2 Thessalonians 3:10

2 Thessalonians 3:10 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.
• New International Version (NIV)For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.
• New King James Version (NKJV)For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.

Context of 2 Thessalonians 3:10

8We always paid for the food that anyone gave to us. We worked hard all the time, during the day and at night. We did that so that we would not make trouble for any of you. 9We could have told you to give us what we needed. We have authority to do that. But we wanted to show you how to live properly. Then you could copy our example. Even when we were there with you, we told you this rule: ‘If anyone refuses to work, you should not give food to him.’ 11We say this because someone has told us news about you. They have told us that some people among you are living in a lazy way. Those people do not work at their own jobs. Instead, they cause trouble to other people who are working. 12We have something to say to people who are lazy like that. We warn them with the authority that the Lord Jesus Christ gives to us. They must stop causing trouble. They must work properly, so that they get their own food to eat.

2 Thessalonians 3:10 word by word

καὶ γὰρ ὅτε ἦμεν πρὸς ὑμᾶς, τοῦτο παρηγγέλλομεν ὑμῖν ὅτι εἴ τις οὐ θέλει ἐργάζεσθαι μηδὲ ἐσθιέτω.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Forγάρgar · forG1063
• evenκαίkai · andG2532
• whenὅτεhote ho te hē te tō te · whenG3753
• we wereεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• withπρόςpros · to/withG4314
• youσύsu · youG4771
• thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• we commandedπαραγγέλλωparaggellō · to orderG3853
• thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
• ifεἰei · ifG1487
• anyτιςtis · oneG5100
• wouldθέλωthelō ethelō · to will/desireG2309
• notοὐou · noG3756
• workἐργάζομαιergazomai · to workG2038
• neitherμηδέmēde · norG3366
• should he eatἐσθίωesthiō · to eatG2068

Cross-references for 2 Thessalonians 3:10

• Luke 24:44Then he said to them, ‘I told you about these things while I was still with you. Everything that God's servants wrote about me in the Bible had to happen. Moses wrote about me in his book of God's Law. The prophets also wrote about me. The book called Psalms also tells about me. And now it has become true.’
• John 16:4But I have told you this so that you will remember. When they begin to do these things, you will remember that I told you about them already.’ ‘I did not tell you these things at the beginning, because I was with you.
• Acts 20:18When they arrived, Paul said to them, ‘You yourselves know about everything that I did here in Asia. You saw how I lived from the first day that I arrived in this region. I was with you for the whole time.
• Genesis 3:19You will have to work hard for a long time before you have any food to eat. You will do this for your whole life until you die. Then you will return into the ground. That is where you came from. I made you from the soil of the ground, and you will become soil again.’
• Proverbs 13:4A lazy person always wants to have more, but he will not get it. If a person works hard, he will have more than he needs.
• Proverbs 20:4A lazy farmer does not plough his fields in winter. As a result, he has nothing to eat when harvest time arrives.
• Proverbs 21:25Lazy people want many things but they refuse to work, so they are killing themselves.
• Proverbs 24:30I walked past the field of a lazy person. And I walked past the vineyard of a stupid person.
• 1 Thessalonians 4:11Try 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.

Commentaries on 2 Thessalonians 3:10

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 10If any would not work, neither should he eat - This is a just maxim, and universal nature inculcates it to man. If man will work, he may eat; if he do not work, he neither can eat, nor should he eat. The maxim is founded on these words of the Lord: In the sweat of thy brow thou shall eat bread. Industry is crowned with God's blessing; idleness is loaded with his curse. This maxim was a proverb among the Jews. Men who can work, and will rather support…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 10For even when we were with you, this we commanded you - It would seem from this that the evil of which the apostle here complains had begun to operate even when he was with them. There were those who were disposed to be idle, and who needed the solemn command of an apostle to induce them to labor. That if any would not work, neither should he eat - That is, at the public expense. They should not be supported by the church. This was a maxim among the Jews…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 6-15Verses 6-15 Those who have received the gospel, are to live according to the gospel. Such as could work, and would not, were not to be maintained in idleness. Christianity is not to countenance slothfulness, which would consume what is meant to encourage the industrious, and to support the sick and afflicted. Industry in our callings as men, is a duty required by our calling as Christians. But some expected to be maintained in idleness, and indulged a…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 10Work is the right way to earn a living (see Genesis 3:17–19; Psalm 128:2; Proverbs 10:4). Paul says the church is not responsible for feeding Christians who refuse to work.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1010. For even--Translate, "For also." We not only set you the example, but gave a positive "command." commanded--Greek imperfect, "We were commanding"; we kept charge of you. would not work--Greek, "is unwilling to work." Bengel makes this to be the argument: not that such a one is to have his food withdrawn from him by others; but he proves from the necessity of eating the necessity of working; using this pleasantry, Let him who will not work show himself…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Thessalonians 3:10

• Commandments
• Example
• Idleness
• Industry
• Labor
• Slothfulness

In the dictionaries

• Admonish
• Disorderly
• Lord
• Poor
• Salvation
• Thessalonians, the Second Epistle of Paul to the

Commentaries on 2 Thessalonians 3

• 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
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings