1 Thessalonians 4:11

1 Thessalonians 4:11 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;
• New International Version (NIV)and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you,
• English Standard Version (ESV)and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you,
• New King James Version (NKJV)that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you,

Context of 1 Thessalonians 4:11

9But we don’t need to write to you about the importance of loving each other, for God himself has taught you to love one another. 10Indeed, you already show your love for all the believers throughout Macedonia. Even so, dear brothers and sisters, we urge you to love them even more. Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. 12Then people who are not believers will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others. 13And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope.

1 Thessalonians 4:11 word by word

καὶ φιλοτιμεῖσθαι ἡσυχάζειν καὶ πράσσειν τὰ ἴδια καὶ ἐργάζεσθαι ταῖς ἰδίαις χερσὶν ὑμῶν καθὼς ὑμῖν παρηγγείλαμεν·Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• that ye studyφιλοτιμέομαιphilotimeomai · to aspireG5389
• to be quietἡσυχάζωhēsuchazō · be quiet/give upG2270
• to doπράσσωprassō · to do/requireG4238
• businessἴδιοςidios · one's own/privateG2398
• to workἐργάζομαιergazomai · to workG2038
• yourσύsu · youG4771
• handsχείρcheir · handG5495
• asκαθώςkathōs · as/just asG2531
• we commandedπαραγγέλλωparaggellō · to orderG3853

Cross-references for 1 Thessalonians 4:11

• Proverbs 17:1Better a dry crust eaten in peace than a house filled with feasting—and conflict.
• Ecclesiastes 4:6And yet, “Better to have one handful with quietness than two handfuls with hard work and chasing the wind.”
• Lamentations 3:26So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord.
• 2 Thessalonians 3:12We command such people and urge them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and work to earn their own living.
• 1 Timothy 2:2Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.
• 1 Peter 3:4You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.
• Romans 15:20My ambition has always been to preach the Good News where the name of Christ has never been heard, rather than where a church has already been started by someone else.
• 2 Corinthians 5:9So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him.
• Mark 13:34“The coming of the Son of Man can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. When he left home, he gave each of his slaves instructions about the work they were to do, and he told the gatekeeper to watch for his return.
• Luke 12:42And the Lord replied, “A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them.
• Romans 12:4Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function,
• Colossians 3:22Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything you do. Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. Serve them sincerely because of your reverent fear of the Lord.
• 2 Thessalonians 3:11Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and meddling in other people’s business.
• 1 Timothy 5:13And if they are on the list, they will learn to be lazy and will spend their time gossiping from house to house, meddling in other people’s business and talking about things they shouldn’t.
• 1 Peter 4:10God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.
• Acts 20:35And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

Commentaries on 1 Thessalonians 4:11

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 11That ye study to be quiet - Though in general the Church at Thessalonica was pure and exemplary, yet there seem to have been some idle, tattling people among them, who disturbed the peace of others; persons who, under the pretense of religion, gadded about from house to house; did not work, but were burdensome to others; and were continually meddling with other people's business, making parties, and procuring their bread by religious gossiping. To these…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 11And that ye study to be quiet - Orderly, peaceful; living in the practice of the calm virtues of life. The duty to which he would exhort them was that of being subordinate to the laws; of avoiding all tumult and disorder; of calmly pursuing their regular avocations, and of keeping themselves from all the assemblages of the idle, the restless, and the dissatisfied. No Christian should be engaged in a mob; none should be identified with the popular…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-12Verses 9-12 We should notice in others what is good, to their praise, that we may engage them to abound therein more and more. All who are savingly taught of God, are taught to love one another. The teaching of the Spirit exceeds the teachings of men; and men's teaching is vain and useless, unless God teach. Those remarkable for this or any other grace, need to increase therein, as well as to persevere to the end. It is very desirable to have a calm and…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 11to live quietly means being worthy of respect and not causing problems in the community. work with your hands: The apostle Paul had previously instructed through his teaching and personal example that they should earn their own living (see Thessalonians 3:7–9; 10).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1111. study to be quiet--Greek, "make it your ambition to be quiet, and to do your own business." In direct contrast to the world's ambition, which is, "to make a great stir," and "to be busybodies" (2Th 3:11, 12). work with your own hands--The Thessalonian converts were, it thus seems, chiefly of the working classes. Their expectation of the immediate coming of Christ led some enthusiasts among them to neglect their daily work and be dependent on the…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Thessalonians 4:11

• Commandments
• Evil
• Honesty
• Industry
• Labor

In the dictionaries

• Asleep
• Poor
• Quiet
• Rise
• Sleep
• Trump
• Ambitious
• Business
• Disorderly
• Thessalonians, the First Epistle of Paul to the

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