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Thursday, October 10th, 2024
the Week of Proper 22 / Ordinary 27
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Christian Standard Bible ®

2 Thessalonians 3:8

we did not eat anyone's food free of charge; instead, we labored and struggled, working night and day, so that we would not be a burden to any of you.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Commandments;   Example;   Industry;   Labor;   Minister, Christian;   Paul;   Unselfishness;   Zeal, Religious;   Thompson Chain Reference - Leaders;   Paul's;   Religious;   Self-Support, Paul's;   The Topic Concordance - Labor;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Paul;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Bread;   Giving;   Mission;   Thessalonica;   Work;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Discipline;   Thessalonians, First and Second, Theology of;   Wealth;   Work;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Paul;   Poor;   Thessalonians, the Epistles to the;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Idle;   2 Thessalonians;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Paul the Apostle;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Arts;   Boyhood ;   Care, Careful;   Debt, Debtor;   Discipline;   Energy;   Example;   Labour (2);   Love;   Thessalonians Epistles to the;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - 45 Pain Travail Labour Weariness;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Labor;   Nought;   Scribes;   Thessalonica;   Travail;  

Parallel Translations

New American Standard Bible (1995)
nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with labor and hardship we kept working night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you;
Legacy Standard Bible
nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with labor and hardship we kept working night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you;
Simplified Cowboy Version
nor did we eat anyone's grub without earning it. We worked night and day so we wouldn't be a burden on anyone.
Bible in Basic English
And we did not take food from any man for nothing, but were working hard night and day not to be a trouble to any of you:
Darby Translation
nor have we eaten bread from any one without cost; but in toil and hardship working night and day not to be chargeable to any one of you:
World English Bible
neither did we eat bread for nothing from any man's hand, but in labor and travail, working night and day, that we might not burden any of you;
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Neither did we eat any man's bread for nothing, but wrought with labour and toil, night and day, that we might not burden any of you.
Weymouth's New Testament
nor did we eat any one's bread without paying for it, but we laboured and toiled, working hard night and day in order not to be a burden to any of you.
King James Version (1611)
Neither did wee eate any mans bread for nought: but wrought with labour and trauaile night and day, that wee might not bee chargeable to any of you.
Literal Translation
nor did we eat bread from anyone as a gift, but by labor and toil, working night and day in order not to burden anyone of you.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
nether toke we bred of eny man for naughte but wrought wt laboure and trauayle night and daye, lest we shulde be chargeable to eny of you.
Mace New Testament (1729)
that we did not eat any man's bread for nothing: but with toil and fatigue work'd night and day to avoid being chargeable to any of you:
Amplified Bible
nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with labor and hardship we worked night and day [to pay our own way] so that we would not be a financial burden on any of you [for our support];
American Standard Version
neither did we eat bread for nought at any man's hand, but in labor and travail, working night and day, that we might not burden any of you:
Revised Standard Version
we did not eat any one's bread without paying, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not burden any of you.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Nether toke we breed of eny ma for nought: but wrought with laboure and travayle nyght and daye because we wolde not be grevous to eny of you:
Update Bible Version
neither did we eat bread for nothing at any man's hand, but in labor and travail, working night and day, that we might not burden any of you:
Webster's Bible Translation
Neither did we eat any man's bread for naught; but wrought with labor and toil night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you:
Young's Literal Translation
nor for nought did we eat bread of any one, but in labour and in travail, night and day working, not to be chargeable to any of you;
New Century Version
And when we ate another person's food, we always paid for it. We worked very hard night and day so we would not be an expense to any of you.
New English Translation
and we did not eat anyone's food without paying. Instead, in toil and drudgery we worked night and day in order not to burden any of you.
Berean Standard Bible
nor did we eat anyone's food without paying for it. Instead, in labor and toil, we worked night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you.
Contemporary English Version
and we didn't accept food from anyone without paying for it. We didn't want to be a burden to any of you, so night and day we worked as hard as we could.
Complete Jewish Bible
We did not accept anyone's food without paying; on the contrary, we labored and toiled, day and night, working so as not to be a burden to any of you.
English Standard Version
nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Neither tooke we bread of any man for nought: but we wrought with labour and trauaile night and day, because we would not be chargeable to any of you.
George Lamsa Translation
Neither did we eat bread for nothing from any of you, but worked with hard labor and toiled night and day so that we might not be a burden to any of you:
Hebrew Names Version
neither did we eat bread for nothing from any man's hand, but in labor and travail, working night and day, that we might not burden any of you;
International Standard Version
We did not eat anyone's food without paying for it. Instead, with toil and labor we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to any of you.Acts 18:3; 20:34; 2 Corinthians 11:9; 1 Thessalonians 2:9;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
Neither did we eat bread for nothing from any one of you; but with labour and weariness by night and by day we wrought, that upon no one of you we might be burdensome.
Murdock Translation
Neither did we eat bread gratuitously from any of you; but, with toil and weariness, we labored by night and by day, that we might not be burdensome to any of you.
New King James Version
nor did we eat anyone's bread free of charge, but worked with labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you,
New Living Translation
We never accepted food from anyone without paying for it. We worked hard day and night so we would not be a burden to any of you.
New Life Bible
We did not eat anyone's food without paying for it. We worked hard night and day so none of you would have to give us anything.
English Revised Version
neither did we eat bread for nought at any man’s hand, but in labour and travail, working night and day, that we might not burden any of you:
New Revised Standard
and we did not eat anyone's bread without paying for it; but with toil and labor we worked night and day, so that we might not burden any of you.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Nor, as a free-gift, did eat, bread, from anyone, but, with toil and hardship, night and day, working, - that we might not burden any of you; -
Douay-Rheims Bible
Neither did we eat any man’s bread for nothing: but in labour and in toil we worked night and day, lest we should be chargeable to any of you.
King James Version
Neither did we eat any man's bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you:
Lexham English Bible
nor did we eat bread from anyone without paying, but with toil and labor, we were working night and day in order not to be a burden to any of you,
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Neither toke we breade of any man for nought: but wrought with labour and sweat nyght and daye, because we woulde not be chargeable to any of you.
Easy-to-Read Version
We never accepted food from anyone without paying for it. We worked and worked so that we would not be a burden to any of you. We worked night and day.
New American Standard Bible
nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with labor and hardship we kept working night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you;
Good News Translation
We did not accept anyone's support without paying for it. Instead, we worked and toiled; we kept working day and night so as not to be an expense to any of you.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
nethir with outen oure owne trauel we eeten breed of ony man, but in trauel and werynesse worchiden niyt and dai, that we greuyden noon of you.

Contextual Overview

6 Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from every brother who walks irresponsibly and not according to the tradition received from us. 7 For you yourselves know how you must imitate us: We were not irresponsible among you; 8 we did not eat anyone's food free of charge; instead, we labored and struggled, working night and day, so that we would not be a burden to any of you. 9 It is not that we don't have the right to support, but we did it to make ourselves an example to you so that you would imitate us. 10 In fact, when we were with you, this is what we commanded you: "If anyone isn't willing to work, he should not eat." 11 For we hear that there are some among you who walk irresponsibly, not working at all, but interfering with the work of others. 12 Now we command and exhort such people by the Lord Jesus Christ that quietly working, they may eat their own food. 13 Brothers, do not grow weary in doing good. 14 And if anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take note of that person; don't associate with him, so that he may be ashamed. 15 Yet don't treat him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

eat: 2 Thessalonians 3:12, Proverbs 31:27, Matthew 6:11

but: Acts 18:3, Acts 20:34, 1 Corinthians 4:12, 2 Corinthians 11:9, 1 Thessalonians 4:11

night: 1 Thessalonians 2:9

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 2:6 - General 2 Kings 5:26 - Is it a time 2 Kings 6:2 - and take thence Nehemiah 5:14 - I and my Psalms 104:23 - General Proverbs 12:11 - tilleth Proverbs 16:26 - laboureth Ecclesiastes 3:10 - General John 15:25 - without Acts 20:31 - night 1 Corinthians 9:4 - we 1 Corinthians 9:12 - Nevertheless 1 Corinthians 9:15 - I have 1 Corinthians 9:18 - when 2 Corinthians 11:7 - in 2 Corinthians 11:27 - weariness Colossians 1:29 - labour Titus 3:14 - maintain good works Revelation 2:3 - hast laboured Revelation 4:8 - and they

Cross-References

Genesis 3:1
Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the wild animals that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, ‘You can't eat from any tree in the garden'?"
Genesis 3:2
The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit from the trees in the garden.
Genesis 3:3
But about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God said, ‘You must not eat it or touch it, or you will die.'"
Genesis 3:9
So the Lord God called out to the man and said to him, "Where are you?"
Genesis 3:10
And he said, "I heard You in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid."
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."
Genesis 3:21
The Lord God made clothing out of skins for Adam and his wife, and He clothed them.
Genesis 3:22
The Lord God said, "Since man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil, he must not reach out, take from the tree of life, eat, and live forever."
Deuteronomy 4:33
Has a people heard God's voice speaking from the fire as you have, and lived?
Deuteronomy 5:25
But now, why should we die? This great fire will consume us and we will die if we hear the voice of the Lord our God any longer.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Neither did we eat any man's bread for nought.... Or freely, at free cost, without paying for it; he signifies, that what they ate, they bought with their own money, and lived on no man, without giving him a valuable consideration for what they had; though if they had not paid in money for their food, they would not have ate it for nought, since they laboured among them in preaching the Gospel to them; and such labourers are worthy of their maintenance, Luke 10:7 though the former sense is the apostle's here:

but wrought with labour and travail night and day: not only laboriously preaching the Gospel to them, as often as they could have opportunity, but working very hard and incessantly with their hands, at the occupations and trades they had been brought up to; and that of the Apostle Paul's was a tentmaker, at which he sometimes wrought, thereby ministering to his own, and the necessities of others, Acts 18:3, nor was this inconsistent with his learning and liberal education. It was usual with the Jewish doctors to learn a trade, or follow some business and calling of life; Acts 18:3- :. The apostle's end in this was,

that we might not be chargeable to any of you; or burdensome to them, they being for the most part poor; and the apostles being able partly by their own hand labour, and partly by what they received from Philippi, Philippians 4:16 to support themselves, chose to that they might not lie heavy upon them, and any ways hinder the spread of the Gospel among them, at its first coming to them. And so Maimonides says the ancient Jewish doctors behaved, and with a like view: wherefore, says he p,

"if a man is a wise man, and an honourable man, and poor, let him employ himself in some handicraft business, even though a mean one, and not distress men (or be burdensome to them); it is better to strip the skins of beasts that have been torn, than to say to the people, I am a considerable wise (or learned) man, I am a priest, take care of me, and maintain me; and so the wise men have ordered: and some of the greatest doctors have been hewers of wood, and carriers of timber, and drawers of water for the gardens, and have wrought in iron and coals, and have not required anything of the congregation; nor would they take anything of them, when they would have given to them.''

p Hilchot Mattanot Anayim, c. 10. sect. 18.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Neither did we eat any man’s bread for nought - We were not supported in idleness at the expense of others. We gave a fair equivalent for all that we received, and, in fact, labored for our own support; see the notes on 1 Thessalonians 2:9.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 8. Neither did we eat any man's bread for naught — We paid for what we bought, and worked with our hands that we might have money to buy what was necessary.

Labour and travail night and day — We were incessantly employed, either in preaching the Gospel, visiting from house to house, or working at our calling. As it is very evident that the Church at Thessalonica was very pious, and most affectionately attached to the apostle, they must have been very poor, seeing he was obliged to work hard to gain himself the necessaries of life. Had they been able to support him he would not have worked with labour and travail night and day, that he might not be burdensome to them; and, as we may presume that they were very poor, he could not have got his support among them without adding to their burdens. To this his generous mind could not submit; it is no wonder, therefore, that he is so severe against those who would not labour, but were a burden to the poor followers of God.


 
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