translation_id: net-engnet

label: NET translator note

text: Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:4 .


text: Grk “has not become empty.” Paul is defending himself against the charge that he lacked earnestness and personal concern for them, but appeared in their city out of greed or egotism. In his defense he appeals to what they recall of his ministry and what has become of it since he left, all of which demonstrates his God-given earnestness and effectiveness.


text: For location see JP1-C1 ; JP2-C1 ; JP3-C1 ; JP4-C1 .


text: The genitive in the phrase τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ θεοῦ ( to euangelion tou qeou , “the gospel of God”) could be translated as either a subjective genitive (“the gospel which God brings”) or an objective genitive (“the gospel about God”). Either is grammatically possible. This is possibly an instance of a plenary genitive (see ExSyn 119-21; M. Zerwick, Biblical Greek , §§36-39). If so, an interplay between the two concepts is intended: The gospel which God brings is in fact the gospel about himself. This same phrase occurs in vv. 8 and 9 as well.


text: Grk “For our exhortation.” Paul here uses παράκλησις ( paraklhsis ) to speak in broad terms about his preaching of the gospel, in which he urges or appeals to people to respond to God’s salvation (cf. the verb form παρακαλοῦντος [ parakalounto" ] in 2 Cor 5:20 ).


text: Grk “[is] not” (the verb “to be” is implied in the Greek construction).


text: Or “came on the scene,” “came.”


text: Punctuating vv. 6 and 7 is difficult. One must consider the difficult textual problem of v. 7 (see tc note on the word “children” in that verse) as well as the grammar of the verse. In the translation above, “little children” is understood to be a predicate nominative connected to the verb “became.” This allows a full stop to be placed at the end of v. 6 and before the phrase “like a nursing mother” in v. 7 . This separates the two metaphors which impact the textual problem and allows for greater clarity in the way the sentence is read.


text: Or “were,” “proved to be.”


text: א * B C* D* F G I Ψ * pc it bo). It is not insignificant that the earliest Alexandrian and Western witnesses in support of ἤπιοι are actually not Alexandrian or Western; they are the second correctors of Alexandrian and Western mss . Such correctors generally follow a Byzantine Vorlage . The reading νήπιοι is thus superior externally. Further, νήπιοι is much harder in this context, for Paul mixes his metaphors (“we became little children in your midst…Like a nursing mother…”). Thus, the scribes would naturally alter this reading to the softer ἤπιοι (“we became gentle…”). Paul is not known for his consistency of figures, however (cf., e.g., Gal 4:19 ); hence, the intrinsic evidence points to νήπιοι as original. On the other hand, it is possible that νήπιοι was caused by dittography with the preceding -μεν ( -men ). It is even possible that νήπιοι was caused by an error of hearing right from the beginning: The amanuensis could have heard the apostle incorrectly. But such a supposition cuts both ways; further, Paul would no doubt have corrected the reading in the ms before it was sent out. If so, one would surely have expected both earlier witnesses on the side of ἤπιοι and perhaps a few first correctors to have this reading. The reading “little children” thus stands as most probably original. (For an extended discussion of this problem, see J. A. D. Weima, “‘But We Became Infants Among You’: The Case for NHPIOI in 1 Thess 2.7 ,” NTS 46 [2000]: 547-64; T. B. Sailors, “Wedding Textual and Rhetorical Criticism to Understand the Text of 1 Thessalonians 2.7 ,” JSNT 80 [2000]: 81-98.)


text: Grk “longing for you in this way.”


text: Or “we are happy.” This verb may be past or present tense, but the context favors the past.


text: Grk “for this reason,” which seems to look back to Paul’s behavior just described. But it may look forward to v. 13 b and mean: “and here is another reason that we constantly thank God: that…”


text: Grk “God’s word of hearing from us.”


text: Paul’s focus is their attitude toward the message he preached: They received it not as a human message but a message from God.


text: . This is obviously a secondary reading. Marcion’s influence may stand behind part of the tradition, but the Byzantine text probably added the adjective in light of its mention in v. 14 and as a clarification or interpretation of which prophets were in view.


text: Or “and drove us out” (cf. Acts 17:5-10 ).


text: Grk “to fill up their sins always.”


label: NET textual note

text: The Western text (D F G latt) adds τοῦ θεοῦ ( tou qeou ) to ὀργή ( orgh ) to read “the wrath of God ,” in emulation of the normal Pauline idiom (cf., e.g., Rom 1:18 ; Eph 5:6 ; Col 3:6 ) and, most likely, to clarify which wrath is in view (since ὀργή is articular). tn Or “the wrath,” possibly referring back to the mention of wrath in 1:10 .


text: Or “at last.”


text: Grk “in face, not in heart.”


text: Grk “with great desire.”


text: Grk “to see your face.”


text: Or “several times”; Grk , “both once and twice.” The literal expression “once and twice” is frequently used as a Greek idiom referring to an indefinite low number, but more than once (“several times”); see L&N 60.70.