2 Thessalonians 3:11
New International Version
We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies.

New Living Translation
Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and meddling in other people’s business.

English Standard Version
For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies.

Berean Standard Bible
Yet we hear that some of you are leading undisciplined lives and accomplishing nothing but being busybodies.

Berean Literal Bible
For we hear some among you are walking idly, not working at all, but being busybodies.

King James Bible
For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.

New King James Version
For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies.

New American Standard Bible
For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies.

NASB 1995
For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies.

NASB 1977
For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies.

Legacy Standard Bible
For we hear that some among you are walking in an unruly manner, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies.

Amplified Bible
Indeed, we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined and inappropriate life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies [meddling in other people’s business].

Christian Standard Bible
For we hear that there are some among you who are idle. They are not busy but busybodies.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
For we hear that there are some among you who walk irresponsibly, not working at all, but interfering with the work of others.

American Standard Version
For we hear of some that walk among you disorderly, that work not at all, but are busybodies.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
For we hear that there are some among you who walk wickedly and do not labor at all, but are worthless;

Contemporary English Version
Now we learn that some of you just loaf around and won't do any work, except the work of a busybody.

Douay-Rheims Bible
For we have heard there are some among you who walk disorderly, working not at all, but curiously meddling.

English Revised Version
For we hear of some that walk among you disorderly, that work not at all, but are busybodies.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
We hear that some of you are not living disciplined lives. You're not working, so you go around interfering in other people's lives.

Good News Translation
We say this because we hear that there are some people among you who live lazy lives and who do nothing except meddle in other people's business.

International Standard Version
We hear that some of you are living in idleness. You are not busy working —you are busy interfering in other people's lives!

Literal Standard Version
for we hear of some walking disorderly among you, working nothing, but being busybodies,

Majority Standard Bible
Yet we hear that some of you are leading undisciplined lives and accomplishing nothing but being busybodies.

New American Bible
We hear that some are conducting themselves among you in a disorderly way, by not keeping busy but minding the business of others.

NET Bible
For we hear that some among you are living an undisciplined life, not doing their own work but meddling in the work of others.

New Revised Standard Version
For we hear that some of you are living in idleness, mere busybodies, not doing any work.

New Heart English Bible
For we hear that some among you are living an undisciplined life, who do not work at all, but are busybodies.

Webster's Bible Translation
For we hear that there are some who walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busy-bodies.

Weymouth New Testament
For we hear that there are some of you who live disorderly lives and are mere idle busybodies.

World English Bible
For we hear of some who walk among you in rebellion, who don’t work at all, but are busybodies.

Young's Literal Translation
for we hear of certain walking among you disorderly, nothing working, but over working,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Warning against Irresponsibility
10For even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “If anyone is unwilling to work, he shall not eat.” 11Yet we hear that some of you are leading undisciplined lives and accomplishing nothing but being busybodies. 12We command and urge such people by our Lord Jesus Christ to begin working quietly to earn their own living.…

Cross References
Ephesians 4:28
He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing good with his own hands, that he may have something to share with the one in need.

2 Thessalonians 3:6
Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from any brother who leads an undisciplined life that is not in keeping with the tradition you received from us.

1 Timothy 5:13
At the same time they will also learn to be idle, going from house to house and being not only idle, but also gossips and busybodies, discussing things they should not mention.

1 Peter 4:15
Indeed, none of you should suffer as a murderer or thief or wrongdoer, or even as a meddler.


Treasury of Scripture

For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.

walk.

2 Thessalonians 3:6
Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.

working.

1 Thessalonians 4:11
And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;

1 Timothy 5:13
And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.

1 Peter 4:15
But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters.

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Acting Behaviour Business Busybodies Busy-Bodies Disorderly Ears Hear Idle Idleness Live Mere Others Over-Interested Rebellion Uncontrolled Undisciplined Walk Work Working
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Acting Behaviour Business Busybodies Busy-Bodies Disorderly Ears Hear Idle Idleness Live Mere Others Over-Interested Rebellion Uncontrolled Undisciplined Walk Work Working
2 Thessalonians 3
1. Paul craves their prayers for himself;
3. testifies what confidence he has in them;
5. makes request to God in their behalf;
6. gives them various precepts, especially to shun idleness, and ill company;
16. and then concludes with prayer and salutation.














(11) For we hear.--Explaining how St. Paul came to speak upon the topic at all. Hitherto he has only been giving directions, without saying why. News had been brought back, no doubt, by the bearers of the First Epistle.

Walk among you disorderly.--A verbal repetition of 2Thessalonians 3:6. It is not quite the same as "some among you which walk disorderly," for the words "among you" represent the vague and various directions taken by those aimless feet, going about from house to house, workshop to workshop.

Working not at all, but are busybodies.--This is what the disorderliness consists in, as we should have seen from 2Thessalonians 3:10. There is a scornful play of words here in the Greek which is lost sight of in the English: the word for "busybodies" being merely a compound form of the word "working." Quite literally, the compound means "working enough and to spare," "being overbusy," "overdoing;" then, as a man cannot possibly overdo what it is his own duty to do, it comes to signify (1) doing useless things, things which concern no one, and might as well be left alone: as, for instance, magic, which is described by this word in Acts 19:19; or natural science, which is so described in the Athenians' accusation of Socrates! (2) Meddling with matters which do not concern the doer, but do concern other people: so used in 1Timothy 5:13. Prof Lightfoot suggests (On a Fresh Revision, p. 59; comp. p. xviii., 2nd ed.) that the play can be kept up through the words "business" and "busy": we might perhaps say, "not being business men, but busybodies." But which of the two notions mentioned above is to be considered most prominent here we cannot tell for certain. (a) The Thessalonians do not seem to have been much carried away by the first class of danger--idle speculations, such as those of the Colossian or Ephesian Churches. Yet we cannot altogether exclude this meaning here. St. Paul's readers had been overbusy in theorising about the position of the departed at Christ's coming (1Thessalonians 4:15, Note), and had been so eager over their idle doctrines of the Advent as to falsify, if not actually to forge, communications from St. Paul (2Thessalonians 2:2). Such false inquisitiveness and gossiping discussions might well be described by the Greek word with which we are dealing. (b) Everything, however, points to a more practical form of the same disposition to mask idleness under cloak of work; feverish excitement, which leads men to meddle and interfere with others, perhaps to spend time in "religious" work which ought not to have been spared from every-day duties. (See 1Thessalonians 4:11-12, and Notes.) There is nothing to show definitely how this busy idleness arose, but it may very probably be the shaken and troubled condition of mind spoken of in 2Thessalonians 2:2. . . .

Verse 11. - For; the reason for the allusion to this proverb. We hear. The apostle had either heard from Timothy who had rejoined him from Thessalonica, or from the report of the bearers of the First Epistle. That there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. There is here a paranomasia or play upon words, the words "working" and "busybodies" being cognate. It is difficult to preserve the resemblance in a translation. "Busy only with what is not their own business" (Jowett); "Working at no business, but being busybodies" (Ellicott); "Not busy, but busybodies" (Wordsworth). The word "busybodies" denotes busy in useless and superfluous things, about which one need not trouble himself - occupied about trifles. The apostle refers to the fanatical excitement in the Church on account of which the Thessalonians, instead of occupying themselves with the fulfilment of the duties of their earthly calling, busied themselves about matters which were unprofitable and vain.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Yet
γάρ (gar)
Conjunction
Strong's 1063: For. A primary particle; properly, assigning a reason.

we hear that
Ἀκούομεν (Akouomen)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural
Strong's 191: To hear, listen, comprehend by hearing; pass: is heard, reported. A primary verb; to hear.

some
τινας (tinas)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 5100: Any one, some one, a certain one or thing. An enclitic indefinite pronoun; some or any person or object.

of
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.

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

are leading
περιπατοῦντας (peripatountas)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 4043: From peri and pateo; to tread all around, i.e. Walk at large; figuratively, to live, deport oneself, follow.

undisciplined lives
ἀτάκτως (ataktōs)
Adverb
Strong's 814: In a disorderly manner, irregularly. Adverb from ataktos, irregularly.

[and] accomplishing
ἐργαζομένους (ergazomenous)
Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 2038: To work, trade, perform, do, practice, commit, acquire by labor.

nothing
μηδὲν (mēden)
Adjective - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3367: No one, none, nothing.

but
ἀλλὰ (alla)
Conjunction
Strong's 235: But, except, however. Neuter plural of allos; properly, other things, i.e. contrariwise.

being busybodies.
περιεργαζομένους (periergazomenous)
Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 4020: To overdo, be a busybody, waste my labor about (a thing). From peri and ergazomai; to work all around, i.e. Bustle about.


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NT Letters: 2 Thessalonians 3:11 For we hear of some who walk (2 Thess. 2 Thes. 2Th iiTh ii th)
2 Thessalonians 3:10
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