KJV: But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children:
YLT: But we became gentle in your midst, as a nurse may cherish her own children,
Darby: but have been gentle in the midst of you, as a nurse would cherish her own children.
ASV: But we were gentle in the midst of you, as when a nurse cherisheth her own children:
ἐγενήθημεν | we were |
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Passive, 1st Person Plural Root: γίνομαι Sense: to become, i. |
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ἤπιοι | gentle |
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Plural Root: νήπιος Sense: an infant, little child. |
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μέσῳ | [the] midst |
Parse: Adjective, Dative Neuter Singular Root: μέσος Sense: middle. |
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ὑμῶν | of you |
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 2nd Person Plural Root: σύ Sense: you. |
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τροφὸς | a nursing mother |
Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Singular Root: τροφός Sense: a nurse. |
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θάλπῃ | would cherish |
Parse: Verb, Present Subjunctive Active, 3rd Person Singular Root: θάλπω Sense: to warm, keep warm. |
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τὰ | - |
Parse: Article, Accusative Neuter Plural Root: ὁ Sense: this, that, these, etc. |
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ἑαυτῆς | her own |
Parse: Reflexive Pronoun, Genitive Feminine 3rd Person Singular Root: ἑαυτοῦ Sense: himself, herself, itself, themselves. |
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τέκνα | children |
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Plural Root: τέκνον Sense: offspring, children. |
Greek Commentary for 1 Thessalonians 2:7
Note εγενητημεν egenēthēmen (became), not ημετα ēmetha (were). This rendering follows ηπιοι ēpioi instead of νηπιοι nēpioi (Aleph B D C Vulg. Boh.) which is clearly correct, though Dibelius, Moffatt, Ellicott, Weiss prefer ηπιοι ēpioi as making better sense. Dibelius terms νηπιοι nēpioi unmoglich (impossible), but surely that is too strong. Paul is fond of the word νηπιοι nēpioi (babes). Lightfoot admits that he here works the metaphor to the limit in his passion, but does not mar it as Ellicott holds. [source]
This comparative clause with ως εαν hōs ean (Mark 4:26; Galatians 6:10 without εαν ean or αν an) and the subjunctive (Robertson, Grammar, p. 968) has a sudden change of the metaphor, as is common with Paul (1 Timothy 5:24; 2 Corinthians 3:13.) from babes to nurse (τροπος trophos), old word, here only in the N.T., from τρεπω trephō to nourish, τροπη trophē nourishment. It is really the mother-nurse “who suckles and nurses her own children” (Lightfoot), a use found in Sophocles, and a picture of Paul‘s tender affection for the Thessalonians. Ταλπω Thalpō is an old word to keep warm, to cherish with tender love, to foster. In N.T. only here and Ephesians 5:29. [source]
to nurse (τροπος trophos), old word, here only in the N.T., from τρεπω trephō to nourish, τροπη trophē nourishment. It is really the mother-nurse “who suckles and nurses her own children” (Lightfoot), a use found in Sophocles, and a picture of Paul‘s tender affection for the Thessalonians. Ταλπω Thalpō is an old word to keep warm, to cherish with tender love, to foster. In N.T. only here and Ephesians 5:29. [source]
(τροπος trophos), old word, here only in the N.T., from τρεπω trephō to nourish, τροπη trophē nourishment. It is really the mother-nurse “who suckles and nurses her own children” (Lightfoot), a use found in Sophocles, and a picture of Paul‘s tender affection for the Thessalonians. Ταλπω Thalpō is an old word to keep warm, to cherish with tender love, to foster. In N.T. only here and Ephesians 5:29. [source]
This reading is adopted by Tischendorf, Weiss, and the Rev. T. Westcott and Hort read νήπιοι babesThis gives a stronger and bolder image, and one which falls in better with the course of thought, in which Paul is asserting his innocence of guile and flattery, and not of harshness. [source]
Better, and more literally, in the midst of you, which implies more intimate intercourse than among you. Comp. Luke 22:27. [source]
N.T.oIn Class. sometimes of a mother, and so probably here. See Galatians 4:19. [source]
PoHere and Ephesians 5:29. The verb originally means to warm. See lxx, Deuteronomy 22:6. [source]
Note the inversion of metaphor. Paul is first the babe, then the nurse or mother. For similar instances see 1 Thessalonians 5:2, 1 Thessalonians 5:4; 2 Corinthians 3:13-16; Romans 7:1ff. See Introduction to 2Corinthians, Vol. 3, p. 19. [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for 1 Thessalonians 2:7
