The Meaning of 2 Thessalonians 3:5 Explained

2 Thessalonians 3:5

KJV: And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.

YLT: and the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God, and to the endurance of the Christ.

Darby: But the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patience of the Christ.

ASV: And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patience of Christ.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  the Lord  direct  your  hearts  into  the love  of God,  and  into  the patient waiting  for Christ. 

What does 2 Thessalonians 3:5 Mean?

Verse Meaning

He prayed that God would give these brothers and sisters a greater appreciation of God"s love for them and of Christ"s steadfastness in the midst of His earthly afflictions. [1] He wanted this so their love and patient endurance might increase (cf. 1 Chronicles 29:18; 2 Chronicles 12:14).
"Consistent Christian behavior can result only from genuine inward commitment." [2]

Context Summary

2 Thessalonians 3:1-5 - Held Firm And Guarded From Evil
This closing section is full of comfort and inspiration. Believers in Christ are the beloved of God; their salvation dates from His eternal love and choice, and His purpose for us is being wrought out in our characters by the Holy Spirit, who ministers to us through the truth. Our comfort is eternal and our hope is unfailing.
Paul was now preaching at Corinth, and he asks that the gospel may run, 2 Thessalonians 3:1, r.v. Oh, for a divine impatience that we may be content with nothing short of this! When unreasonable and wicked men try you, turn to the Lord, who is faithful to His promises and to His saints. The stronger the gales of opposition and hatred, the deeper should we become established and rooted in the truth. The word direct in 2 Thessalonians 2:5 may be rendered, make a thoroughfare through; that is, we desire that our hearts should be a highway down which the love of God and the patience of our Lord may pass to a world of sin and fret. Let us ever connect the patience and kingdom of our Lord, as in Revelation 1:9. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Thessalonians 3

1  Paul craves their prayers for himself;
3  testifies what confidence he has in them;
5  makes request to God in their behalf;
6  gives them various precepts, especially to shun idleness, and ill company;
16  and then concludes with prayer and salutation

Greek Commentary for 2 Thessalonians 3:5

Direct [κατευτυναι]
First aorist active optative of wish for the future as in 2 Thessalonians 2:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:23 from κατευτυνω — kateuthunō old verb, as in 1 Thessalonians 3:11 (there way, here hearts) and Luke 1:79 of feet Perfective use of κατα — kata Bold figure for making smooth and direct road. The Lord here is the Lord Jesus. [source]
Into the love of God [εις την αγαπην του τεου]
Either subjective or objective genitive makes sense and Lightfoot pleads for both, “not only as an objective attribute of deity, but as a ruling principle in our hearts,” holding that it is “seldom possible to separate the one from the other.” Most scholars take it here as subjective, the characteristic of God. Into the patience of Christ (εις την υπομνην του Χριστου — eis tēn hupomnēn tou Christou). There is the same ambiguity here, though the subjective idea, the patience shown by Christ, is the one usually accepted rather than “the patient waiting for Christ” (objective genitive). [source]
Into the patience of Christ [εις την υπομνην του Χριστου]
There is the same ambiguity here, though the subjective idea, the patience shown by Christ, is the one usually accepted rather than “the patient waiting for Christ” (objective genitive). [source]
Hearts [καρδίας]
See on Romans 1:21; see on Romans 10:10; see on Ephesians 1:18. [source]
Patient waiting for Christ [ὑπομονὴν τοῦ χριστοῦ]
Rather patience of Christ. The prayer is that their hearts may be directed to love God and to exhibit the patience of Christ. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for 2 Thessalonians 3:5

John 5:42 But I know you [αλλα εγνωκα υμας]
Perfect active indicative of γινωσκω — ginōskō “I have come to know and still know,” the knowledge of personal experience (John 2:24.). The love o‘ God Objective genitive, “the love toward God.” See Luke 11:42 for this phrase in the same sense (only other instance in the Gospels, but common in 1John (1 John 2:5; 1 John 3:17; 1 John 4:7, 1 John 4:9; 1 John 5:3) and in 2 Thessalonians 3:5; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Romans 5:5. The sense of God‘s love for man occurs in 1 John 3:1; 1 John 4:9, 1 John 4:10, 1 John 4:16; John 15:9. of Christ‘s love for man. These rabbis did not love God and hence did not love Christ. [source]
Romans 1:21 Heart [καρδία]
The heart is, first, the physical organ, the center of the circulation of the blood. Hence, the seat and center of physical life. In the former sense it does not occur in the New Testament. As denoting the vigor and sense of physical life, see Acts 14:17; James 5:5; Luke 21:34. It is used fifty-two times by Paul. Never used like ψυχή , soul, to denote the individual subject of personal life, so that it can be exchanged with the personal pronoun (Acts 2:43; Acts 3:23; Romans 13:1); nor like πνεῦμα spiritto denote the divinely-given principle of life. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
It is the central seat and organ of the personal life ( ψυχή ) of man regarded in and by himself. Hence it is commonly accompanied with the possessive pronouns, my, his, thy, etc. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
Like our heart it denotes the seat of feeling as contrasted with intelligence. 2 Corinthians 2:4; Romans 9:2; Romans 10:1; 2 Corinthians 6:11; Philemon 1:7. But it is not limited to this. It is also the seat of mental action, feeling, thinking, willing. It is used - -DIVIDER-
1. Of intelligence, Romans 1:21; 2 Corinthians 3:15; 2 Corinthians 4:6; Ephesians 1:18. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
2. Of moral choice, 1 Corinthians 7:37; 2 Corinthians 9:7. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
3. As giving impulse and character to action, Romans 6:17; Ephesians 6:5; Colossians 3:22; 1 Timothy 1:5; 2 Timothy 2:22. The work of the law is written on the heart, Romans 2:15. The Corinthian Church is inscribed as Christ's epistle on hearts of flesh, 2 Corinthians 3:2-3. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
4. Specially, it is the seat of the divine Spirit, Galatians 4:6; Romans 5:5; 2 Corinthians 1:22. It is the sphere of His various operations, directing, comforting, establishing, etc., Philemon 4:7; Colossians 3:15; 1 Thessalonians 3:13; 2 Thessalonians 2:17; 2 Thessalonians 3:5. It is the seat of faith, and the organ of spiritual praise, Romans 10:9; Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
It is equivalent to the inner man, Ephesians 3:16, Ephesians 3:17. Its characteristic is being hidden, Romans 2:28, Romans 2:29; Romans 8:27; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 1 Corinthians 14:25. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
It is contrasted with the face, 1 Thessalonians 2:17; 2 Corinthians 5:12; and with the mouth, Romans 10:8. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
[source]

1 Thessalonians 3:11 Direct [κατεύθυναι]
Lit. make straight. Only in Paul and Luke. See on Luke 1:79, and comp. 2 Thessalonians 3:5. Frequent in lxx. [source]
1 Thessalonians 1:3 Work - labor - patience [ἔπργου - κόπου - ὑπομονῆς]
Ἔργον workmay mean either the act, the simple transaction, or the process of dealing with anything, or the result of the dealing, - as a book or a picture is called a work. Κόπος laborfrom κόπτειν tostrike or hew; hence, laborious, painful exertion. Ὑπομονὴ patiencepatient endurance and faithful persistence in toil and suffering. See on 2 Peter 1:6; see on James 5:7. The genitives, of faith, love, hope, mark the generating principles of the work and labor and patience, which set their stamp upon each; thus, work which springs from faith, and is characteristic of faith. The phrase patience of hope is found only here; but see Romans 5:4; Romans 8:25; Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 8:7; Hebrews 7:11, Hebrews 7:12. ὑπομονὴ in lxx, see 1 Chronicles 29:15; Job 14:19; Psalm 9:18; Psalm 38:7; Jeremiah href="/desk/?q=jer+4:8&sr=1">Jeremiah 4:8. We have here the great triad of Christian graces, corresponding to 1 Corinthians 8:1-13. Hope is prominent throughout the two Epistles. The triad appears, 1 Thessalonians 5:8; Galatians 5:5, Galatians 5:6; 1 Corinthians 8:13; Ephesians 4:2-5; Colossians 1:4, Colossians 1:5; Hebrews 10:22-24; 1 Peter 1:21-22. Comp. 1 Thessalonians 2:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:8; 2 Thessalonians 3:5, 2 Thessalonians 3:8; 1 Corinthians 15:10, 1 Corinthians 15:58; 2 Corinthians 11:27; Revelation 2:2. [source]
1 Thessalonians 3:11 And our Lord Jesus [και ο Κυριος ημων Ιησους]
Separate article here with Ιησους — Iēsous In Titus 2:13; 2 Peter 1:1 only one article (not two) treating “our God and Saviour Jesus Christ” as one just like “our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” in 2 Peter 1:11; 2 Peter 2:20; 2 Peter 3:18. Direct our way (κατευτυναι την οδον ημων — kateuthunai tēn hodon hēmōn). First aorist optative (acute accent on penult, not circumflex first aorist active infinitive) of κατευτυνω — kateuthunō old verb to make straight path. Singular verb also, though both God and Christ mentioned as subject (unity in the Godhead). Apart from μη γενοιτο — mē genoito (may it not come to pass) the optative in a wish of the third person is found in N.T. only in 1 Thessalonians 3:11, 1 Thessalonians 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; 2 Thessalonians 2:17; 2 Thessalonians 3:5, 2 Thessalonians 3:16; Romans 15:5, Romans 15:13. [source]
1 Thessalonians 3:11 Direct our way [κατευτυναι την οδον ημων]
First aorist optative (acute accent on penult, not circumflex first aorist active infinitive) of κατευτυνω — kateuthunō old verb to make straight path. Singular verb also, though both God and Christ mentioned as subject (unity in the Godhead). Apart from μη γενοιτο — mē genoito (may it not come to pass) the optative in a wish of the third person is found in N.T. only in 1 Thessalonians 3:11, 1 Thessalonians 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; 2 Thessalonians 2:17; 2 Thessalonians 3:5, 2 Thessalonians 3:16; Romans 15:5, Romans 15:13. [source]
Revelation 3:10 Patience [υπομενης]
“Endurance” as in Revelation 13:10; Revelation 14:12 as also in 2 Thessalonians 3:5. [source]

What do the individual words in 2 Thessalonians 3:5 mean?

- And the Lord may direct your - hearts into the love - of God and steadfastness of Christ
δὲ Κύριος κατευθύναι ὑμῶν τὰς καρδίας εἰς τὴν ἀγάπην τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ ὑπομονὴν Χριστοῦ

  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Κύριος  the  Lord 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: κύριος  
Sense: he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord.
κατευθύναι  may  direct 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Optative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: κατευθύνω  
Sense: to make straight, guide, direct.
ὑμῶν  your 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 2nd Person Plural
Root: σύ  
Sense: you.
τὰς  - 
Parse: Article, Accusative Feminine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
καρδίας  hearts 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Plural
Root: καρδία  
Sense: the heart.
εἰς  into 
Parse: Preposition
Root: εἰς  
Sense: into, unto, to, towards, for, among.
ἀγάπην  love 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: ἀγάπη  
Sense: brotherly love, affection, good will, love, benevolence.
τοῦ  - 
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Θεοῦ  of  God 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: θεός  
Sense: a god or goddess, a general name of deities or divinities.
ὑπομονὴν  steadfastness 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: ὑπομονή  
Sense: steadfastness, constancy, endurance.
Χριστοῦ  of  Christ 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: Χριστός  
Sense: Christ was the Messiah, the Son of God.