The Meaning of 1 Thessalonians 2:7 Explained

1 Thessalonians 2:7

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:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But  we were  gentle  among  you,  even as  a nurse  cherisheth  her  children: 

What does 1 Thessalonians 2:7 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Thessalonians 2:1-12 - The Fruit Of Unsparing Labor
Paul preached in great conflict of soul because of his passionate desire for the salvation of men. In this, many of the notable servants of God have shared; and we shall not attain to the great end of our ministry unless the seeds we sow are steeped in prayers and tears. The Apostle viewed the gospel as a sacred deposit left with him by God on man's behalf, 1 Thessalonians 2:4. Do we sufficiently realize that as Christ is our Trustee, entrusted with God's gift for us, so we are executors of His bequests to our fellow-men, who will have serious charges to bring against us if we hoard for ourselves what was meant for them? The questions which should sustain and quicken us are: "What does God think of my service?-Is He pleased?"
Combined with Paul's strength of purpose there were the sweetness and tenderness of a nurse. Self-denying labor for his own maintenance took from his eyes their needed sleep, and was another proof of his sincerity and devotion. There was no harm in receiving gifts, but Paul was most anxious to do nothing that would invalidate his testimony, or be unworthy of the Master he served. Admirable example for us all! [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Thessalonians 2

1  In what manner the gospel was brought and preached to the Thessalonians
18  A reason is rendered both why Paul was so long absent from them, and also so desirous to see them

Greek Commentary for 1 Thessalonians 2:7

But we were gentle in the midst of you [αλλα εγενητημεν νηπιοι εν μεσωι υμων]
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]
As when a nurse cherishes her own children [ως εαν τροπος ταλπηι τα εαυτης τεκνα]
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]
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]
nurse [τροπος]
(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]
Gentle [ἤπιοι]
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]
Among you [ἐν μέσῳ ὑμῶν]
Better, and more literally, in the midst of you, which implies more intimate intercourse than among you. Comp. Luke 22:27. [source]
Nurse [τροφός]
N.T.oIn Class. sometimes of a mother, and so probably here. See Galatians 4:19. [source]
Cherisheth [θάλπῃ]
PoHere and Ephesians 5:29. The verb originally means to warm. See lxx, Deuteronomy 22:6. [source]
Her own children []
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

Galatians 4:19 Until Christ be formed in you [μεχρις ου μορπωτηι Χριστος εν υμιν]
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]
Ephesians 5:29 Cherisheth [θάλπει]
Only here and 1 Thessalonians 2:7. Originally, to warm. [source]
Ephesians 5:29 Cherisheth [ταλπει]
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]
1 Thessalonians 2:17 Being taken from you [ἀπορφανισθέντες]
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]
1 Thessalonians 2:6 Neither from you nor from others [ουτε απ υμων ουτε απ αλλων]
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]
1 Thessalonians 2:6 When we might have been burdensome, as apostles of Christ [δυναμενοι εν βαρει ειναι ως Χριστου αποστολοι]
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]
1 Thessalonians 2:11 As a father with his own children [ως πατηρ τεκνα εαυτου]
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]
1 Thessalonians 3:2 God‘s minister [diakonon tou theou)]
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]
2 Timothy 2:24 Gentle [ἤπιον]
Only here and 1 Thessalonians 2:7(note). [source]
2 Timothy 2:24 Gentle [ηπιον]
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]
Hebrews 2:1 Therefore [δια τουτο]
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]

What do the individual words in 1 Thessalonians 2:7 mean?

But we were gentle in [the] midst of you as if a nursing mother would cherish - her own children
Ἀλλὰ ἐγενήθημεν ἤπιοι ἐν μέσῳ ὑμῶν ὡς ἐὰν τροφὸς θάλπῃ τὰ ἑαυτῆς τέκνα

ἐγενήθημεν  we  were 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Passive, 1st Person Plural
Root: γίνομαι  
Sense: to become, i.
ἤπιοι  gentle 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: νήπιος  
Sense: an infant, little child.
μέσῳ  [the]  midst 
Parse: Adjective, Dative Neuter Singular
Root: μέσος  
Sense: middle.
ὑμῶν  of  you 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 2nd Person Plural
Root: σύ  
Sense: you.
τροφὸς  a  nursing  mother 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root: τροφός  
Sense: a nurse.
θάλπῃ  would  cherish 
Parse: Verb, Present Subjunctive Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: θάλπω  
Sense: to warm, keep warm.
τὰ  - 
Parse: Article, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἑαυτῆς  her  own 
Parse: Reflexive Pronoun, Genitive Feminine 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἑαυτοῦ  
Sense: himself, herself, itself, themselves.
τέκνα  children 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root: τέκνον  
Sense: offspring, children.