1 Thessalonians 3

1 Thessalonians · Chapter 3

1 Thessalonians 3:12

1Wherefore when we could no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left at Athens alone;2And sent Timotheus, our brother, and minister of God, and our fellowlabourer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith:3That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto.4For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know.5For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain.6But 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:7Therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our affliction and distress by your faith:8For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord.9For what thanks can we render to God again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God;10Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith?11Now God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you.12And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:13To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
12And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:And may the Lord cause you to increase and overflow with love for one another and for everyone else, just as our love for you overflows,and the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we also do toward you;

In context

AI-assisted, sourced

1 Thessalonians 3:11-13A prayer for love and holiness

About 1 Thessalonians 3When Paul could wait no longer, he stayed at Athens and sent Timothy to establish and comfort the Thessalonians, so that no one would be moved by afflictions. Timothy came back with "good tidings of your faith and charity," and Paul writes, "now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord." He prays to see them again and that the Lord will make them "abound in love" and establish their hearts "unblameable in holiness... at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Thessalonians 3:11 Thessalonians 3:21 Thessalonians 3:31 Thessalonians 3:51 Thessalonians 3:61 Thessalonians 3:81 Thessalonians 3:101 Thessalonians 3:121 Thessalonians 3:131 Thessalonians overview

Why this verse matters here"The Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men." 1 Thessalonians 3:121 Thessalonians 3:13

Who, where and when in this chapter

Original Greek words

EnglishGreekSay itStrong'sMeaning
YouὑμᾶςhumasG4771
you

σέ (se) αὐτός, -ή, -ό, determinative pron., in late Gk. much more frequently than in cl. (WM, 178f.; Jannaris, HGG, §1399). 1. Emphatic (so always in nom. exc. when preceded by the art., see infr., iii); (1) self (ipse), expressing opposition, distinction, exclusion, etc., αὐ. ἐκχυθήσεται, Luk.5:37; αὐ. ἐγινώσκεν, Jhn.2:25; αὐ.ὑμεῖς, Jhn.3:28; καὶ αὐ. ἐγώ, Rom.15:14; αὐ. Ἰησοῦς, Jhn.2:24; αὐ. καὶ οἱ μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ, Mrk.2:25; ὑμεῖς αὐ., Mrk.6:31; esp. (as freq in cl.) αὐ. ὁ, Mat.3:4, Mrk.6:17, Jhn.16:27, 1Th.3:11, al.; in late Gk., sometimes weakened, ἐν αὐτῇ τ. ὥρᾳ, in that hour, Luk.10:21 (M, Pr., 91; …

nowδὲdeG1161
then

δέ (de) δέ (before vowels δ᾽; on the general neglect of the elision in NT, see WH, App., 146; Tdf., Pr., 96), post-positive conjunctive particle; 1. copulative, but, in the next place, and, now (Abbott, JG, 104): Mat.1:2ff., 2Co.6:15, 16, 2Pe.1:5-7; in repetition for emphasis, Rom.3:21, 22, 9:30, 1Co.2:6, Gal.2:2, Php.2:8; in transition to something new, Mat.1:18, 2:19, Luk.13:1, Jhn.7:14, Act.6:1, Rom.8:28, 1Co.7:1 8:1, al.; in explanatory parenthesis or addition, Jhn.3:19, Rom.5:8, 1Co.1:12, Eph.2:4, 5:32, al.; ὡς δέ, Jhn.2:9; καὶ . . . δέ, but also, Mat.10:18, Luk.1:76, Jhn.6:51, Rom.11:23, al.; …

LordκύριοςkuriosG2962G
lord: God

κύριος (kurios) κύριος, -α, -ον (also -ος, -ον), [in LXX (subst.) chiefly for יהוה, also for בַּעַל ,אָדוֹן, etc. ;] having power (κῦρος) or authority; as subst., ὁ κ., lord, master; 1. in general: with genitive of thing(s), Mat.9:38 20:8, Mrk.12:9 13:35, Luk.19:33; τ. σαββάτου, Mat.12:8, Mrk.2:28, Luk.6:5; with genitive of person(s), δούλου, etc., Mat.10:24, Luk.14:21, Act.16:16, al.; absol, opposite to οἱ δοῦλοι, Eph.6:5, 9 al.; of the Emperor (Deiss., LAE, 161), Act.25:26; θεοὶ πολλοὶ καὶ κ. πολλοί, 1Co.8:5; of a husband, 1Pe.3:6; in voc, as a title of respect to masters, teachers, magistrates, etc., Ma …

would make to increaseπλεονάσαιpleonasaiG4121
to increase

πλεονάζω (pleonazō) πλεονάζω (πλέον), [in LXX for עֲדַף, רָבָה, etc. ;] I. Intrans. 1. Of persons; (a) to abound in (Arist.); (b) to superabound: 2Co.8:15 (LXX). 2. Of things, to abound, superabound: Rom.5:20 6:1, 2Co.4:15, Php.4:17, 2Th.1:3, 2Pe.1:8. II. Trans. (Num.26:54, Psa.71:21; not cl, see Lft., Notes, 48 f.), to make to abound: 1Th.3:12 (cf. ὑπερ-πλεονάζω).† SYN.: περισσεύω, q.v (AS)

andκαὶkaiG2532
and

καί (kai) καί, conj., and I. Copulative. 1. Connecting single words; (a) in general: Mat.2:18, 16:1, Mrk.2:15, Luk.8:15, Heb.1:1, al. mult.; repeated before each of the terms in a series, Mat.23:23, Luk.14:21, Rom.7:12, 9:4, al. (b) connecting numerals (WM, §37, 4): Jhn.2:20, Act.13:20; (with) joining terms which are not mutually exclusive, as the part with the whole: Mat.8:33, 26:59, Mrk.16:17, Act.5:29, al. 2. Connecting clauses and sentences: Mat.3:12, Act.5:21, al. mult.; esp. …

He would aboundπερισσεύσαιperisseusaiG4052
to exceed

περισσεύω (perisseuō) περισσεύω (περισσός), [in LXX: 1Ki.2:33 (מַרְבִּית), 1Ki.2:36 Ecc.3:19 (יָתַר ni., יוׄתֵר), Tob.4:16, Sir.10:27 11:12 19:24, Sir 30:38 (Sir.33:29), 1Ma.3:30 * ;] I. Prop., intrans., 1. of things, to be over and above the number (Hes.), hence, (a) to be or remain over: Mat.14:20 15:37, Luk.9:17, Jhn.6:12-13; (b) to abound, be in abundance: Mrk.12:44, Luk.12:15 21:4, Act.16:5, Rom.3:7 5:15, 2Co.1:5 8:2 9:12, Php.1:26. 2. Of persons, (a) to abound in, have in abundance: 1Co.14:12 15:58, Php.4:12, 18; with genitive, Luk.15:17 T; …

in loveἀγάπῃagapēG0026
love

ἀγάπη (agapē) ἀγάπη, -ης, ἡ [in LXX for אַהֲבָה, which is also rendered by ἀγάπησις and φιλία ;] love, goodwill, esteem. Outside of bibl. and eccl. books, there is no clear instance (with Deiss., LAE, 18:4, 70:2, cf. the same writer in Constr. Quar., ii, 4; and with MM, VGT, see word, cf. Dr. Moulton in Exp. Times, xxvi, 3, 139). In NT, like ἀγαπάω, -ῶ, 1. Of men's love: (a) to one another, Jhn.13:35; (b) to God, 1Jn.2:5. 2. Of divine love; (a) God's love: to men, Rom.5:8; to Christ, Jhn.17:26; (b) Christ's love to men: Rom.8:35. 3. In pl., love feasts: Ju 12 (DB, iii, 157). …

towardεἰςeisG1519
toward

εἰς (eis) εἰς, prep. with accusative, expressing entrance, direction, limit, into, unto, to, upon, towards, for, among (Lat. in, with accusative). I. Of place. 1. After verbs of motion; (a) of entrance into: Mat.8:23, 9:7, Mrk.1:45, Luk.2:15, 8:31, al.; (b) of approach, to or towards: Mrk.11:1, Luk.6:8, 19:28, Jhn.11:31, 21:6, al.; (with) before pl. and collective nouns, among: Mrk.4:7, 8:19, 20, Luk.11:49, Jhn.21:23, al.; …

one anotherἀλλήλουςallēlousG0240
one another

ἀλλήλων (allēlōn) ἀλλήλων (genitive pl.), dative -οις, -αις, accusative -ους, -ας, -α (no nom.), recipr. pron. (ἄλλος), of one another, mutually: Mat.25:32, Mrk.4:41, Jhn.13:22, al. (AS)

andκαὶkaiG2532
and

καί (kai) καί, conj., and I. Copulative. 1. Connecting single words; (a) in general: Mat.2:18, 16:1, Mrk.2:15, Luk.8:15, Heb.1:1, al. mult.; repeated before each of the terms in a series, Mat.23:23, Luk.14:21, Rom.7:12, 9:4, al. (b) connecting numerals (WM, §37, 4): Jhn.2:20, Act.13:20; (with) joining terms which are not mutually exclusive, as the part with the whole: Mat.8:33, 26:59, Mrk.16:17, Act.5:29, al. 2. Connecting clauses and sentences: Mat.3:12, Act.5:21, al. mult.; esp. …

