1 Thessalonians 4:13

1 Thessalonians 4:13 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
• New International Version (NIV)Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.
• English Standard Version (ESV)But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.
• New King James Version (NKJV)But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.

Context of 1 Thessalonians 4:13

11Try very much to live at peace with other people. Work hard at your own job. We have already told you that you must do these things. 12If you live in this way, other people who are not believers will respect you. Also, you will not have to ask anyone else to give you the things that you need. Our Christian friends, we want you to understand properly about your friends who have died. Then you will not continue to be sad about them. People who do not hope for any life after death are sad when their friends die. But you should not be upset like those other people. 14We believe that Jesus died and he rose again after death. So we also believe that people who have died as Christians will rise again. When God brings Jesus back, he will take the Christians to go with Jesus. 15We are telling you the message that the Lord has given to us. This is what will happen when the Lord returns. Those of us who are still alive will not go to meet the Lord first. We will not go before those people who have already died.

1 Thessalonians 4:13 word by word

Οὐ θέλομεν δὲ ὑμᾶς ἀγνοεῖν, ἀδελφοί, περὶ τῶν κοιμωμένων, ἵνα μὴ λυπῆσθε καθὼς καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ οἱ μὴ ἔχοντες ἐλπίδα.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Butδέde · thenG1161
• I wouldθέλωthelō ethelō · to will/desireG2309
• notοὐou · noG3756
• youσύsu · youG4771
• to be ignorantἀγνοέωagnoeō · be ignorantG50
• brethrenἀδελφόςadelphos · brotherG80
• concerningπερίperi · aboutG4012
• them which are asleepκοιμάωkoimaō · to sleepG2837
• thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• ye sorrowλυπέωlupeō · to grieveG3076
• notμήmē · notG3361
• evenκαίkai · andG2532
• asκαθώςkathōs · as/just asG2531
• othersλοιπόςloipoi · remainingG3062
• which haveἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
• hopeἐλπίςelpis · hopeG1680

Cross-references for 1 Thessalonians 4:13

• Romans 1:13My Christian friends, I want you to know that I have tried often to visit you. But until now, something has always stopped me. I want to help you to serve God well, in the way that I have already helped other Gentiles.
• 1 Corinthians 10:1My Christian friends, remember what happened to our Israelite ancestors. Moses led them out of Egypt long ago. While they followed Moses, they all walked under the same cloud. All of them walked across the Red Sea.
• 1 Corinthians 12:1My Christian friends, I want you to understand clearly about spiritual gifts.
• 2 Corinthians 1:8Our Christian friends, we want you to know about the trouble that we had in Asia. Those troubles were very painful. We ourselves were not strong enough to continue. We even thought that we would die.
• 2 Peter 3:8My friends, here is one thing that you must remember. In the Lord God's mind, one day and 1,000 years are the same. For him, 1,000 years is like a single day.
• 1 Thessalonians 4:15We are telling you the message that the Lord has given to us. This is what will happen when the Lord returns. Those of us who are still alive will not go to meet the Lord first. We will not go before those people who have already died.
• 1 Thessalonians 5:10Jesus died on our behalf so that we can live together with him. It does not matter whether we are alive or dead when he returns. We will all go to live with him.
• 1 Kings 1:21If you do not decide this now, there will be trouble for me and my son Solomon. Soon after they bury you in the grave of your ancestors, they will punish us as bad people.’
• 1 Kings 2:10Then David died. They buried him in the City of David.
• Daniel 12:2Many dead people who lie under the ground will become alive again. Some of them will receive life that continues for ever with God. But other people will receive shame that continues for ever.
• Matthew 27:52Places in the ground where people had buried dead bodies opened up. Many of God's people who had died now became alive again.
• Luke 8:52All the people there were crying loudly because they were very sad. ‘Do not weep,’ Jesus told them. ‘The child is not dead. She is only asleep.’
• John 11:11After Jesus said that, he said to them, ‘Our friend Lazarus is sleeping. But I will go there to wake him up.’
• Acts 7:60Then he fell down on his knees. He shouted, ‘Lord, please forgive these men. Do not punish them because they are doing this to me.’ After Stephen had said this, he died.
• Acts 13:36While David was alive, he served God as God wanted him to do. Then he died and men buried him next to his ancestors. So worms destroyed David's body.
• 1 Corinthians 15:6And after that, he appeared to more than 500 believers at the same time. Most of those 500 people are still alive, but some of them have died.

Commentaries on 1 Thessalonians 4:13

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 13I would not have you to be ignorant - Instead of , have, , wish, is the reading of ADEFG, many others, besides the Arabic, Ethiopic, Armenian, some of the Slavonian, the Vulgate, and Itala, with many of the Greek fathers. This is undoubtedly the true reading: Brethren, I would not wish you to be ignorant; or, I would not that you should be ignorant. This was probably one of the points which were lacking in their faith, that he wished to go to Thessalonica…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 13But I would not have you to be ignorant - I would have you fully informed on the important subject which is here referred to. It is quite probable from this, that some erroneous views prevailed among them in reference to the condition of those who were dead, which tended to prevent their enjoying the full consolation, which they might otherwise have done. Of the prevalence of these views, it is probable the apostle had been informed by Timothy on his…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 13-18Verses 13-18 Here is comfort for the relations and friends of those who die in the Lord. Grief for the death of friends is lawful; we may weep for our own loss, though it may be their gain. Christianity does not forbid, and grace does not do away, our natural affections. Yet we must not be excessive in our sorrows; this is too much like those who have no hope of a better life. Death is an unknown thing, and we know little about the state after death; yet…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 13those who sleep in death (literally those who have fallen asleep; also in 4:14): In Greek, Jewish, and Christian literature, sleep often means death (Daniel 12:2; Matthew 27:52). Personal existence continues after death (Luke 23:40–43; Acts 7:55–60; 2 Corinthians 5:6–10; Philippians 1:20–24; Revelation 6:9–11). Those who have died await the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:23). grieve like the rest, who are without hope: Ancient letters of comfort advised…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1313. The leading topic of Paul's preaching at Thessalonica having been the coming kingdom (Ac 17:7), some perverted it into a cause for fear in respect to friends lately deceased, as if these would be excluded from the glory which those found alive alone should share. This error Paul here corrects (compare 1Th 5:10). I would not--All the oldest manuscripts and versions have "we would not." My fellow labourers (Silas and Timothy) and myself desire that ye…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Thessalonians 4:13

• Afflictions and Adversities
• Bereavement
• Death
• Immortality

In the dictionaries

• Asleep
• Hope
• Immortality
• Peter, Second Epistle of
• Quiet
• Rise
• Sleep
• Trump
• Baldness
• Bible, the

Commentaries on 1 Thessalonians 4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings