1 Thessalonians 2:9

1 Thessalonians 2:9

For ye remember, brethren, our labor and travail: for laboring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God.

a. NLT: Don’t you remember, dear brothers and sisters, how hard we worked among you? Night and day we toiled to earn a living so that we would not be a burden to any of you as we preached God’s Good News to you.

b. NIV: Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you.

    

c. YLT: For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail, for, night and day working not to be a burden upon any of you, we did preach to you the good news of God;

d. Amplified Bible Classic: For you recall our hard toil and struggles, brethren. We worked night and day [and plied our trade] in order not to be a burden to any of you [for our support] while we proclaimed the glad tidings (the Gospel) of God to you.

e. Worrell Translation: For ye remember, brethren, our labor and toil; working night a day, that we might not be burdensome to any of you, we preached to you the Gospel of God

f. Wuest Translation: For you remember, brethren, our fatiguing labor and hardship, night and day working at manual labor that we might not burden any of you while we proclaimed to you the good news of God.

1. “For ye remember, brethren, our labor and travail: for laboring night and day…”

a. For [Strong: 1063 gar gar a primary particle; properly, assigning a reason (used in argument, explanation or intensification; often with other particles):--and, as, because (that), but, even, for, indeed, no doubt, seeing, then, therefore, verily, what, why, yet.]

b. ye remember [Strong: 3421 mnemoneuo mnay-mon-yoo'-o from a derivative of 3420; to exercise memory, i.e. recollect; by implication, to punish; also to rehearse:--make mention; be mindful, remember.]

c. brethren [Strong: 80 adephos ad-el-fos' from 1 (as a connective particle) and delphus (the womb); a brother (literally or figuratively) near or remote (much like 1):--brother.]

d. our [Strong: 2257 hemon hay-mone' genitive case plural of 1473; of (or from) us:--our (company), us, we.]

e. labor [Strong: 2873 kopos kop'-os from 2875; a cut, i.e. (by analogy) toil (as reducing the strength), literally or figuratively; by implication, pains:--labour, + trouble, weariness.]

f. and [Strong: 2532 kai kahee apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:--and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

g. travail [Strong: 3449 mochthos mokh'-thos from the base of 3425; toil, i.e. (by implication) sadness:--painfulness, travail.]

h. for [Strong: 1063 gar gar a primary particle; properly, assigning a reason (used in argument, explanation or intensification; often with other particles):--and, as, because (that), but, even, for, indeed, no doubt, seeing, then, therefore, verily, what, why, yet.]

i. laboring [Strong: 2038 ergazomai er-gad'-zom-ahee middle voice from 2041; to toil (as a task, occupation, etc.), (by implication) effect, be engaged in or with, etc.:--commit, do, labor for, minister about, trade (by), work.]

j. night [Strong: 3571 nux noox a primary word; "night" (literally or figuratively):-- (mid-)night.]

k. and [Strong: 2532 kai kahee apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:--and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

l. day [Strong: 2250 hemera hay-mer'-ah feminine (with 5610 implied) of a derivative of hemai (to sit; akin to the base of 1476) meaning tame, i.e. gentle; day, i.e. (literally) the time space between dawn and dark, or the whole 24 hours (but several days were usually reckoned by the Jews as inclusive of the parts of both extremes); figuratively, a period (always defined more or less clearly by the context):--age, + alway, (mid-)day (by day, (-ly)), + for ever, judgment, (day) time, while, years.]

1). The Apostle Paul was a tentmaker.

a). Acts 18:1-3 After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth;

18:2 And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them.

18:3 And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers.

b). Barnes: “That is, when he was not engaged in preaching the gospel. He appears to have labored through the week, and to have preached on the Sabbath; or, if engaged in preaching in the day time during the week, he made it up by night labor.”

2. “…because we would not be chargeable unto any of you…”

a. because [Strong: 4314 pros pros a strengthened form of 4253; a preposition of direction; forward to, i.e. toward (with the genitive case, the side of, i.e. pertaining to; with the dative case, by the side of, i.e. near to; usually with the accusative case, the place, time, occasion, or respect, which is the destination of the relation, i.e. whither or for which it is predicated):--about, according to , against, among, at, because of, before, between, (where-)by, for, X at thy house, in, for intent, nigh unto, of, which pertain to, that, to (the end that), X together, to (you) -ward, unto, with(-in). In the comparative case, it denotes essentially the same applications, namely, motion towards, accession to, or nearness at.]

b. we would…be chargeable [Strong: 1912 epibareo ep-ee-bar-eh'-o from 1909 and 916; to be heavy upon, i.e. (pecuniarily) to be expensive to; figuratively, to be severe towards:--be chargeable to, overcharge.] [Thayer: to put a burden upon, to load, to be burdensome.]

1). Amplified Bible Cassic: “…We worked night and day [and plied our trade] in order not to be a burden to any of you [for our support]…”

c. not [Strong: 3361 me may a primary particle of qualified negation (whereas 3756 expresses an absolute denial); (adverb) not, (conjunction) lest; also (as an interrogative implying a negative answer (whereas 3756 expects an affirmative one)) whether:--any but (that), X forbear, + God forbid, + lack, lest, neither, never, no (X wise in), none, nor, (can-)not, nothing, that not, un(-taken), without. Often used in compounds in substantially the same relations.]

d. unto any [Strong: 5100 tis tis an enclitic indefinite pronoun; some or any person or object:--a (kind of), any (man, thing, thing at all), certain (thing), divers, he (every) man, one (X thing), ought, + partly, some (man, -body, - thing, -what), (+ that no-)thing, what(-soever), X wherewith, whom(-soever), whose(-soever).]

e. of you [Strong: 5216 humon hoo-mone' genitive case of 5210; of (from or concerning) you:--ye, you, your (own, -selves).]

1). Wherever Paul went to preach the gospel, he purposely paid his own way.

a). Acts 20:33, 34 I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel.

20:34 Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me.

b). 2 Thessalonians  3:6-9 Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.

3:7 For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you;

3:8 Neither did we eat any man's bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you:

3:9 Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us.

2). There were a number of reasons Paul did this, one of which was to set a good example. Another was to not give ammunition to Paul’s enemies to accuse him of preaching for money.

3). [Albert Barnes New Testament Commentary] “That I may give them no opportunity of accusing me of desiring to grow rich, and of calumniating me. Paul meant that they should have no plausible pretext even for accusing him; that no man should be able to say that he was preaching merely for the hire.”

3. “…we preached unto you the gospel of God.”

a. we preached [Strong: 2784 kerusso kay-roos'-so of uncertain affinity; to herald (as a public crier), especially divine truth (the gospel):--preacher(-er), proclaim, publish.]

b. unto [Strong: 1519 eis ice a primary preposition; to or into (indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time, or (figuratively) purpose (result, etc.); also in adverbial phrases:--(abundant-)ly, against, among, as, at, (back-)ward, before, by, concerning, + continual, + far more exceeding, for (intent, purpose), fore, + forth, in (among, at, unto, -so much that, -to), to the intent that, + of one mind, + never, of, (up-)on, + perish, + set at one again, (so) that, therefore(-unto), throughout, til, to (be, the end, -ward), (here-)until(-to), ...ward, (where-)fore, with. Often used in composition with the same general import, but only with verbs (etc.) expressing motion (literally or figuratively).]

c. you [Strong: 5209 humas hoo-mas' accusative case of 5210; you (as the objective of a verb or preposition):--ye, you (+ -ward), your (+ own).]

d. the gospel [Strong: 2098  euaggelion yoo-ang-ghel'-ee-on from the same as 2097; a good message, i.e. the gospel:--gospel.]

e. of God [Strong: 2316 f uncertain affinity; a deity, especially (with 3588) the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very:--X exceeding, God, god(-ly, -ward).]