Philemon 1:11

Philemon 1:11 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me:
• New International Version (NIV)Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.
• English Standard Version (ESV)(Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.)
• New King James Version (NKJV)who once was unprofitable to you, but now is profitable to you and to me.

Context of Philemon 1:11

9But instead, because of love, I will ask you, ‘Please do it.’ I, Paul, am an old man. Also, I am in prison now because I serve Christ Jesus. 10So I am asking you to help Onesimus, who is like my own child. I taught him about Jesus while I was in prison. Because of that, he now has life with God. I am like his father. Before he trusted Jesus, Onesimus did not really help you. But now he can help both you and me. 12So I am now sending him back to you. Because I love him, it is like I am sending you my own heart. 13I wanted to keep him here with me, to help me on your behalf. I am in prison here because I taught people the good news about Jesus.

Philemon 1:11 word by word

τόν ποτέ σοι ἄχρηστον νυνὶ δὲ καὶ σοὶ καὶ ἐμοὶ εὔχρηστον,Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Whichὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• in time pastποτέpote · once/whenG4218
• to theeσύsu · youG4771
• unprofitableἄχρηστοςachrēstos · uselessG890
• butδέde · thenG1161
• nowνυνίnuni · nowG3570
• profitableεὔχρηστοςeuchrēstos · helpfulG2173
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• to meἐγώegō · I/weG1473

Cross-references for Philemon 1:11

• Job 30:1‘But now it is different. Men who are younger than I am laugh at me. I would not even trust their fathers to take care of my sheep.
• Matthew 25:30This servant cannot work for me any longer. Take him outside and throw him into a dark place. There, people will cry and they will bite their teeth together.” ’
• Luke 17:10It is the same with you. The Master tells you what you should do. So when you have done all of it, you should say, “We are not special servants. We have only done what we should do.” ’
• Romans 3:12Everyone has turned away from God. All people have become completely bad. Nobody does what is good or kind. There is not even one person who is like that.
• 1 Peter 2:10In past times, you were not people who knew God. But now you are God's people. In past times, God did not forgive you. But now he has been very kind to you and he has forgiven you.
• Luke 15:24I thought that my son here was dead. But now he has returned to me and he is alive! I thought that he had left me for all time. But now he has come home.” Then they all began to be happy together.
• 2 Timothy 4:11Only Luke is with me now. Bring Mark with you when you come. He can help me very much with the work for God.

Commentaries on Philemon 1:11

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 11Was to thee unprofitable - Alluding to the meaning of Onesimus's name, as has been already noted; though the apostle uses a different Greek word to express the same idea.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 11Which in time past was to thee unprofitable - Either because he was indolent; because he had wronged him (compare the notes at Philemon 1:18), or because he had run away from him. It is possible that there may be an allusion here to the meaning of the name “Onesimus,” which denotes “profitable” (from ̓́ oninēmifuture ̓́ onēsōto be useful, to be profitable, to help), and that Paul means to say that he had hitherto not well answered to the meaning of his…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 8-14Verses 8-14 It does not lower any one to condescend, and sometimes even to beseech, where, in strictness of right, we might command: the apostle argues from love, rather than authority, in behalf of one converted through his means; and this was Onesimus. In allusion to that name, which signifies "profitable," the apostle allows that in time past he had been unprofitable to Philemon, but hastens to mention the change by which he had become profitable…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 11Onesimus means “useful.” Formerly he was useless, but now he has become useful: This might be a play on words (compare 1:20). Onesimus was now serving others and sharing the good news about Jesus. At last he had become what his name means.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1111. Which ... was ... unprofitable--belying his name Onesimus, which means "profitable." Not only was he "unprofitable," but positively injurious, having "wronged" his master. Paul uses a mild expression. now profitable--Without godliness a man has no station. Profitable in spiritual, as well as in temporal things.Read the comment

In the dictionaries

• Philemon, Epistle to
• Yoke-Fellow

Commentaries on Philemon 1

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