VINCENT'S WORD STUDIES

2 THESSALONIANS 3

CHAPTER III

vers 1.
Finally (to loipon). See on 1 Thess. iv. 1.

May have free course (trech). More literally, simply, and better, may run. Have swift progress through the world. An O.T. idea. See Psalm cxlvii. 15, and comp. Isa. lv. 11 and Acts xii. 24.

Be glorified (doxazhtai). Acknowledged in its true power and glory. Comp. John xii. 28. The phrase the word of the Lord - be glorified, only here.

vers 2.
Unreasonable (atopwn). See on Luke xxiii. 41, and comp. Acts xxv. 5; xxviii. 6. In LXX in a moral sense, iniquitous, Job iv. 8; xi. 11; xxxiv. 12. The word originally means out of place.

All men have not faith. See on Acts vi. 7; Gal. i. 28.

vers 3.
From evil (apo tou ponhrou). Possibly, from the evil one. To ponhron evil is found Rom. xii. 9; Matt. v. 39; but general N.T. usage favors the masculine, personal sense. See Matt. xiii. 19, 38; Eph. vi. 16; 1 F.ii. 13, 14;iii. 12; v. 18. In LXX, to ponhron evil is very common: oJ ponhrov a few times, but always of men. See Deuteronomy xxiv. 7; Esther vii. 6; Job xxi. 30. In Job.iii. 8, 17, to ponhron daimonion the wicked demon. The masculine is favored by the Jewish formularies, of which traces appear in the Lord's prayer; by the unanimous tradition of Greek interpreters; by the interpretations of Tertullian and Cyprian, and by the evidence of the Syriac and Sahidic Versions. 36

vers 5.
Hearts (kardiav). See on Rom. i. 21; x. 10; Eph. i. 18.

Patient waiting for Christ (upomonhn tou cristou). Rather patience of Christ. The prayer is that their hearts may be directed to love God and to exhibit the patience of Christ 37

vers 6.
Withdraw yourselves from (stellesqai umav apo). Stellesqai, P o . In the active voice, to place, arrange, equip: in the middle voice, to provide for, take care. See 2 Cor. viii. 20. Here with ajpo from, to place one's self away from.

Disorderly (ataktwv). This adverb, the verb ajtaktew, and the adjective ataktov are found only in Paul, and only in the Thessalonian Epistles. See on 1 Thess. v. 14.

vers 7.
Follow (mimeisqai). Better, imitate. Comp. 1 Cor. iv. 16; xi. 1; Philip. iii. 17; 1 Thess. i. 6.

vers 8.
Any man's bread (arton para tinov). Lit. bread from any one, or at any man's hand.

For nought (dwrean). The word is a noun, meaning a gift. See John iv. 10; Acts ii. 38; Rom. v. 15. The accusative often adverbially as here; as a gift, gratis. Comp. Matt. x. 8; Rom. iii. 24; Apoc. xxi. 6. Labor and travail. See on 1 Thess. i. 3.

Be chargeable (epibarhsai). P o . Better, burden. By depending upon them for pecuniary support. Comp. 1 Cor. ix. 3-18, and see on 1 Thessalonians ii. 6.

vers 9.
Power (exousian). Better, right. See on Mark ii. 10; John i. 12.

vers 10.
If any would not work, etc. A Jewish proverb.

vers 11.
Working not at all - busybodies (mhden ergazomenouv - periergazomenouv). One of Paul's frequent wordplays. See on reprobate mind, Rom. i. 28. Not busy, but busybodies. Periergazesqai (N.T.o .) is to bustle about a thing: here, to be officious in others' affairs. See on ta perierga curious arts, Acts xix. 19, and 1 Tim. v. 13.

vers 12.
With quietness - work. See on study to be quiet, 1 Thessalonians iv. 11.

vers 13.
Be not weary (entraph). With one exception, Luke xiii. 1, only in Paul. To faint or lose heart.

Well doing (kalopoiountev). N.T.o . According to the Greek idiom, doing well, be not weary. Not limited to works of charity, but including Christian conduct generally, as, for instance, steadily attending to their own business, ver. 12.

vers 14.
By this epistle. Connect with our word. The message we send in this letter. Not, as some, with the following words, note that man in your epistle.

Note (shmeiousqe). N.T.o . Lit. set a mark on. The nature of the mark is indicated in the next clause.

Have no company with (mh sunanamignusqai). P o . See on 1 Corinthians v. 9.

Be ashamed (entraph). See on Matt. xxi. 37, and 1 Cor. iv. 14.

vers 15.
Admonish (nouqeteite). See on Acts xx. 31, and Eph. vi. 4.

vers 16.
The Lord of peace (o kuriov thv eirhnhv). The only instance of the formula.

By all means (en panti tropw), or in every way. The alternative reading topw place is rejected by the principal texts.

vers 17.
The salutation of Paul with mine own hand (aspasmov th emh ceiri Paulou). Rev. properly, "the salutation of me Paul." The genitive of me is contained, according to a familiar Greek idiom, in the possessive pronoun my. Paul had apparently been employing an amanuensis.

In every epistle. Comp. 1 Cor. xvi. 21; Col. iv. 18.

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