1 Thessalonians 2:17
New International Version
But, brothers and sisters, when we were orphaned by being separated from you for a short time (in person, not in thought), out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you.

New Living Translation
Dear 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.

English Standard Version
But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face,

Berean Standard Bible
Brothers, although we were torn away from you for a short time (in person, not in heart), our desire to see you face to face was even more intense.

Berean Literal Bible
But we, having been bereaved of you, brothers, for the time of an hour--in face, not in heart--were more abundantly eager with great desire to see your face.

King James Bible
But we, brethren, being taken from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavoured the more abundantly to see your face with great desire.

New King James Version
But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavored more eagerly to see your face with great desire.

New American Standard Bible
But we, brothers and sisters, having been orphaned from you by absence for a short while—in person, not in spirit—were all the more eager with great desire to see your face.

NASB 1995
But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short while— in person, not in spirit— were all the more eager with great desire to see your face.

NASB 1977
But we, brethren, having been bereft of you for a short while—in person, not in spirit—were all the more eager with great desire to see your face.

Legacy Standard Bible
But we, brothers, having been taken away from you for a short while—in face but not in heart—were all the more eager with great desire to see your face.

Amplified Bible
But since we were taken away from you, believers, for a little while—in person, but not in heart—we endeavored, with great longing to see you face to face.

Christian Standard Bible
But as for us, brothers and sisters, after we were forced to leave you for a short time (in person, not in heart ), we greatly desired and made every effort to return and see you face to face.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But as for us, brothers, after we were forced to leave you for a short time (in person, not in heart), we greatly desired and made every effort to return and see you face to face.

American Standard Version
But we, brethren, being bereaved of you for a short season, in presence not in heart, endeavored the more exceedingly to see your face with great desire:

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But we, brethren, were bereaved for a short time of your presence, but not in our hearts, and we took all the more pains in much love to see your faces.

Contemporary English Version
My friends, we were kept from coming to you for a while, but we never stopped thinking about you. We were eager to see you and tried our best to visit you in person.

Douay-Rheims Bible
But we, brethren, being taken away from you for a short time, in sight, not in heart, have hastened the more abundantly to see your face with great desire.

English Revised Version
But we, brethren, being bereaved of you for a short season, in presence, not in heart, endeavoured the more exceedingly to see your face with great desire:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Brothers and sisters, we have been separated from you for a little while. Although we may not be able to see you, you're always in our thoughts. We have made every possible effort to fulfill our desire to see you.

Good News Translation
As for us, friends, when we were separated from you for a little while--not in our thoughts, of course, but only in body--how we missed you and how hard we tried to see you again!

International Standard Version
Brothers, although we have been separated from you for a little while—in person but not in heart—we eagerly desire to see you again face to face.

Literal Standard Version
And we, brothers, having been taken from you for the space of an hour—in presence, not in heart—hurried more abundantly to see your face in much desire;

Majority Standard Bible
Brothers, although we were torn away from you for a short time (in person, not in heart), our desire to see you face to face was even more intense.

New American Bible
Brothers, when we were bereft of you for a short time, in person, not in heart, we were all the more eager in our great desire to see you in person.

NET Bible
But when we were separated from you, brothers and sisters, for a short time (in presence, not in affection) we became all the more fervent in our great desire to see you in person.

New Revised Standard Version
As for us, brothers and sisters, when, for a short time, we were made orphans by being separated from you—in person, not in heart—we longed with great eagerness to see you face to face.

New Heart English Bible
But we, brothers, being bereaved of you for a short season, in presence, not in heart, tried even harder to see your face with great desire,

Webster's Bible Translation
But we, brethren, being taken from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavored the more abundantly to see your face with great desire.

Weymouth New Testament
But we, brethren, having been for a short time separated from you in bodily presence, though not in heart, endeavoured all the more earnestly, with intense longing, to see you face to face.

World English Bible
But we, brothers, being bereaved of you for a short season in presence, not in heart, tried even harder to see your face with great desire,

Young's Literal Translation
And we, brethren, having been taken from you for the space of an hour -- in presence, not in heart -- did hasten the more abundantly to see your face in much desire,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Paul's Longing to Visit
16hindering us from telling the Gentiles how they may be saved. As a result, they continue to heap up their sins to full capacity; the utmost wrath has come upon them. 17Brothers, although we were torn away from you for a short time (in person, not in heart), our desire to see you face to face was even more intense. 18For we wanted to come to you—indeed I, Paul, tried again and again—but Satan obstructed us.…

Cross References
Luke 12:58
Make every effort to reconcile with your adversary while you are on your way to the magistrate. Otherwise, he may drag you off to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and the officer may throw you into prison.

1 Corinthians 5:3
Although I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit, and I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did this, just as if I were present.

1 Thessalonians 3:10
Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking from your faith.


Treasury of Scripture

But we, brothers, being taken from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavored the more abundantly to see your face with great desire.

in presence.

2 Kings 5:26
And he said unto him, Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants?

Acts 17:10
And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.

1 Corinthians 5:3
For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed,

endeavoured.

1 Thessalonians 3:6,10,11
But now when Timotheus came from you unto us, and brought us good tidings of your faith and charity, and that ye have good remembrance of us always, desiring greatly to see us, as we also to see you: …

Genesis 31:30
And now, though thou wouldest needs be gone, because thou sore longedst after thy father's house, yet wherefore hast thou stolen my gods?

Genesis 45:28
And Israel said, It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die.

Jump to Previous
Abundant Abundantly Bereaved Bodily Body Desire Eagerly Earnestly Endeavored Endeavoured Exceedingly Face Great Harder Heart Intense Longing Presence Season Separated Short Thought Time Torn Tried Used
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Abundant Abundantly Bereaved Bodily Body Desire Eagerly Earnestly Endeavored Endeavoured Exceedingly Face Great Harder Heart Intense Longing Presence Season Separated Short Thought Time Torn Tried Used
1 Thessalonians 2
1. In what manner the gospel was brought and preached to the Thessalonians.
18. A reason is rendered both why Paul was so long absent from them, and also so desirous to see them.














(17) But we, brethren.--Now comes a change of subject: no longer the memories of the time when St. Paul was among them, but his hopes and fears about them since he left.

"But while you were being persecuted by these reprobate Jews, we, who were driven away from you, were longing to come back to see whether your faith was such an effectual working faith as to support you through it all."

Taken from you.--Literally, bereaved from you--i.e., bereaved by being torn from you; a return to the simile of the mother (1Thessalonians 2:7), or father (1Thessalonians 2:11).

The more abundantly.--"So far were we from the proverb, 'out of sight, out of mind,' that our very absence gave us a greater yearning after your presence" (1Corinthians 5:3).

Verse 17. - Here a new chapter ought to have commenced, passing on to another subject, the apostle's desire to visit the Thessalonians. But we, brethren, being taken from you; literally, being bereaved of you (R.V.). For a short time; literally, for the space of an hour. And yet it was several years before the apostle revisited Thessalonica; but he here speaks of the short period - a space of six months - which had already separated them; not, as some suppose, that his mind was so full of the ideas of eternity that he overlooked all divisions of time. In presence, not in heart. Similar expressions are common in Paul's Epistles, denoting his love for his converts; thus: "Though I be absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in the spirit" (Colossians 2:5). Endeavored the more abundantly to see your face with great desire; because our separation has been so short. As has been well observed, "Universal experience testifies that the pain of separation from friends and the desire to return to them are more vivid, the more freshly the remembrance of the departure is on the mind" (Lunemann).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Brothers,
ἀδελφοί (adelphoi)
Noun - Vocative Masculine Plural
Strong's 80: A brother, member of the same religious community, especially a fellow-Christian. A brother near or remote.

although
δέ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

we
Ἡμεῖς (Hēmeis)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person Plural
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

were torn away
ἀπορφανισθέντες (aporphanisthentes)
Verb - Aorist Participle Passive - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 642: To separate from some one, be bereaved. From apo and a derivative of orphanos; to bereave wholly, i.e. separate.

from
ἀφ’ (aph’)
Preposition
Strong's 575: From, away from. A primary particle; 'off, ' i.e. Away, in various senses.

you
ὑμῶν (hymōn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

for
πρὸς (pros)
Preposition
Strong's 4314: To, towards, with. A strengthened form of pro; a preposition of direction; forward to, i.e. Toward.

a short time
καιρὸν (kairon)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2540: Fitting season, season, opportunity, occasion, time. Of uncertain affinity; an occasion, i.e. Set or proper time.

(in person,
προσώπῳ (prosōpō)
Noun - Dative Neuter Singular
Strong's 4383: From pros and ops; the front, i.e. The countenance, aspect, appearance, surface; by implication, presence, person.

not
οὐ (ou)
Adverb
Strong's 3756: No, not. Also ouk, and ouch a primary word; the absolute negative adverb; no or not.

in heart),
καρδίᾳ (kardia)
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 2588: Prolonged from a primary kar; the heart, i.e. the thoughts or feelings; also the middle.

[our]
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

desire
ἐπιθυμίᾳ (epithymia)
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 1939: Desire, eagerness for, inordinate desire, lust. From epithumeo; a longing.

to see
ἰδεῖν (idein)
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active
Strong's 3708: Properly, to stare at, i.e. to discern clearly; by extension, to attend to; by Hebraism, to experience; passively, to appear.

you
ὑμῶν (hymōn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

face [to face]
πρόσωπον (prosōpon)
Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 4383: From pros and ops; the front, i.e. The countenance, aspect, appearance, surface; by implication, presence, person.

was even more intense.
ἐσπουδάσαμεν (espoudasamen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural
Strong's 4704: To hasten, be eager, be zealous. From spoude; to use speed, i.e. To make effort, be prompt or earnest.


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NT Letters: 1 Thessalonians 2:17 But we brothers being bereaved of you (1 Thess. 1 Thes. 1Th iTh i Th)
1 Thessalonians 2:16
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