. In the desert, where he would be exposed to ambushes, or to wild beasts, or to hunger and want. Instances of this are not recorded in the Acts, but no one can doubt that they occurred. The idea here is, that he had met with constant danger wherever he was, whether in the busy haunts of men, or in the solitude and loneliness of the desert.

In the sea.2 Co 11:25.

Among false brethren. This was the crowning danger and trial to Paul, as it is to all others. A man can better bear danger by land and water, among robbers and in deserts, than he can bear to have his confidence abused, and to be subjected to the action and the arts of spies upon his conduct. Who these were he has not informed us. He mentions it as the chief trial to which he had been exposed, that he had met those who pretended to be his friends, and who yet had sought every possible opportunity to expose and destroy him. Perhaps he has here a delicate reference to the danger which he apprehended from the false brethren in the church at Corinth.

{a} "by mine own countrymen" Ac 14:5