1 Thessalonians 4:9 BSB

1 Thessalonians 4:9

Now about brotherly love, you do not need anyone to write to you, because you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another.

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

But concerning love of the brethren ye have no need that one write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another;

KJV

But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.

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Commentary

3 voices

John Gill

1697–1771

Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748)

But as touching brotherly love,.... Another branch of sanctification; which is distinct from love to God and Christ, though it always accompanies it, and from love to all mankind; and is what is peculiar to brethren in a spiritual relation, and ought to be universal, fervent, and sincere, and as Christ has loved them: concerning which the following things are said, ye need not that I write unto you. The Vulgate Latin version reads, "we have no need to write unto you"; and so some copies.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

What it is that the apostle commends in them. It was not so much their own virtue as God's grace; yet he takes notice of the evidence they gave of the grace of God in them. (1.) It was God's grace that he took special notice of: that God had taught them this good lesson: You yourselves are taught of God to love one another,

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

Albert Barnes

1798–1870

Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)

But as touching brotherly love - The “peculiar charity and affection which one Christian owes to another.” Doddridge; see the notes on Joh 13:34. Ye need not that I write unto you - That is, “as I have done on the other points.” They were so taught of God in regard to this duty, that they did not need any special instruction. For ye yourselves are taught of God - The word here rendered “taught of God” - θεοδίδακτοί theodidaktoi - occurs nowhere else in the New Testament.

Voices on this verse

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Original language & word study

18 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
Περὶ	Peri	Concerning	G4012 →
δὲ	de	now	G1161 →
τῆς	tēs	<the>	G3588 →
φιλαδελφίας	philadelphias	brotherly love	G5360 →
οὐ	ou	no	G3756 →
χρείαν	chreian	need	G5532 →
ἔχετε	echete	you have [for me]	G2192 →
γράφειν	graphein	to write	G1125 →
ὑμῖν·	humin	to you;	G4771 →
αὐτοὶ	autoi	yourselves	G846 →
γὰρ	gar	for	G1063 →
ὑμεῖς	humeis	you yourselves	G4771 →
θεοδίδακτοί	theodidaktoi	taught by God	G2312 →
ἐστε	este	are	G1510 →
εἰς	eis	in order	G1519 →
τὸ	to	<the>	G3588 →
ἀγαπᾶν	agapan	to love	G25 →
ἀλλήλους·	allēlous	one another;	G240 →

Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread: the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.

The walk

The walk8

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
Romans 12:10
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Outdo yourselves in honoring one another.
leads to
- Philippians 2:3
  Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves.
- John 13:34–35
  A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another.
- Hebrews 13:1
  Continue in brotherly love.
- 1 John 4:11
  Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
- 1 Peter 3:8–9
  Finally, all of you, be like-minded and sympathetic, love as brothers, be tenderhearted and humble.
Through
1 John 3:11
This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another.
leads to
- John 15:12
  This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
  Reached by 2 independent paths from here.
Through
1 John 4:21
And we have this commandment from Him: Whoever loves God must love his brother as well.
leads to
- 1 Peter 3:8
  Finally, all of you, be like-minded and sympathetic, love as brothers, be tenderhearted and humble.
  Reached by 2 independent paths from here.
- Matthew 22:37–39
  Jesus declared, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’