New International Version
1 Thessalonians 4:17
17After 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.
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.
- 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.
- 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
15According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 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. 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 4:15According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.
- 1 Corinthians 15:52in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
- 1 Kings 18:12I don’t know where the Spirit of the Lord may carry you when I leave you. If I go and tell Ahab and he doesn’t find you, he will kill me. Yet I your servant have worshiped the Lord since my youth.
- 2 Kings 2:11As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.
- Acts 8:39When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but 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 it was 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, while their enemies looked on.
- Revelation 12:5She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.” And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne.
- Matthew 26:64“You have said so,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One 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 Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
- Acts 1:9After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
- Revelation 1:7“Look, he is coming with the clouds,” and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”; and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.” So shall it be! Amen.
- Psalms 16:11You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
- Psalms 17:15As for me, I will be vindicated and will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.
- Psalms 49:15But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead; he will surely take me to himself.
- Psalms 73:24You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into 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
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