1 Thessalonians 4:6

Contextual Overview

¹Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. ¹ As for other matters, brothers and sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. ¹ Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more. ¹Finally then, brothers, we ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more. ¹ As for some other things, we've taught y'all the fundamentals of how to ride for the Lord. But don't be satisfied with a little progress. Continue to grow and ride further every day. ¹ And last of all, the prayer which we make to you from our heart and in the name of the Lord Jesus, is this: that as we made clear to you what sort of behaviour is pleasing to God, as in fact you are doing now, so you will go on in these ways, but more and more. ¹ For the rest, then, brethren, we beg you and exhort you in [the] Lord Jesus, even as ye have received from us how ye ought to walk and please God, even as ye also do walk, that ye would abound still more. ¹ Finally then, brothers, we ask and encourage you in the Lord Jesus, that as you have received from us how you must walk and please God—as you are doing—do so even more. ¹ Finally then, brothers, we beg and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that, as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, -- that you abound more and more. ¹ It remaineth then, brethren, that we beseech and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, that ye abound therein more and more.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

go: Exodus 20:15, Exodus 20:17, Leviticus 19:11, Leviticus 19:13, Deuteronomy 24:7, Deuteronomy 25:13-16, Proverbs 11:1, Proverbs 16:11, Proverbs 20:14, Proverbs 20:23, Proverbs 28:24, Isaiah 5:7, Isaiah 59:4-7, Jeremiah 9:4, Ezekiel 22:13, Ezekiel 45:9-14, Amos 8:5, Amos 8:6, Zephaniah 3:5, Malachi 3:5, Mark 10:19, 1 Corinthians 6:7-9, Ephesians 4:28, James 5:4

defraud: or, oppress, or, over-reach, Leviticus 25:14, Leviticus 25:17, 1 Samuel 12:3, 1 Samuel 12:4, Proverbs 22:22, Jeremiah 7:6, Micah 2:2, Zephaniah 3:1, James 2:6

in any matter: or, in the matter

the Lord: Deuteronomy 32:35, Job 31:13, Job 31:14, Psalms 94:1, Psalms 140:12, Proverbs 22:22, Proverbs 22:23, Ecclesiastes 5:8, Isaiah 1:23, Isaiah 1:24, Romans 1:18, Romans 12:19, Ephesians 5:6, 2 Thessalonians 1:8

as we: Luke 12:5, Galatians 5:21, Ephesians 4:17

Reciprocal: Genesis 23:16 - weighed Genesis 27:35 - General Genesis 43:12 - double Numbers 31:2 - Avenge Deuteronomy 22:2 - thou shalt restore Deuteronomy 25:16 - all that do Judges 15:6 - and burnt Ruth 3:12 - there is Nehemiah 13:15 - I testified Jeremiah 42:19 - admonished you Ezekiel 3:19 - if thou Ezekiel 3:21 - if thou Amos 3:13 - and testify Zechariah 8:16 - Speak Malachi 2:10 - why Matthew 5:22 - his brother Matthew 18:15 - if 1 Corinthians 6:8 - General 1 Corinthians 6:10 - thieves Galatians 5:3 - testify Philippians 3:18 - I have Colossians 1:28 - warning Colossians 3:25 - he that Revelation 22:18 - testify

Cross-References

Genesis 4:1
Adam lay with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, "With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man."

Genesis 4:1
Adam made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, "With the help of the Lord I have brought forth a man."

Genesis 4:1
Now the man knew his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and she said, "I have gotten a man with the help of Yahweh."

Genesis 4:1
Now the man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and she said, "I have gotten a manchild with the help of the LORD."

Genesis 4:1
And Adam knewe Heua his wyfe, who conceauing bare Cain, saying: I haue gotten a man of the Lorde.

Genesis 4:1
Adam had sexual relations with his wife Eve. She became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Cain. Eve said, "With the Lord 's help, I have made a man!"

Genesis 4:1
Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, "I have gotten a man with the help of the LORD."

Genesis 4:1
Forsothe Adam knewe Eue his wijf, which conseyuede, and childide Cayn, and seide, Y haue gete a man bi God.

Genesis 4:1
And Adam knew Eue his wife, and shee conceiued, and bare Cain, and said, I haue gotten a man from the LORD.

Genesis 4:1
And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord .

Gill's Notes on the Bible

That no man go beyond, and defraud his brother in any matter,.... Or "in this matter", as the Syriac version. This is commonly understood of transgressing the bounds of justice and equity between men and men; and of cheating and defrauding in trade and business, by increasing or lessening the value and prices of goods by the buyer and seller, by not keeping to the bargain, contract, covenant, or sample, by false weights and measures, and by taking the advantage of the weakness and ignorance of men; all which is aggravated by dealing thus with a brother; see 1 Corinthians 6:8 and this hint is thought the rather necessary, since Thessalonica was a place of great trade and business. But the matter, or business referred to, is not trade, but the subject of chastity or uncleanness the apostle is speaking of, both before and after; and the phrases used either design the act of adultery, coveting a brother's wife, and lying with her, and so a defrauding and wronging of him by defiling his bed; or rather sodomitical practices, an unnatural lust and desire in men after men, and copulation with them; for υπερβαινειν, rendered, "go beyond", answers to בא על, "to go upon", or "lie with", so often used in Jewish writings for lying with women, men, and beasts, in an unlawful way. Thus, for instance y,

"these are to be burned, הבא על אשה, "he that lies with a woman", and her daughter, c.''

And again z,

"these are to be beaten, הבא על, "he that lies with" his sister, or his father's sister, c.''

And the word πλεονεκτειν, translated "defraud", signifies a greedy, insatiable, and unnatural lust and desire after a man, a brother, or the committing of sodomitical practices with greediness: see Ephesians 4:19 which abominable iniquities are dissuaded from by the following reasons,

because that the Lord is the avenger of all such or "with respect to all these things", as the Vulgate Latin and Syriac versions render it or "for all these things", as the Arabic and Ethiopic versions; as fornication, adultery, lasciviousness, and all sorts of abominable uncleanness. The person that commits these things the Lord avenges, either in this life, by the hand of the civil magistrate, who is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath on him that does evil; or by a violent death, as in the case of Zimri and Cozbi, and twenty four thousand more at the same time; or by some awful judgment from heaven, as in the case of Sodom and Gomorrah; or in the world to come; for the law of God is made and lies against such persons; these living and dying in such sins God will judge, to whom vengeance belongs; these shall not inherit the kingdom of God, but have their part and portion in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone.

As we have also forewarned you and testified; not by a former epistle, as if this was the second to them, and what follows the first, as Grotius thought; but they did this when they were in person with them, knowing that these abominable vices greatly prevailed in their city; therefore they bore their testimony against them, and exposed the evil of them, and warned them of the danger by them, so that they could not now plead ignorance. The Ethiopic version reads in the first person singular, "as I have before said unto you, and testified to you".

y Misna Sanhedrim, c. 9. sect. 1. z Misna Maccot, c. 3. sect. 1.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

That no man go beyond - ὑπερβαίνειν huperbainein. This word means, “to make to go over,” as, e. g., a wall or mountain; then, to overpass, to wit, certain limits, to transgress; and then to go too far, i. e., to go beyond right - hence to cheat or defraud. It is not used elsewhere in the New Testament. The idea of overreaching is that which is implied in its use here.

And defraud - πλεονεκτεῖν pleonektein Margin, “oppress,” or “overreach.” This word properly means, to have more than another; then to have an advantage; and then to take advantage of any one, to circumvent, defraud, cheat. It is rendered “got an advantage,” 2 Corinthians 2:11; “defraud,” 2 Corinthians 7:2; 1 Thessalonians 4:6; “make a gain,” 2 Corinthians 12:17-18. Compare for the use of the adjective, 1 Corinthians 5:10-11; 1 Corinthians 6:10; Ephesians 5:5; and the noun, Mark 7:22; Luke 12:15; Romans 1:29; 2 Corinthians 9:5; Ephesians 5:3; Colossians 3:5; 1 Thessalonians 2:5; 2 Peter 2:3, 2 Peter 2:14. It is the word commonly used to denote covetousness. Taking advantage of, is the idea which it conveys here.

In any matter - Margin, “or the.” According to the reading in the margin, this would refer to the particular matter under discussion 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5, to wit, concupiscence. and the meaning then would be, that no one should be guilty of illicit intercourse with the wife of another. Many expositors - as Hammond Whitby, Macknight, Rosenmuller, and others, suppose that this is a prohibition of adultery, and there can be no doubt that it does include this. But there is no reason why it should be confined to it. The Greek is so general that it may prohibit all kinds of fraud, overreaching, or covetousness, and may refer to any attempt to deprive another of his rights, whether it be the right which he has in his property, or his rights as a husband, or his rights in any other respect. It is a general command not to defraud; in no way to take advantage of another; in no way to deprive him of his rights.

Because that the Lord is the avenger of all such - Of all such as are guilty of fraud; that is, he will punish them; compare Romans 12:19 note; Ephesians 6:9 note.

As we also have forewarned - Doubtless when he was with them.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 6. That no man go beyond and defraud his brother — That no man should by any means endeavour to corrupt the wife of another, or to alienate her affections or fidelity from her husband; this I believe to be the apostle's meaning, though some understand it of covetousness, overreaching, tricking, cheating, and cozenage in general.

The Lord is the avenger of all such — He takes up the cause of the injured husband wherever the case has not been detected by man, and all such vices he will signally punish. Every species of uncleanness was practised among the heathens, nor were they reputed as vices. Their gods, their emperors, their philosophers, and their great men in general, gave them examples of every species of impurity; and they had no system of ethics which forbade these abominations. The Christian religion not only discountenances these things, but forbids them on the most awful penalties; therefore wherever Christianity prevails, these vices, if practised at all, are obliged to seek the deepest gloom of midnight to cover them from the eyes of men. On this account they are comparatively rare, even among the mere professors of Christianity; they exist, but do not flourish.