New Living Translation
Philemon 1:7
7Your love has given me much joy and comfort, my brother, for your kindness has often refreshed the hearts of God’s people.
Philemon 1:7 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For we have great joy and consolation in thy love, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother.
- New International Version (NIV)Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people.
- English Standard Version (ESV)For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you.
- New King James Version (NKJV)For we have great joy and consolation in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother.
Context of Philemon 1:7
5because I keep hearing about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all of God’s people. 6And I am praying that you will put into action the generosity that comes from your faith as you understand and experience all the good things we have in Christ. Your love has given me much joy and comfort, my brother, for your kindness has often refreshed the hearts of God’s people. 8That is why I am boldly asking a favor of you. I could demand it in the name of Christ because it is the right thing for you to do. 9But because of our love, I prefer simply to ask you. Consider this as a request from me—Paul, an old man and now also a prisoner for the sake of Christ Jesus.
Read all of Philemon 1Philemon 1:7 word by word
χαρὰν γὰρ πολλὴν ἔσχον καὶ παράκλησιν ἐπὶ τῇ ἀγάπῃ σου, ὅτι τὰ σπλάγχνα τῶν ἁγίων ἀναπέπαυται διὰ σοῦ, ἀδελφέ.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Forγάρgar · forG1063
- we haveἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
- greatπολύςpolus polos · muchG4183
- joyχαράchara · joyG5479
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- consolationπαράκλησιςparaklēsis · encouragementG3874
- inἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
- thyσύsu · youG4771
- loveὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- loveἀγάπηagapē · loveG26
- becauseὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
- the bowelsσπλάγχνονsplagchnon · affection/entrailsG4698
- of the saintsἅγιοςhagios · holy: saintG40
- are refreshedἀναπαύωanapauō · to give restG373
- byδιάdia · through/because ofG1223
- brotherἀδελφόςadelphos · brotherG80
Cross-references for Philemon 1:7
- 1 Thessalonians 1:3As we pray to our God and Father about you, we think of your faithful work, your loving deeds, and the enduring hope you have because of our Lord Jesus Christ.
- 1 Thessalonians 2:13Therefore, we never stop thanking God that when you received his message from us, you didn’t think of our words as mere human ideas. You accepted what we said as the very word of God—which, of course, it is. And this word continues to work in you who believe.
- 1 Thessalonians 3:9How we thank God for you! Because of you we have great joy as we enter God’s presence.
- 2 John 1:4How happy I was to meet some of your children and find them living according to the truth, just as the Father commanded.
- 3 John 1:3Some of the traveling teachers recently returned and made me very happy by telling me about your faithfulness and that you are living according to the truth.
- Philemon 1:20Yes, my brother, please do me this favor for the Lord’s sake. Give me this encouragement in Christ.
- 2 Corinthians 7:13We have been greatly encouraged by this. In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was about the way all of you welcomed him and set his mind at ease.
- 2 Timothy 1:16May the Lord show special kindness to Onesiphorus and all his family because he often visited and encouraged me. He was never ashamed of me because I was in chains.
Commentaries on Philemon 1:7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7For we have great joy - This verse does not read harmoniously. The Greek authorizes the following arrangement: For we have great joy and consolation in thy love, O brother, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee. The apostle speaks here of the works of charity in which Philemon abounded towards poor Christians.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7For we have great joy and consolation in thy love - In thy love toward Christians. The word here rendered “joy” ( ́ charin), properly means grace. A large number of manuscripts, however, instead of this word, have ̀ charanCharan, joy. See Wetstein. This reading has been adopted by Griesbach, Tittman, and Hahn. Because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother - For your kindness to them. The word “bowels” here probably means minds, hearts…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4-7In his letters, Paul usually thanks God for the faith and love of the people he writes to. He also tells them that he prays for them (Romans 1:8–12; 1 Corinthians 1:4–9; 2 Corinthians 1:3–11; contrast Galatians 1:6–10). Ancient Greek letters sometimes included a thanksgiving section after the greeting.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 77. For--a reason for the prayer, Phm 4-6. we have--Greek, "we had." joy and consolation--joined in 2Co 7:4. saints are refreshed by thee--His house was open to them. brother--put last, to conciliate his favorable attention to the request which follows.Read the comment
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Philemon 1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
New Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
Commentaries