English Standard Version
1 Thessalonians 4:17
17Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.
1 Thessalonians 4:17 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
- New International Version (NIV)After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever.
Context of 1 Thessalonians 4:17
15For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18Therefore encourage one another with these words.
Read all of 1 Thessalonians 41 Thessalonians 4:17 word by word
ἔπειτα ἡμεῖς οἱ ζῶντες οἱ περιλειπόμενοι ἅμα σὺν αὐτοῖς ἁρπαγησόμεθα ἐν νεφέλαις εἰς ἀπάντησιν τοῦ κυρίου εἰς ἀέρα· καὶ οὕτως πάντοτε σὺν κυρίῳ ἐσόμεθα.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Thenἔπειταepeita · thenG1899
- weἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- which are aliveζάωzaō · to liveG2198
- remainπεριλείπομαιperileipō · to remainG4035
- shall be caught upἁρπάζωharpazō · to seizeG726
- togetherἅμαhama · togetherG260
- withσύνsun · withG4862
- themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- the cloudsνεφέληnephelē · cloudG3507
- toεἰςeis · towardG1519
- meetἀπάντησιςapantēsis · meetingG529
- the Lordκύριοςkurios · lord: GodG2962
- the airἀήρaēr · airG109
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- soοὕτωςhoutō · thus(-ly)G3779
- shall weεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- everπάντοτεpantote · alwaysG3842
Cross-references for 1 Thessalonians 4:17
- 1 Thessalonians 4:15For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.
- 1 Corinthians 15:52in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.
- 1 Kings 18:12And as soon as I have gone from you, the Spirit of the Lord will carry you I know not where. And so, when I come and tell Ahab and he cannot find you, he will kill me, although I your servant have feared the Lord from my youth.
- 2 Kings 2:11And as they still went on and talked, behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
- Acts 8:39And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.
- 2 Corinthians 12:2I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows.
- Revelation 11:12Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here!" And they went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them.
- Revelation 12:5She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne,
- Matthew 26:64Jesus said to him, "You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven."
- Mark 14:62And Jesus said, "I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven."
- Acts 1:9And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.
- Revelation 1:7Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.
- Psalms 16:11You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
- Psalms 17:15As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness.
- Psalms 49:15But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me. Selah
- Psalms 73:24You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory.
Commentaries on 1 Thessalonians 4:17
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17Then we which are alive - Those who shall then be alive; see 1 Thessalonians 4:15. The word here rendered “then” ( ̓́ epeita), does not necessarily mean that this would occur immediately. It properly marks succession in time, and means “afterward, next, next in the order of events;” Luke 16:7; Galatians 1:21; James 4:14. There may be a considerable interval between the resurrection of the pious and the time when the living shall be caught up to meet the…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. 17to meet: This implies the custom of sending an official delegation to welcome a visiting leader and accompany him into the city (Matthew 25:6, 10; Acts 28:15–16).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. we which are alive ... shall be caught up--after having been "changed in a moment" (1Co 15:51, 52). Again he says, "we," recommending thus the expression to Christians of all ages, each generation bequeathing to the succeeding one a continually increasing obligation to look for the coming of the Lord. [Edmunds]. together with them--all together: the raised dead, and changed living, forming one joint body. in the clouds--Greek, "in clouds." The same…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Thessalonians 4:17
In the dictionaries
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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries