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 earnestly night and day to see you in person and make up what may be lacking in your faith. 11Now may God our Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you. And may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we do for you, 13so that your hearts are strengthened in holiness to be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

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 4:10And indeed you are practicing it toward all the brothers and sisters in all of Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more,
• Psalms 115:4Their idols are made of silver and gold – they are man-made.
• Luke 17:5The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”
• 2 Corinthians 9:10Now God who provides seed for the sower and bread for food will provide and multiply your supply of seed and will cause the harvest of your righteousness to grow.
• James 1:17All generous giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or the slightest hint of change.
• 2 Peter 3:18But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the honor both now and on that eternal day.
• 1 Thessalonians 4:9Now on the topic of brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another.
• Philippians 1:9And I pray this, that your love may abound even more and more in knowledge and every kind of insight
• 2 Thessalonians 1:3We ought to thank God always for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith flourishes more and more and the love of each one of you all for one another is ever greater.
• 1 Thessalonians 5:15See that no one pays back evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good for one another and for all.
• Matthew 7:12In everything, treat others as you would want them to treat you, for this fulfills the law and the prophets.
• Matthew 22:39The second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
• Romans 13:8Owe no one anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.
• 1 Corinthians 13:1If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but I do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
• Galatians 5:6For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision carries any weight – the only thing that matters is faith working through love.
• 2 Peter 1:7to godliness, brotherly affection; to brotherly affection, unselfish 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