towardεἰςeisG1519
toward

εἰς (eis) εἰς, prep. with accusative, expressing entrance, direction, limit, into, unto, to, upon, towards, for, among (Lat. in, with accusative). I. Of place. 1. After verbs of motion; (a) of entrance into: Mat.8:23, 9:7, Mrk.1:45, Luk.2:15, 8:31, al.; (b) of approach, to or towards: Mrk.11:1, Luk.6:8, 19:28, Jhn.11:31, 21:6, al.; (with) before pl. and collective nouns, among: Mrk.4:7, 8:19, 20, Luk.11:49, Jhn.21:23, al.; …

allπάνταςpantasG3956
all

πᾶς (pas) πᾶς, πᾶσα, πᾶν, genitive, παντός, πάσης, παντός, [in LXX chiefly for כֹּל ;] all, every. I. As adj., 1. with subst. anarth., all, every, of every kind: Mat.3:10 4:23, Mrk.9:49, Luk.4:37, Jhn.2:1o, Act.27:20, Rom.7:8, Rev.18:17, al. mult.; pl., all, Act.22:15, Rom.5:12, Heb.1:6, al.; of the highest degree, π. ἐξουσία (προθυμία, χαρά), Mat.28:18, Act.17:11, Phi 2:29, al.; also the whole (though in this sense more frequently with art.), Mat.2:3, Act.2:36, Rom.11:26. …

just asκαθάπερkathaperG2509
just as

καθάπερ (kathaper) καθάπερ (for καθ᾽ ἅπερ = καθά) adv., [in LXX for אֲשֶׁר, Gen.12:4, Exo.7:6, al. ;] just as, even as: Rom.3:4 4:6 9:13 10:15 11:8 12:4, 1Co.10:10 12:12, 2Co.1:14 3:13 3:18 8:11, 1Th.2:11 3:6 3:12 4:6, Heb.4:2.† (AS)

alsoκαὶkaiG2532
and

καί (kai) καί, conj., and I. Copulative. 1. Connecting single words; (a) in general: Mat.2:18, 16:1, Mrk.2:15, Luk.8:15, Heb.1:1, al. mult.; repeated before each of the terms in a series, Mat.23:23, Luk.14:21, Rom.7:12, 9:4, al. (b) connecting numerals (WM, §37, 4): Jhn.2:20, Act.13:20; (with) joining terms which are not mutually exclusive, as the part with the whole: Mat.8:33, 26:59, Mrk.16:17, Act.5:29, al. 2. Connecting clauses and sentences: Mat.3:12, Act.5:21, al. mult.; esp. …

we ourselvesἡμεῖςhēmeisG3165
me

μέ (me) 1. apostrophe for με. 2. rarely for μοι, (Homer) (ML)

towardεἰςeisG1519
toward

εἰς (eis) εἰς, prep. with accusative, expressing entrance, direction, limit, into, unto, to, upon, towards, for, among (Lat. in, with accusative). I. Of place. 1. After verbs of motion; (a) of entrance into: Mat.8:23, 9:7, Mrk.1:45, Luk.2:15, 8:31, al.; (b) of approach, to or towards: Mrk.11:1, Luk.6:8, 19:28, Jhn.11:31, 21:6, al.; (with) before pl. and collective nouns, among: Mrk.4:7, 8:19, 20, Luk.11:49, Jhn.21:23, al.; …

youὑμᾶςhumasG4771
you

σέ (se) αὐτός, -ή, -ό, determinative pron., in late Gk. much more frequently than in cl. (WM, 178f.; Jannaris, HGG, §1399). 1. Emphatic (so always in nom. exc. when preceded by the art., see infr., iii); (1) self (ipse), expressing opposition, distinction, exclusion, etc., αὐ. ἐκχυθήσεται, Luk.5:37; αὐ. ἐγινώσκεν, Jhn.2:25; αὐ.ὑμεῖς, Jhn.3:28; καὶ αὐ. ἐγώ, Rom.15:14; αὐ. Ἰησοῦς, Jhn.2:24; αὐ. καὶ οἱ μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ, Mrk.2:25; ὑμεῖς αὐ., Mrk.6:31; esp. (as freq in cl.) αὐ. ὁ, Mat.3:4, Mrk.6:17, Jhn.16:27, 1Th.3:11, al.; in late Gk., sometimes weakened, ἐν αὐτῇ τ. ὥρᾳ, in that hour, Luk.10:21 (M, Pr., 91; …

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.