Lectionary Calendar
Friday, October 11th, 2024
the Week of Proper 22 / Ordinary 27
Attention!
Tired of seeing ads while studying? Now you can enjoy an "Ads Free" version of the site for as little as 10¢ a day and support a great cause!
Click here to learn more!

Read the Bible

Christian Standard Bible ®

1 Thessalonians 2:18

So we wanted to come to you—even I, Paul, time and again—but Satan hindered us.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Satan;   Thompson Chain Reference - Adversary;   Satan;   Satan's;   Satan-Evil Spirits;   Serpent;   Tempter;   Work, Satan's;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Devil, the;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Satan;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Thessalonians, the Epistles to the;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Devil;   1 Thessalonians;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Corinthians, First Epistle to the;   Paul the Apostle;   Thessalonians, First Epistle to the;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Berôa;   Devil ;   Divination;   Lewd Lewdness ;   Sin (2);   Thessalonians Epistles to the;   Thessalonica ;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Macedo'nia;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Corinth;   Jason (2);   Satan;   Thessalonians, the First Epistle of Paul to the;   Thessalonica;  

Parallel Translations

New American Standard Bible (1995)
For we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, more than once—and yet Satan hindered us.
Legacy Standard Bible
For we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, more than once—and yet Satan hindered us.
Simplified Cowboy Version
We, especially I, Paul, have attempted to return time and time again. But that old forked-tail devil has seemed to block the way every single time.
Bible in Basic English
For which reason we made attempts to come to you, even I, Paul, once and again; but Satan kept us from coming.
Darby Translation
wherefore we have desired to come to you, even I Paul, both once and twice, and Satan has hindered us.
World English Bible
because we wanted to come to you -- indeed, I, Paul, once and again -- but Satan hindered us.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Wherefore we would have come to you (even I Paul) once and again, but Satan hindered us.
Weymouth's New Testament
On this account we wanted to come to you--at least I Paul wanted again and again to do so--but Satan hindered us.
King James Version (1611)
Wherefore we would haue come vnto you (euen I Paul) once & againe: but Satan hindered vs.
Literal Translation
Because of this, we desired to come to you, truly I, Paul, both once and twice; but Satan hindered us.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Therfore wolde we haue come vnto you, (I Paul) two tymes, but Sathan withstode vs.
Mace New Testament (1729)
this I Paul have frequently attempted, but Satan has been my obstacle.
Amplified Bible
For we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again [wanted to come], but Satan hindered us.
American Standard Version
because we would fain have come unto you, I Paul once and again; and Satan hindered us.
Revised Standard Version
because we wanted to come to you--I, Paul, again and again--but Satan hindered us.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And therfore we wolde have come vnto you I paul once and agayne: but Satan with stode vs.
Update Bible Version
because we wanted to come to you, I Paul once and again; and Satan hindered us.
Webster's Bible Translation
Wherefore we would have come to you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us.
Young's Literal Translation
wherefore we wished to come unto you, (I indeed Paul,) both once and again, and the Adversary did hinder us;
New Century Version
We wanted to come to you. I, Paul, tried to come more than once, but Satan stopped us.
New English Translation
For we wanted to come to you (I, Paul, in fact tried again and again) but Satan thwarted us.
Berean Standard Bible
For we wanted to come to you-indeed I, Paul, tried again and again-but Satan obstructed us.
Contemporary English Version
We really wanted to come. I myself tried several times, but Satan always stopped us.
Complete Jewish Bible
We wanted so much to come to you — I, Sha'ul, tried more than once — but the Adversary stopped us.
English Standard Version
because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Therefore we would haue come vnto you (I Paul, at least once or twise) but Satan hindered vs.
George Lamsa Translation
And we have wanted to come to you; I, Paul, tried several times but Satan hindered me.
Hebrew Names Version
because we wanted to come to you -- indeed, I, Sha'ul, once and again -- but Hasatan hindered us.
International Standard Version
That is why we wanted to come to you. Certainly I, Paul, time and again wanted to come,time and again">[fn] but Satan blocked our way.Romans 1:13; 15:22;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
and have wished to come to you (even) I, Paulos, one time and two; but Satana hindered me.
Murdock Translation
And we purposed to come to you, I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered me.
New King James Version
Therefore we wanted to come to you--even I, Paul, time and again--but Satan hindered us.
New Living Translation
We wanted very much to come to you, and I, Paul, tried again and again, but Satan prevented us.
New Life Bible
We wanted to come to you. I, Paul, have tried to come to you more than once but Satan kept us from coming.
English Revised Version
because we would fain have come unto you, I Paul once and again; and Satan hindered us.
New Revised Standard
For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, wanted to again and again—but Satan blocked our way.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Wherefore, we desired to come unto you - even, I, Paul, both once and again, - and, Satan, thwarted us.
Douay-Rheims Bible
For we would have come unto you, I Paul indeed, once and again: but Satan hath hindered us.
King James Version
Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us.
Lexham English Bible
because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, on more than one occasion—and Satan hindered us.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And therfore we woulde haue come vnto you, (I Paul) once agayne: but Satan hyndered vs.
Easy-to-Read Version
Yes, we wanted to come to you. I, Paul, tried more than once to come, but Satan stopped us.
New American Standard Bible
For we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, more than once—and Satan hindered us.
Good News Translation
We wanted to return to you. I myself tried to go back more than once, but Satan would not let us.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
For we wolden come to you, yhe, Y Poul, onys and eftsoone, but Sathanas lettide vs.

Contextual Overview

17 But as for us, brothers, after we were forced to leave you for a short time (in person, not in heart), we greatly desired and made every effort to return and see you face to face. 18 So we wanted to come to you—even I, Paul, time and again—but Satan hindered us. 19 For who is our hope or joy or crown of boasting in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? Is it not you? 20 For you are our glory and joy!

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

even: 1 Corinthians 16:21, Colossians 4:18, 2 Thessalonians 3:17, Philemon 1:9

once: Job 33:14, Philippians 4:16

Satan: Zechariah 3:1, Zechariah 3:2, Romans 1:13, Romans 15:22, 2 Corinthians 11:12-14, Revelation 2:10, Revelation 12:9-12

Reciprocal: Ezra 4:24 - So Daniel 10:13 - the prince Acts 15:36 - and see Romans 1:10 - request 2 Corinthians 1:17 - according Galatians 4:20 - to be Galatians 5:2 - I Paul 1 Thessalonians 3:10 - praying 2 Thessalonians 3:2 - delivered 1 Timothy 3:14 - hoping

Cross-References

Genesis 1:31
God saw all that He had made, and it was very good. Evening came and then morning: the sixth day.
Genesis 2:7
Then the Lord God formed the man out of the dust from the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being.
Genesis 2:9
The Lord God caused to grow out of the ground every tree pleasing in appearance and good for food, including the tree of life in the middle of the garden, as well as the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Genesis 2:11
The name of the first is Pishon, which flows through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold.
Genesis 2:12
Gold from that land is pure; bdellium and onyx are also there.
Genesis 2:13
The name of the second river is Gihon, which flows through the entire land of Cush.
Genesis 3:12
Then the man replied, "The woman You gave to be with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate."
Ruth 3:1
Ruth's mother-in-law Naomi said to her, "My daughter, shouldn't I find security for you, so that you will be taken care of?
Proverbs 18:22
A man who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord .
1 Corinthians 7:36
But if any man thinks he is acting improperly toward his virgin, if she is past marriageable age, and so it must be, he can do what he wants. He is not sinning; they can get married.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Wherefore we would have come unto you,.... They not only had a will, and purposed in themselves, and entered into some resolutions to come unto them, but endeavoured to put them into execution:

even I Paul: as well as Silas and Timothy; the latter of which had been with them, and the others had as good a will, and especially Paul: and that

once and again: or "once and twice" so the Jews used h to speak

פעם ראשונה ושנייח, "one time and a second"; that is, several times:

but Satan hindered us. The Syriac and Ethiopic versions read, "hindered me"; by moving the mob which rose at Thessalonica, to go to Berea, and disturb the apostle there; which obliged him, contrary to his will, to go to Athens instead of returning to Thessalonica, as he intended; and when at Athens, from whence also he might purpose to return thither, he was hindered by the disputes the Jews and the Stoics, and Epicurean philosophers, had with him; and after that, might be prevented by the lying in wait of the Jews for him, of which he might be informed; or by disturbances raised in the church, or churches where he was, by the false teachers; which required his stay with them, to oppose and refute error and heresy and to make up differences that arose among true Christians, fomented by Satan and his emissaries; see Romans 1:13. Satan does all he can to hinder the preaching of the Gospel, the hearing of the word, the profession of religion, and the saints coming together, and having spiritual conversation with each other; being, as his name "Satan" signifies, an enemy to Christ and his interest, and to the souls of men: indeed he can do nothing but by divine permission, nor can he hinder the will of God, and the execution of that, though he often hinders the will of man, or man from doing his will; he hindered the apostle from doing what he willed and purposed, but he did not hinder the will of God, which was that Paul should be employed in other work elsewhere.

h Maimon. in Hilch. Chobel, c. 5. sect. 10.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul - The phrase “even I Paul,” seems to be used by way of emphasis. He had a special desire to go himself. He had sent Timothy to them 1 Thessalonians 3:2, 1 Thessalonians 3:5, and perhaps, some might have been disposed to allege that Paul was afraid to go himself, or that he did not feel interest enough in them to go, though he was willing to send one to visit them. Paul, therefore, is at much pains to assure them that his long separation from them was unavoidable.

But Satan hindered us - Compare the notes on 2 Corinthians 12:7. In what way this was done is unknown, and conjecture would be useless. The apostle recognized the hand of Satan in frustrating his attempt to do good, and preventing the accomplishment of his strong desire to see his Christian friends. In the obstacles, therefore, to the performance of our duty, and in the hindrances of our enjoyment, it is not improper to trace the hand of the great enemy of good. The agency of Satan may, for aught we can tell, often be employed in the embarrassments that we meet with in life. The hindrances which we meet with in our efforts to do good, when the providence of God seems to favor us, and his word and Spirit seem to call us to a particular duty, often look very much like the work of Satan. They are just such obstructions as a very wicked being would be glad to throw in our way.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 18. Even I Paul — He had already sent Timothy and Silas to them; but he himself was anxious to see them, and had purposed this once and again, but Satan hindered; i.e., some adversary, as the word means, whether the devil himself, or some of his children. There was, however, such a storm of persecution raised up against him, that his friends did not think it prudent to permit him to go till the storm had been somewhat allayed.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile