Ephesians 3:13

Syriac Peshitta (NT Only)

ܡܶܛܽܠ ܗܳܢܳܐ ܫܳܐܶܠܢܳܐ ܕ݁ܠܳܐ ܬ݁ܶܡܰܐܢ ܠܺܝ ܒ݁ܽܐܘܠܨܳܢܰܝ ܕ݁ܥܰܠ ܐܰܦ݁ܰܝܟ݁ܽܘܢ ܕ݁ܗܳܕ݂ܶܐ ܗܺܝ ܬ݁ܶܫܒ݁ܽܘܚܬ݁ܟ݂ܽܘܢ ܀

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

ye: Deuteronomy 20:3, Isaiah 40:30, Isaiah 40:31, Zephaniah 3:16, Acts 14:22, Galatians 6:9, 2 Thessalonians 3:13, Hebrews 12:3-5

at: Ephesians 3:1, 2 Corinthians 1:6, Philippians 1:12-14, Colossians 1:24, 1 Thessalonians 3:2-4

Reciprocal: Genesis 9:27 - dwell Proverbs 24:10 - thou Isaiah 55:6 - while he is near Lamentations 1:22 - my heart Acts 20:24 - none Romans 5:3 - but we 2 Corinthians 4:1 - we faint not Philippians 1:14 - waxing Philippians 2:18 - do Philippians 2:26 - ye had 1 Thessalonians 2:16 - Forbidding 1 Thessalonians 3:3 - moved 1 Timothy 2:1 - exhort 2 Timothy 1:8 - ashamed 2 Timothy 2:10 - I endure 1 Peter 4:16 - as

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you,.... The apostle was a man attended with many tribulations, and great afflictions, which he did not suffer as an evildoer, either from God or men; wherefore he was not ashamed of them, but gloried in them; yea, he took pleasure in them, having much of the presence of God in them; they did not come to him unawares, he always expected them, and was helped to look to the glory which should follow them, the view of which greatly supported him under them; and these tribulations were endured for the sake of the elect, for Christ's body's sake; the church, and among others, for the Ephesians, for the sake of preaching the Gospel among them, and for the confirmation of their faith in it; and yet they were a stumbling to them, they were ready to faint at them; but he desires they would not, since they were on account of the Gospel, which he had such a distinct knowledge of, and so clear a call to; and since they were for their sakes, and since he and they had such nearness of access to God by the faith of Christ, with so much boldness and confidence; and seeing also they turned to their account: which is your glory; meaning either that it was matter of glorying to them, and what they might boast of, that the apostle's afflictions were not for any crime that was found in him, but for preaching the Gospel to them, and that it was an honour to suffer in such a cause; or that their perseverance and constancy in the doctrines of the Gospel, notwithstanding the scandal of the cross, would be an honour to them.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Wherefore I desire that ye faint not - The connection here is this. Paul was then a prisoner at Rome. He had been made such in consequence of his efforts to diffuse the Christian religion among the Gentiles; see the notes at Ephesians 3:1. His zeal in this cause, and the opinions which he held on this subject, had roused the wrath of the Jews, and led to all the calamities which he was now suffering. Of that the Ephesians. he supposes, were aware. It was natural that they should be distressed at his sufferings, for all his privations were endured on their account. But here he tells them not to be troubled and disheartened. He was indeed suffering; but he was reconciled to it, and they should be also, since it was promoting their welfare. The word rendered “faint” - ἐκκακέω egkakeō - means literally, to turn out “a coward,” or to lose one’s courage; then to be fainthearted, etc.; notes, 2 Corinthians 4:1. It is rendered “faint” in Luk 18:1; 2 Corinthians 4:1, 2 Corinthians 4:16; Ephesians 3:13, and “weary” in Gal 6:9; 2 Thessalonians 3:13. It does not elsewhere occur. It is rendered here by Locke “dismayed.” Koppe supposes it means that they should not suppose that the Christian religion was vain and false because he was suffering so much from his countrymen on account of it. But it rather means that they might be in danger of being discouraged by the fact that “he” was enduring so much. They might become disheartened in their attachment to a system of religion which exposed its friends to such calamities. Paul tells them that this ought not to follow. They were to be profited by all his sufferings, and they should, therefore, hold fast to a religion which was attended with so many benefits to them - though he should suffer.

Which is your glory - Which tends to your honor and welfare. You have occasion to rejoice that you have a friend who is willing thus to suffer for you; you have occasion to rejoice in all the benefits which will result to you from, his trials in your behalf.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 13. I desire that ye faint not — In those primitive times, when there was much persecution, people were in continual danger of falling away from the faith who were not well grounded in it. This the apostle deprecates, and advances a strong reason why they should be firm: "I suffer my present imprisonment on account of demonstrating your privileges, of which the Jews are envious: I bear my afflictions patiently, knowing that what I have advanced is of God, and thus I give ample proof of the sincerity of my own conviction. The sufferings, therefore, of your apostles are honourable to you and to your cause; and far from being any cause why you should faint, or draw back like cowards, in the day of distress, they should be an additional argument to induce you to persevere."