Tree of Life Version
1 Thessalonians 5:3
3When they are saying, “Shalom and safety,” sudden destruction comes upon them like a woman having birth pains in the womb—there is no way they will escape.
1 Thessalonians 5:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
- New International Version (NIV)While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
- English Standard Version (ESV)While people are saying, "There is peace and security," then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
- New King James Version (NKJV)For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.
Context of 1 Thessalonians 5:3
1Now concerning the times and seasons, brothers and sisters, you have no need for anything to be written to you. 2For you yourselves know very well that the Day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night. When they are saying, “Shalom and safety,” sudden destruction comes upon them like a woman having birth pains in the womb—there is no way they will escape. 4But you, brothers and sisters, are not in the dark, so that the Day might overtake you like a thief. 5For you all are sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night or of darkness—
Read all of 1 Thessalonians 51 Thessalonians 5:3 word by word
ὅταν λέγωσιν· εἰρήνη καὶ ἀσφάλεια, τότε αἰφνίδιος αὐτοῖς ἐφίσταται ὄλεθρος ὥσπερ ἡ ὠδὶν τῇ ἐν γαστρὶ ἐχούσῃ, καὶ οὐ μὴ ἐκφύγωσιν.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Forγάρgar · forG1063
- whenὅτανhotan · when(-ever)G3752
- they shall sayλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- Peaceεἰρήνηeirēnē · peaceG1515
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- safetyἀσφάλειαasphaleia · securityG803
- thenτότεtote · thenG5119
- suddenαἰφνίδιοςaiphnidios · suddenG160
- destructionὄλεθροςolethros · destructiveG3639
- comethἐφίστημιephistēmi · to approachG2186
- upon themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- asὥσπερhōsper · just asG5618
- travailὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- travailὠδίνōdin · laborG5604
- withἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- childγαστήρgastēr · bellyG1064
- they shallἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
- notοὐou · noG3756
- notμήmē · notG3361
- escapeἐκφεύγωekpheugō · to escapeG1628
Cross-references for 1 Thessalonians 5:3
- Deuteronomy 29:19Adonai will be unwilling to forgive him. For then the anger of Adonai and His jealousy will smoke against that person. So all the oath that is written in this scroll will settle on him, and Adonai will blot out his name from under the heavens.
- Judges 18:27Then they took what Micah had made, and his priest, and came to Laish, to a tranquil and unsuspecting people, and struck them with the edge of the sword, and they burned the town with fire.
- Psalms 10:11He says in his heart: “God has forgotten. He hides His face—He will never see it.”
- Isaiah 21:4My heart is bewildered, terror overwhelms me. The twilight I longed for has been turned into trembling.
- Isaiah 56:12“Come, let’s get wine, let’s guzzle strong drink. Tomorrow will be like today, only even better!”
- Daniel 5:3So they brought the gold vessels that were taken out of the Temple of the House of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, consorts and concubines drank from them.
- Nahum 1:10For even like tangled thorns they will be consumed, or like drunkards who are drunk, or like stubble that is fully dry.
- Matthew 24:37“For just as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
- Luke 17:26As it was in the days of Noah, so will it also be in the days of the Son of Man.
- Luke 21:34“But watch out so your hearts are not weighed down by carousing, strong drink, and the worries of life. Do not let that day come upon you suddenly like a trap.
- Exodus 15:9The enemy said, “I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil. My lust shall gorge on them! I will draw my sword— my hand will destroy them.”
- Joshua 8:20Now the men of Ai looked back and saw, behold, the smoke of the city rising up to the sky! They had no place to flee this way or that, since the people who had been fleeing to the wilderness turned back upon the pursuers.
- Judges 20:41Then the men of Israel turned back, and the men of Benjamin were terrified, for they realized that disaster had struck them.
- 2 Chronicles 32:19They spoke against the God of Jerusalem as of the gods of the peoples of the earth made by human hands.
- Psalms 73:18Surely You put them in slippery places. You hurled them down to destruction.
- Proverbs 29:1One who remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed— without remedy.
Commentaries on 1 Thessalonians 5:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3For when they shall say, Peace and safety - This points out, very particularly, the state of the Jewish people when the Romans came against them; and so fully persuaded were they that God would not deliver the city and temple to their enemies, that they refused every overture that was made to them. Sudden destruction - In the storming of their city and the burning of their temple, and the massacre of several hundreds of thousands of themselves; the rest…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3For when they shall say, Peace and safety - That is, when the wicked shall say this, for the apostle here refers only to those on whom “sudden destruction” will come; compare Matthew 24:36-42 notes; 2 Peter 3:3-4 notes. It is clear from this: (1) that when the Lord Jesus shall come the world will not all be converted. There will be some to be “destroyed.” How large this proportion will be, it is impossible now to ascertain. This supposition, however, is…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3“Peace and security”: This phrase was common during the time of the pax Romana (Roman peace). Despite this assumption of security, God's final judgment arrives suddenly and no one can avoid it.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-53. they--the men of the world. 1Th 5:5, 6; 1Th 4:13, "others," all the rest of the world save Christians. Peace--(Jud 18:7, 9, 27, 28; Jr 6:14; Eze 13:10). then--at the very moment when they least expect it. Compare the case of Belshazzar, Da 5:1-5, 6, 9, 26-28; Herod, Ac 12:21-23. sudden--"unawares" (Lu 21:34). as travail--"As the labor pang" comes in an instant on the woman when otherwise engaged (Psa 48:6; Is 13:8). shall not escape--Greek, "shall not…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Thessalonians 5:3
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 Thessalonians 5
- 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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