1 Thessalonians 2:16

1 Thessalonians 2:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.
• New International Version (NIV)in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. In this way they always heap up their sins to the limit. The wrath of God has come upon them at last.
• English Standard Version (ESV)by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved—so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them at last!
• New King James Version (NKJV)forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved, so as always to fill up the measure of their sins; but wrath has come upon them to the uttermost.

Context of 1 Thessalonians 2:16

14And then, dear brothers and sisters, you suffered persecution from your own countrymen. In this way, you imitated the believers in God’s churches in Judea who, because of their belief in Christ Jesus, suffered from their own people, the Jews. 15For some of the Jews killed the prophets, and some even killed the Lord Jesus. Now they have persecuted us, too. They fail to please God and work against all humanity as they try to keep us from preaching the Good News of salvation to the Gentiles. By doing this, they continue to pile up their sins. But the anger of God has caught up with them at last. 17Dear brothers and sisters, after we were separated from you for a little while (though our hearts never left you), we tried very hard to come back because of our intense longing to see you again. 18We wanted very much to come to you, and I, Paul, tried again and again, but Satan prevented us.

1 Thessalonians 2:16 word by word

κωλυόντων ἡμᾶς τοῖς ἔθνεσιν λαλῆσαι ἵνα σωθῶσιν, εἰς τὸ ἀναπληρῶσαι αὐτῶν τὰς ἁμαρτίας πάντοτε· ἔφθασεν δὲ ἐπ᾽ αὐτοὺς ἡ ὀργὴ εἰς τέλος.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Forbiddingκωλύωkōluō · to preventG2967
• usἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• to speakλαλέωlaleō · to speakG2980
• to the Gentilesἔθνοςethnos · GentilesG1484
• thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• they might be savedσῴζωsōzō · to saveG4982
• toεἰςeis · towardG1519
• fill upἀναπληρόωanaplēroō · to fulfilG378
• theirαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• sinsἁμαρτίαhamartia · sinG266
• alwayπάντοτεpantote · alwaysG3842
• forδέde · thenG1161
• the wrathὀργήorgē · wrathG3709
• is comeφθάνωphthanō · to precede/arriveG5348
• uponἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
• the uttermostτέλοςtelos · goal/taxG5056

Cross-references for 1 Thessalonians 2:16

• Acts 11:2But when Peter arrived back in Jerusalem, the Jewish believers criticized him.
• Acts 13:50Then the Jews stirred up the influential religious women and the leaders of the city, and they incited a mob against Paul and Barnabas and ran them out of town.
• Acts 14:5Then a mob of Gentiles and Jews, along with their leaders, decided to attack and stone them.
• Acts 17:5But some of the Jews were jealous, so they gathered some troublemakers from the marketplace to form a mob and start a riot. They attacked the home of Jason, searching for Paul and Silas so they could drag them out to the crowd.
• Acts 18:12But when Gallio became governor of Achaia, some Jews rose up together against Paul and brought him before the governor for judgment.
• Acts 19:9But some became stubborn, rejecting his message and publicly speaking against the Way. So Paul left the synagogue and took the believers with him. Then he held daily discussions at the lecture hall of Tyrannus.
• Acts 21:27The seven days were almost ended when some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul in the Temple and roused a mob against him. They grabbed him,
• Acts 22:21“But the Lord said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles!’”
• Galatians 5:11Dear brothers and sisters, if I were still preaching that you must be circumcised—as some say I do—why am I still being persecuted? If I were no longer preaching salvation through the cross of Christ, no one would be offended.
• Ephesians 3:8Though I am the least deserving of all God’s people, he graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ.
• Isaiah 45:22Let all the world look to me for salvation! For I am God; there is no other.
• Mark 16:16Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned.
• Acts 4:12There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”
• Romans 10:13For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
• 2 Thessalonians 2:10He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them.
• 1 Timothy 2:4who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.

Commentaries on 1 Thessalonians 2:16

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles - see Acts 17:5, Acts 17:13. No particular instance is mentioned in the life of Paul previous to this, when they had formally commanded him not to preach to the pagan, but no one can doubt that this was one of the leading points of difference between him and them. Paul maintained that the Jews and Gentiles were now on a level with regard to salvation; that the wall of partition was broken down; that the Jew had no…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 13-16Verses 13-16 We should receive the word of God with affections suitable to its holiness, wisdom, truth, and goodness. The words of men are frail and perishing, like themselves, and sometimes false, foolish, and fickle; but God's word is holy, wise, just, and faithful. Let us receive and regard it accordingly. The word wrought in them, to make them examples to others in faith and good works, and in patience under sufferings, and in trials for the sake of…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16The mission to the Gentiles was one of the most important issues in the early church (Acts 11:18; 13:46–49; 28:28; Romans 1:16). Judgment comes when sins increase to full capacity (Genesis 15:16; Daniel 8:23; compare Matthew 23:31–36).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. Forbidding--Greek, "Hindering us from speaking," &c. to fill up their sins alway--Tending thus "to the filling up (the full measure of, Ge 15:16; Da 8:23; Mt 23:32) their sins at all times," that is, now as at all former times. Their hindrance of the Gospel preaching to the Gentiles was the last measure added to their continually accumulating iniquity, which made them fully ripe for vengeance. for--Greek, "but." "But," they shall proceed no further…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Thessalonians 2:16

• Bigotry
• Gentiles

In the dictionaries

• Affectionately
• Bold
• Chargeable
• Cherish
• Desire
• Joy
• Paul, the Apostle
• Retribution
• Thessalonians, the First Epistle of Paul to the
• Thessalonians, the Second Epistle of Paul to the

Commentaries on 1 Thessalonians 2

• 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
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings