1 Thessalonians 4:17

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.
• English Standard Version (ESV)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.
• 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.

Context of 1 Thessalonians 4:17

15For we tell you this by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will surely not go ahead of those who have fallen asleep. 16For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a shout of command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be suddenly 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.

1 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 we tell you this by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will surely not go ahead of those who have fallen asleep.
• 1 Corinthians 15:52in a moment, in the blinking of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
• 1 Kings 18:12But when I leave you, the Lord’s spirit will carry you away so I can’t find you. If I go tell Ahab I’ve seen you, he won’t be able to find you and he will kill me. That would not be fair, because your servant has been a loyal follower of the Lord from my youth.
• 2 Kings 2:11As they were walking along and talking, suddenly a fiery chariot pulled by fiery horses appeared. They went between Elijah and Elisha, and Elijah went up to heaven in a windstorm.
• Acts 8:39Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him any more, but went on his way rejoicing.
• 2 Corinthians 12:2I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago (whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows) was caught up to the third heaven.
• Revelation 11:12Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them: “Come up here!” So the two prophets went up to heaven in a cloud while their enemies stared at them.
• Revelation 12:5So the woman gave birth to a son, a male child, who is going to rule over all the nations with an iron rod. Her child was suddenly caught up to God and to his throne,
• Matthew 26:64Jesus said to him, “You have said it yourself. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
• Mark 14:62“I am,” said Jesus, “and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.”
• Acts 1:9After he had said this, while they were watching, he was lifted up and a cloud hid him from their sight.
• Revelation 1:7(Look! He is returning with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all the tribes on the earth will mourn because of him. This will certainly come to pass! Amen.)
• Psalms 16:11You lead me in the path of life; I experience absolute joy in your presence; you always give me sheer delight.
• Psalms 17:15As for me, because I am innocent I will see your face; when I awake you will reveal yourself to me.
• Psalms 49:15But God will rescue my life from the power of Sheol; certainly he will pull me to safety. (Selah)
• Psalms 73:24You guide me by your wise advice, and then you will lead me to a position of honor.

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

• Afflictions and Adversities
• Bereavement
• Death
• Heaven
• Immortality
• Jesus Continued
• Righteous

In the dictionaries

• Air
• Asleep
• Immortality
• Peter, Second Epistle of
• Quiet
• Rise
• Sleep
• Trump
• Ascension
• Cloud

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