Future temporal clause with μεχρις ου mechris hou (until which time) and the first aorist passive subjunctive of μορποω morphoō late and rare verb, in Plutarch, not in lxx, not in papyri, only here in N.T. This figure is the embryo developing into the child. Paul boldly represents himself as again the mother with birth pangs over them. This is better than to suppose that the Galatians are pregnant mothers (Burton) by a reversal of the picture as in 1 Thessalonians 2:7. [source]
Only here and 1 Thessalonians 2:7. Originally, to warm. [source]
Late and rare word, once in a marriage contract in a papyrus. In N.T. only here and 1 Thessalonians 2:7. Primarily it means to warm (Latin foveo), then to foster with tender care as here. Even as Christ also (κατως και ο Χριστος kathōs kai ho Christos). Relative (correlative) adverb pointing back to ουτως houtōs at the beginning of the sentence (Ephesians 5:28) and repeating the statement in Ephesians 5:25. [source]
N.T.oolxx. Rev. better, being bereaved of you. From ὀρφανός bereftSee Mark 12:40, John 14:18; James 1:27. The word suggests the intimate personal fellowship of the writer with his readers. The separation was like that between parents and children. Comp. 1 Thessalonians 2:7, 1 Thessalonians 2:8. [source]
He widens the negation to include those outside of the church circles and changes the preposition from εχ ex (out of) to απο apo (from). When we might have been burdensome, as apostles of Christ (δυναμενοι εν βαρει ειναι ως Χριστου αποστολοι dunamenoi en barei einai hōs Christou apostoloi). Westcott and Hort put this clause in 1 Thessalonians 2:7. Probably a concessive participle, though being able to be in a position of weight (either in matter of finance or of dignity, or a burden on your funds or “men of weight” as Moffatt suggests). Milligan suggests that Paul “plays here on the double sense of the phrase” like the Latin proverb: Honos propter onus. So he adds, including Silas and Timothy, as Christ‘s apostles, as missionaries clearly, whether in the technical sense or not (cf. Acts 14:4, Acts 14:14; 2 Corinthians 8:23; 2 Corinthians 11:13; Romans 16:7; Philemon 2:25; Revelation 2:2). They were entitled to pay as “Christ‘s apostles” (cf. 1 Corinthians 9; 2 Corinthians 11:7.), though they had not asked for it. [source]
Westcott and Hort put this clause in 1 Thessalonians 2:7. Probably a concessive participle, though being able to be in a position of weight (either in matter of finance or of dignity, or a burden on your funds or “men of weight” as Moffatt suggests). Milligan suggests that Paul “plays here on the double sense of the phrase” like the Latin proverb: Honos propter onus. So he adds, including Silas and Timothy, as Christ‘s apostles, as missionaries clearly, whether in the technical sense or not (cf. Acts 14:4, Acts 14:14; 2 Corinthians 8:23; 2 Corinthians 11:13; Romans 16:7; Philemon 2:25; Revelation 2:2). They were entitled to pay as “Christ‘s apostles” (cf. 1 Corinthians 9; 2 Corinthians 11:7.), though they had not asked for it. [source]
Change from the figure of the mother-nurse in 1 Thessalonians 2:7. There is ellipse of a principal verb with the participles παρακαλουντεσ παραμυτουμενοι μαρτυρουμενοι parakalountesενουτετουμεν paramuthoumenoiεγενητημεν marturoumenoi Lightfoot suggests παρακαλεω enouthetoumen (we admonished) or egenēthēmen (we became). The three participles give three phases of the minister‘s preaching (exhorting, encouraging or consoling, witnessing or testifying). They are all old verbs, but only the first (parakaleō) is common in the N.T. [source]
See note on Matthew 20:26 for this interesting word, here in general sense not technical sense of deacon. Some MSS. have fellow-worker Already apostle in 1 Thessalonians 2:7 and now brother, minister (and possibly fellow-worker). [source]
Only here and 1 Thessalonians 2:7(note). [source]
Old word (from επος epos speech), affable, mild, in N.T. only here (and 1 Thessalonians 2:7 in some MSS.; W. H. have νηπιος nēpios). Teachable (διδακτικον didaktikon). See note on 1 Timothy 3:2. Forbearing Late compound (from future of ανεχω anechō ανεχω anexō and κακον kakon putting up with evil). Here only in N.T. [source]
Because Jesus is superior to prophets and angels and because the new revelation is superior to the old. The author often pauses in his argument, as here, to drive home a pungent exhortation. Ought It is necessity, necessity rather than obligation To give heed Present active infinitive with νουν noun (accusative singular of νους nous) understood as in Acts 8:6. More earnest Comparative adverb, “more earnestly,” “more abundantly” as in 1 Thessalonians 2:7 To the things that were heard Dative plural neuter of the articular participle first aorist passive of ακουω akouō Lest haply we drift away Negative clause of purpose with μη ποτε mē pote and the second aorist passive subjunctive of παραρρεω pararreō old verb to flow by or past, to glide by, only here in N.T. (cf. Proverbs 3:21). Xenophon (Cyrop. IV. 52) uses it of the river flowing by. Here the metaphor is that “of being swept along past the sure anchorage which is within reach” (Westcott), a vivid picture of peril for all (“we,” ημας hēmas). [source]