1 Thessalonians 2:9

Contextual Overview

⁷As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. ⁷ Instead, we were like young children among you. Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, ⁷ But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children. ⁷But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children. ⁷Instead, we rode through your herd like little kids at their first branding. We cared for y'all with the gusto of a protective stud watching over his mares and foals. ⁷ But we were gentle among you, like a woman caring for her little ones: ⁷ but have been gentle in the midst of you, as a nurse would cherish her own children. ⁷ Although we could have been a burden as Christ's apostles, instead we were gentle among you, as a nursing mother nurtures her own children. ⁷ But we were gentle in the midst of you, as when a nurse cherishes her own children. ⁷ But we were gentle in the midst of you, even as a nurse cherisheth her own children.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

our: 1 Thessalonians 1:3, Acts 18:3, Acts 20:34, Acts 20:35, 1 Corinthians 4:12, 1 Corinthians 9:6, 1 Corinthians 9:15, 2 Corinthians 6:5, 2 Thessalonians 3:7-9, 1 Timothy 4:10

night: 1 Thessalonians 3:10, Psalms 32:4, Psalms 88:1, Jeremiah 9:1, Luke 2:37, Luke 18:7, Acts 20:31, 1 Timothy 5:5, 2 Timothy 1:3

chargeable: 1 Thessalonians 2:6, Nehemiah 5:15, Nehemiah 5:18, 1 Corinthians 9:7, 1 Corinthians 9:18, 2 Corinthians 11:9, 2 Corinthians 12:13, 2 Corinthians 12:14

the gospel: 1 Thessalonians 2:2, Acts 20:24, Romans 1:1, Romans 15:16, Romans 15:19, 1 Timothy 1:11

Reciprocal: Genesis 3:19 - In Exodus 18:18 - Thou wilt surely wear away 1 Kings 18:13 - what I did 2 Kings 4:7 - pay 2 Kings 6:2 - and take thence Psalms 1:2 - day Proverbs 31:18 - her candle Ecclesiastes 3:10 - General Luke 10:2 - the labourers John 21:3 - I go 1 Corinthians 16:16 - laboureth 2 Corinthians 11:7 - in 2 Corinthians 11:27 - weariness Philippians 4:16 - in Colossians 1:29 - labour 1 Thessalonians 3:6 - and that 1 Thessalonians 5:12 - labour 2 Thessalonians 3:8 - night Titus 3:14 - maintain good works 1 Peter 1:12 - that have Revelation 2:3 - hast laboured Revelation 4:8 - and they

Cross-References

Genesis 2:8
Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed.

Genesis 2:8
Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed.

Genesis 2:8
And Yahweh God planted a garden in Eden, toward the east; and there He placed the man whom He had formed.

Genesis 2:8
The LORD God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed.

Genesis 2:8
And the Lord God planted a garden eastwarde in Eden, and there he put the man whom he had shapen.

Genesis 2:8
Then the Lord God planted a garden in the East, in a place named Eden. He put the man he made in that garden.

Genesis 2:8
And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed.

Genesis 2:8
Forsothe the Lord God plauntide at the bigynnyng paradis of likyng, wherynne he settide man whom he hadde formed.

Genesis 2:8
And the LORD God planted a garden Eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.

Genesis 2:8
And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For ye remember brethren, our labour and travail,.... The great pains they took, even to weariness. The Vulgate Latin version renders the last word, "weariness"; and the Arabic version, "anxiety"; and the Ethiopic version, "affliction"; it is to be understood both of corporeal and spiritual labour, working with their hands and preaching the Gospel; this could not but be remembered by them, since it was not a year ago they were with them:

for labouring night and day; at our handicraft, or "at the work of our hands", as the Syriac version renders it; which they continually attended to, even night and day, when they were not preaching the Gospel, or disputing with the Jews, or praying and conversing with those that believed, or refreshing themselves with food and rest. The apostle's business was making of tents, :-,

because we would not be chargeable to any of you; neither to the whole body, nor to any single person; which shows that they did not seek their own ease and worldly interest; and proves what is before asserted, that they did not use a cloak of covetousness, but chose to forego, and not insist on what they had a right to, lest the Gospel should be hindered or reproached:

we preached unto you the Gospel of God; freely and with great application and diligence; for this is the other part of their labour and travel; for the ministry of the word is a work, and a laborious one, when closely attended to; a preparation for it by prayer, reading, meditation, and much study, are wearisome and fatiguing; and to preach the word in season and out of season, with all longsuffering and doctrine, is very laborious; to which no man is sufficient of himself, and is a work which requires great faithfulness, application, and industry; and is oftentimes made the more heavy through the malice and opposition of enemies, and the weakness of friends.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Ye remember, brethren, our labour - Doubtless in the occupation of a tent-maker; Acts 20:34 note; 1 Corinthians 4:12 note.

And travail - see the notes on 2 Corinthians 11:27. The word means “wearisome labor.”

For labouring night and day - That is, when he was not engaged in preaching the gospel. He appears to have labored through the week and to have preached on the Sabbath; or if engaged in preaching in the day time during the week, he made it up by night labor.

We preached unto you the gospel of God - That is, I supported myself when I preached among you. No one, therefore, could say that I was disposed to live in idleness; no one that I sought to make myself rich at the expense of others.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 9. Ye remember - our labour and travail — From this it appears that St. Paul spent much more time at Thessalonica than is generally supposed; for the expressions in this verse denote a long continuance of a constantly exercised ministry, interrupted only by manual labour for their own support; labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable to you. Probably Paul and his companions worked with their hands by day, and spent a considerable part of the night, or evenings, in preaching Christ to the people.