Show Bible Commentary For A Bible Verse

Click here to show/hide instructions.

Selected Verse: 1 Thessalonians 2:8 - King James

Verse	Translation	Text
1Th 2:8	King James	So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us.

Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse

Open All | Close All Open All | Close All

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
So--to be joined to "we were willing"; "As a nurse cherisheth . . . so we were willing," &c. [ALFORD]. But BENGEL, "So," that is, seeing that we have such affection for you. being affectionately desirous--The oldest reading in the Greek implies, literally, to connect one's self with another; to be closely attached to another. willing--The Greek is stronger, "we were well content"; "we would gladly have imparted," &c. "even our own lives" (so the Greek for "souls" ought to be translated); as we showed in the sufferings we endured in giving you the Gospel (Acts 17:1-34). As a nursing mother is ready to impart not only her milk to them, but her life for them, so we not only imparted gladly the spiritual milk of the word to you, but risked our own lives for your spiritual nourishment, imitating Him who laid down His life for His friends, the greatest proof of love (Joh 15:13). ye were--Greek, "ye were become," as having become our spiritual children. dear--Greek, "dearly beloved."

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

So--to be joined to "we were willing"; "As a nurse cherisheth . . . so we were willing," &c. [ALFORD]. But BENGEL, "So," that is, seeing that we have such affection for you.

being affectionately desirous--The oldest reading in the Greek implies, literally, to connect one's self with another; to be closely attached to another.

willing--The Greek is stronger, "we were well content"; "we would gladly have imparted," &c. "even our own lives" (so the Greek for "souls" ought to be translated); as we showed in the sufferings we endured in giving you the Gospel (Acts 17:1-34). As a nursing mother is ready to impart not only her milk to them, but her life for them, so we not only imparted gladly the spiritual milk of the word to you, but risked our own lives for your spiritual nourishment, imitating Him who laid down His life for His friends, the greatest proof of love (Joh 15:13).

ye were--Greek, "ye were become," as having become our spiritual children.

dear--Greek, "dearly beloved."

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
So, being affectionately desirous of you - The word here rendered "being affectionately desirous" - ὁμειρομενοι homeiromenoi - occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. It means to "long after, to have a strong affection for." The sense here is, that Paul was so strongly attached to them that he would have been willing to lay down his life for them. We were willing to have imparted unto you - To have given or communicated; Rom 1:11. Not the gospel of God only - To be willing to communicate the knowledge of the gospel was in itself a strong proof of love, even if it were attended with no self-denial or hazard in doing it. We evince a decided love for a man when we tell him of the way of salvation, and urge him to accept of it. We show strong interest for one who is in danger, when we tell him of a way of escape, or for one who is sick, when we tell him of a medicine that will restore him; but we manifest a much higher love when we tell a lost and ruined sinner of the way in which he may be saved. There is no method in which we can show so strong an interest in our fellow-men, and so much true benevolence for them, as to go to them and tell them of the way by which they may be rescued from everlasting ruin. But also our own souls - Or rather "lives" - ψυχὰς psuchas; Mat 6:25; Mat 20:28; Luk 12:22, Luk 12:13; Mar 3:4. This does not mean that the apostle was willing to be damned, or to lose his soul in order to save them, but that if it had been necessary he would have been ready to lay down his life; see Jo1 3:16. "We ought to lay down our lives for the brethren;" compare notes, Joh 15:13. His object seems to be to assure them that he did not leave them from any want of love to them, or from the fear of being put to death. It was done from the strong conviction of duty. He appears to have left them because he could not longer remain without exposing others to danger, and without the certainty that there would be continued disturbances; see Act 17:9-10.

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]

So, being affectionately desirous of you - The word here rendered "being affectionately desirous" - ὁμειρομενοι homeiromenoi - occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. It means to "long after, to have a strong affection for." The sense here is, that Paul was so strongly attached to them that he would have been willing to lay down his life for them.

We were willing to have imparted unto you - To have given or communicated; Rom 1:11.

Not the gospel of God only - To be willing to communicate the knowledge of the gospel was in itself a strong proof of love, even if it were attended with no self-denial or hazard in doing it. We evince a decided love for a man when we tell him of the way of salvation, and urge him to accept of it. We show strong interest for one who is in danger, when we tell him of a way of escape, or for one who is sick, when we tell him of a medicine that will restore him; but we manifest a much higher love when we tell a lost and ruined sinner of the way in which he may be saved. There is no method in which we can show so strong an interest in our fellow-men, and so much true benevolence for them, as to go to them and tell them of the way by which they may be rescued from everlasting ruin.

But also our own souls - Or rather "lives" - ψυχὰς psuchas; Mat 6:25; Mat 20:28; Luk 12:22, Luk 12:13; Mar 3:4. This does not mean that the apostle was willing to be damned, or to lose his soul in order to save them, but that if it had been necessary he would have been ready to lay down his life; see Jo1 3:16. "We ought to lay down our lives for the brethren;" compare notes, Joh 15:13. His object seems to be to assure them that he did not leave them from any want of love to them, or from the fear of being put to death. It was done from the strong conviction of duty. He appears to have left them because he could not longer remain without exposing others to danger, and without the certainty that there would be continued disturbances; see Act 17:9-10.

Vincent's Word Studies, by Marvin R. Vincent [1886]
Being affectionately desirous (ὁμειρόμενοι) N.T.o. Once in lxx, Job 3:21. The figure of the nursing mother is continued. She is not satisfied with nursing the child, but interests herself affectionately in all that concerns it. We were willing (ηὐδοκοῦμεν) Better, we were pleased. Imperfect tense: we continued to entertain and manifest our affectionate solicitude. The verb occasionally in later Greek, and often in lxx. In N.T. it is used of God's decrees, as Luk 12:32; Co1 1:21; Gal 1:15; Col 1:19; and of the free determination and plans of men, as Rom 15:26; Co2 5:8; Th1 3:1. Souls (ψυχάς) Better lives. See on Rom 11:3; see on Co1 15:45; see on Mar 12:30.

Vincent's Word Studies, by Marvin R. Vincent [1886]

Being affectionately desirous (ὁμειρόμενοι)

N.T.o. Once in lxx, Job 3:21. The figure of the nursing mother is continued. She is not satisfied with nursing the child, but interests herself affectionately in all that concerns it.

We were willing (ηὐδοκοῦμεν)

Better, we were pleased. Imperfect tense: we continued to entertain and manifest our affectionate solicitude. The verb occasionally in later Greek, and often in lxx. In N.T. it is used of God's decrees, as Luk 12:32; Co1 1:21; Gal 1:15; Col 1:19; and of the free determination and plans of men, as Rom 15:26; Co2 5:8; Th1 3:1.

Souls (ψυχάς)

Better lives. See on Rom 11:3; see on Co1 15:45; see on Mar 12:30.

Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65]
To impart our own souls - To lay down our lives for your sake.

Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65]

To impart our own souls - To lay down our lives for your sake.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826
Being affectionately desirous of you - We had such intense love for you that we were not only willing and forward to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ to you, but also to give our own lives for your sake, because ye were dear, διοτι αγαπητοι ἡμιν, because ye were beloved by us. The words used here by the apostle are expressive of the strongest affection and attachment.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826

Being affectionately desirous of you - We had such intense love for you that we were not only willing and forward to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ to you, but also to give our own lives for your sake, because ye were dear, διοτι αγαπητοι ἡμιν, because ye were beloved by us. The words used here by the apostle are expressive of the strongest affection and attachment.

Top