1 Thessalonians 3:12

1 Thessalonians 3:12 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:
• New International Version (NIV)May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.
• English Standard Version (ESV)and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you,
• New King James Version (NKJV)And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you,

Context of 1 Thessalonians 3:12

10We pray very hard night and day that we may see you again so that we can supply whatever you still need for your faith. 11We pray that God our Father and the Lord Jesus will guide us to you. We also pray that the Lord will greatly increase your love for each other and for everyone else, just as we love you. 13Then he will strengthen you to be holy. Then you will be blameless in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all God’s holy people.

1 Thessalonians 3:12 word by word

ὑμᾶς δὲ ὁ κύριος πλεονάσαι καὶ περισσεύσαι τῇ ἀγάπῃ εἰς ἀλλήλους καὶ εἰς πάντας καθάπερ καὶ ἡμεῖς εἰς ὑμᾶςRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andδέde · thenG1161
• the Lordὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the Lordκύριοςkurios · lord: GodG2962
• makeπλεονάζωpleonazō · to increaseG4121
• youσύsu · youG4771
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• aboundπερισσεύωperisseuō · to exceedG4052
• in loveἀγάπηagapē · loveG26
• oneἀλλήλωνallēlōn · one anotherG240
• towardεἰςeis · towardG1519
• allπᾶςpas · allG3956
• asκαθάπερkathaper · just asG2509
• weἐγώegō · I/weG1473

Cross-references for 1 Thessalonians 3:12

• 1 Thessalonians 4:10In fact, you are showing love to all the Christians throughout the province of Macedonia. We encourage you as believers to excel in love even more.
• Psalms 115:4Their idols are made of silver and gold. They were made by human hands.
• Luke 17:5Then the apostles said to the Lord, “Give us more faith.”
• 2 Corinthians 9:10God gives seed to the farmer and food to those who need to eat. God will also give you seed and multiply it. In your lives he will increase the things you do that have his approval.
• James 1:17Every good present and every perfect gift comes from above, from the Father who made the sun, moon, and stars. The Father doesn’t change like the shifting shadows produced by the sun and the moon.
• 2 Peter 3:18But grow in the good will and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Glory belongs to him now and for that eternal day! Amen.
• 1 Thessalonians 4:9You don’t need anyone to write to you about the way Christians should love each other. God has taught you to love each other.
• Philippians 1:9I pray that your love will keep on growing because of your knowledge and insight.
• 2 Thessalonians 1:3We always have to thank God for you, brothers and sisters. It’s right to do this because your faith is showing remarkable growth and your love for each other is increasing.
• 1 Thessalonians 5:15Make sure that no one ever pays back one wrong with another wrong. Instead, always try to do what is good for each other and everyone else.
• Matthew 7:12“Always do for other people everything you want them to do for you. That is ⌞the meaning of⌟ Moses’ Teachings and the Prophets.
• Matthew 22:39The second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’
• Romans 13:8Pay your debts as they come due. However, one debt you can never finish paying is the debt of love that you owe each other. The one who loves another person has fulfilled Moses’ Teachings.
• 1 Corinthians 13:1I may speak in the languages of humans and of angels. But if I don’t have love, I am a loud gong or a clashing cymbal.
• Galatians 5:6As far as our relationship to Christ Jesus is concerned, it doesn’t matter whether we are circumcised or not. But what matters is a faith that expresses itself through love.
• 2 Peter 1:7to godliness add Christian affection; and to Christian affection add love.

Commentaries on 1 Thessalonians 3:12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12Make you to increase and abound in love - They had already love to each other, so as to unite them in one Christian body; and he prays that they may have an increase and an abundance of it; that they might feel the same love to each other which he felt for them all.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love - compare notes, 2 Corinthians 9:8. The word “Lord” here probably refers to the Lord Jesus, as this is the name by which he is commonly designated in the New Testament; see the notes on Acts 1:24. If this be so, then this is a petition to the Lord Jesus as the fountain of all grace and goodness.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 11-13Verses 11-13 Prayer is religious worship, and all religious worship is due unto God only. Prayer is to be offered to God as our Father. Prayer is not only to be offered in the name of Christ, but offered up to Christ himself, as our Lord and our Saviour. Let us acknowledge God in all our ways, and he will direct our paths. Mutual love is required of all Christians. And love is of God, and is fulfilling the gospel as well as the law. We need the Spirit's…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12This church was known for their love for each other as members of God's family (4:9; 2 Thessalonians 1:3–4). Paul prays that their love will increase and reach those outside the Christian community even when they suffer persecution (see 1 Thessalonians 5:15; Galatians 6:10; 2 Timothy 2:24; Titus 3:2).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. The "you" in the Greek is emphatically put first; "But" (so the Greek for "and") what concerns "YOU," whether we come or not, "may the Lord make you to increase and abound in love," &c. The Greek for "increase" has a more positive force; that for "abound" a more comparative force, "make you full (supplying 'that which is lacking,' 1Th 3:10) and even abound." "The Lord" may here be the Holy Spirit; so the Three Persons of the Trinity will be appealed…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Thessalonians 3:12

• Commandments
• Grace of God
• Intercession
• Love
• Righteous

In the dictionaries

• Increase
• Live
• Sanctification
• Thessalonians, the First Epistle of Paul to the
• blameless

Commentaries on 1 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
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings