God’s Word Translation
1 Thessalonians 5:3
3When people say, “Everything is safe and sound!” destruction will suddenly strike them. It will be as sudden as labor pains come to a pregnant woman. They won’t be able to escape.
1 Thessalonians 5:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
- New International Version (NIV)While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
- English Standard Version (ESV)While people are saying, "There is peace and security," then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
- New King James Version (NKJV)For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.
Context of 1 Thessalonians 5:3
1Brothers and sisters, you don’t need anyone to write to you about times and dates. 2You know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. When people say, “Everything is safe and sound!” destruction will suddenly strike them. It will be as sudden as labor pains come to a pregnant woman. They won’t be able to escape. 4But, brothers and sisters, you don’t live in the dark. That day won’t take you by surprise as a thief would. 5You belong to the day and the light not to the night and the dark.
Read all of 1 Thessalonians 51 Thessalonians 5:3 word by word
ὅταν λέγωσιν· εἰρήνη καὶ ἀσφάλεια, τότε αἰφνίδιος αὐτοῖς ἐφίσταται ὄλεθρος ὥσπερ ἡ ὠδὶν τῇ ἐν γαστρὶ ἐχούσῃ, καὶ οὐ μὴ ἐκφύγωσιν.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Forγάρgar · forG1063
- whenὅτανhotan · when(-ever)G3752
- they shall sayλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- Peaceεἰρήνηeirēnē · peaceG1515
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- safetyἀσφάλειαasphaleia · securityG803
- thenτότεtote · thenG5119
- suddenαἰφνίδιοςaiphnidios · suddenG160
- destructionὄλεθροςolethros · destructiveG3639
- comethἐφίστημιephistēmi · to approachG2186
- upon themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- asὥσπερhōsper · just asG5618
- travailὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- travailὠδίνōdin · laborG5604
- withἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- childγαστήρgastēr · bellyG1064
- they shallἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
- notοὐou · noG3756
- notμήmē · notG3361
- escapeἐκφεύγωekpheugō · to escapeG1628
Cross-references for 1 Thessalonians 5:3
- Deuteronomy 29:19Someone may hear the conditions of this promise. He may think that he is so blessed that he can say, “I’ll be safe even if I go my own stubborn way. After all, ⌞the Lord would never⌟ sweep away well-watered ground along with dry ground.”
- Judges 18:27The people of Dan took what Micah had made and the man who had become his priest and went to the city of Laish. They attacked a peaceful and secure people, killed them all with swords, and burned their city.
- Psalms 10:11He says to himself, “God has forgotten. He has hidden his face. He will never see it!”
- Isaiah 21:4I’m confused. I’m shaking with terror. The twilight hours I longed for make me tremble.
- Isaiah 56:12⌞Each one cries,⌟ “Let me get some wine, and we’ll fill ourselves with liquor. And tomorrow will be like today, only better.”
- Daniel 5:3So the servants brought the gold utensils that had been taken from God’s temple in Jerusalem. The king, his nobles, wives, and concubines drank from them.
- Nahum 1:10⌞The people of Nineveh will be⌟ like tangled thorns and like people drunk on their own drink. They will be completely burned up like very dry straw.
- Matthew 24:37“When the Son of Man comes again, it will be exactly like the days of Noah.
- Luke 17:26“When the Son of Man comes again, the situation will be like the time of Noah.
- Luke 21:34“Make sure that you don’t become drunk, hung over, and worried about life. Then that day could suddenly catch you by surprise
- Exodus 15:9“The enemy said, ‘I’ll pursue them! I’ll catch up with them! I’ll divide the loot! I’ll take all I want! I’ll use my sword! I’ll take all they have!’
- Joshua 8:20When the men of Ai looked back, they could see the city going up in smoke. They had no place to go, since the Israelites, who had been running toward the desert, had now turned back on them.
- Judges 20:41Then the men of Israel turned around, and the men of Benjamin panicked. They realized that their evil had overtaken them.
- 2 Chronicles 32:19They spoke about the God of Jerusalem as if he were one of the gods made by human hands and worshiped by the people in other countries.
- Psalms 73:18You put them in slippery places and make them fall into ruin.
- Proverbs 29:1A person who will not bend after many warnings will suddenly be broken beyond repair.
Commentaries on 1 Thessalonians 5:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3For when they shall say, Peace and safety - This points out, very particularly, the state of the Jewish people when the Romans came against them; and so fully persuaded were they that God would not deliver the city and temple to their enemies, that they refused every overture that was made to them. Sudden destruction - In the storming of their city and the burning of their temple, and the massacre of several hundreds of thousands of themselves; the rest…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3For when they shall say, Peace and safety - That is, when the wicked shall say this, for the apostle here refers only to those on whom “sudden destruction” will come; compare Matthew 24:36-42 notes; 2 Peter 3:3-4 notes. It is clear from this: (1) that when the Lord Jesus shall come the world will not all be converted. There will be some to be “destroyed.” How large this proportion will be, it is impossible now to ascertain. This supposition, however, is…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3“Peace and security”: This phrase was common during the time of the pax Romana (Roman peace). Despite this assumption of security, God's final judgment arrives suddenly and no one can avoid it.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-53. they--the men of the world. 1Th 5:5, 6; 1Th 4:13, "others," all the rest of the world save Christians. Peace--(Jud 18:7, 9, 27, 28; Jr 6:14; Eze 13:10). then--at the very moment when they least expect it. Compare the case of Belshazzar, Da 5:1-5, 6, 9, 26-28; Herod, Ac 12:21-23. sudden--"unawares" (Lu 21:34). as travail--"As the labor pang" comes in an instant on the woman when otherwise engaged (Psa 48:6; Is 13:8). shall not escape--Greek, "shall not…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Thessalonians 5:3
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 Thessalonians 5
- 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
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