1 Thessalonians 2:18
in 1 Thessalonians 2For we wanted to come to you—indeed I, Paul, tried again and again—but Satan obstructed us.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
because we would fain have come unto you, I Paul once and again; and Satan hindered us.
KJV
Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us.
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This verse in 1 Thessalonians 2
Commentary
14 notes on this verseWherefore 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.
This site's exposition
we were torn away from you
on 1 Thessalonians 2:17-18
The verb torn away speaks of being orphaned, the missionaries bereft of the church. The wish to return failed, and verse 18 names why: I, Paul, tried again and again, but Satan obstructed us.
This site's exposition
Satan obstructed us
Obstructed renders a military verb, which Jamieson, Fausset and Brown explain as cutting a trench across an advancing enemy's road. Adam Clarke takes the hinderer to be the devil or men acting for him. Theophylact of Ohrid sets the verse beside Acts 16:6, where the Spirit stops the team.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
Paul, the chosen vessel, chastised his body and brought it into subjection, lest after preaching to others he himself should be found a reprobate. He relates that there was given to him "a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet him." And to the Corinthians he writes: "But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ." And elsewhere he says, "Any one whom you forgive, I also forgive.
Do thou also, when about to perform any duty to God, look forward to manifold dangers, manifold punishments, manifold deaths; and be not surprised, nor be disturbed, if such things happen. For it is said, "My Son, if thou come to serve the Lord, prepare thy soul for temptation." For surely no one choosing to fight, expects to carry off the crown without wounds! And thou, therefore, who hast undertaken to wage a complete combat with the devil, think not to pursue a life without danger, and full of luxury! God hath not pledged to thee His recompense and His promise here; but everything that is splendid for thee in the future life! Be glad and rejoice then, if when thou hast thyself done any good action, thou receive the contrary, or if thou see another suffering this; inasmuch as this becomes to thee the source of a higher recompense! Do not be downcast: nor give up thy zeal, nor become the more torpid; but rather press onward with more eagerness; since even the Apostles, when they preached, although scourged, stoned, and constant inmates of the prisons, did not only after deliverance from dangers, but also in those very dangers, announce with greater forwardness the message of Truth. Paul is to be seen in prison, yea, even in chains, instructing and initiating: and moreover doing the very same in a court of justice, in shipwreck, in tempest, and in a thousand dangers. Do thou too imitate these saints, and cease not from good works, so long as thou art able; and although thou seest the devil thwarting thee ten thousand times, never fall back! Thou perchance, bearing with thee thy wealth, hast met with shipwreck; but Paul carrying the word, far more precious than all wealth, was going to Rome, and was wrecked; and sustained innumerable hardships. […]
"Wherefore we would fain have come unto you, I Paul once and again, and Satan hindered us." Which is the part of love; yet here he mentions no other necessity but "that we might see you." What sayest thou? does Satan hinder? Yes, truly, for this was not the work of God. For in the Epistle to the Romans, he says this, that God hindered him (from Rom. xv. 22); and elsewhere Luke says, that "the Spirit" hindered them from going into Asia. (Acts xvi. 7) And in the Epistle to the Corinthians he says, that it is the work of the Spirit, but here only of Satan. But what hindrance of Satan is he speaking of? Some unexpected and violent temptations: for a plot, it says, being formed against him by the Jews, he was detained three months in Greece. But it is another thing to remain for the sake of the dispensation, and willingly. For there he says, "Wherefore having no more place in these parts" (Rom. xv. 23), and, "To spare you I forbare to come unto Corinth." (2 Cor. i. 23) But here nothing of this sort. But what? That "Satan hindered" him. "Even I Paul," he says, "both once and again." Observe, how ambitious he is, and what a display he makes, in his willingness to show that he loved them most of all. "I Paul," he says, instead of Although no others. For they indeed were only willing, but I even attempted it.
The Medieval Church2 voices
When Paul says we, he intends a plural meaning, because he writes in the name of three persons, that is, in his own name, and that of Silvanus, and of Timothy. Therefore Paul says: we wanted to come to you, all of us perhaps once, …
What are you saying? Satan hindered? Exactly so; for this was not a work of God. In the Epistle to the Romans he says that God hindered (Rom. 1:13, 15:22); and Luke says that the Spirit hindered them (Acts 16:6); and in the Epistle to …
6 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
The subject-matter of the apostle's preaching was not vain and idle speculations about useless niceties and foolish questions, but sound and solid truth, such as was most likely to profit his hearers. A good example this is, to be imitated by all the ministers of the gospel.
The Nineteenth Century5 voices
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.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
The Greek for "hindered" is literally, "to cut a trench between one's self and an advancing foe, to prevent his progress"; so Satan opposing the progress of the missionaries.
PAUL, Silas and Timothy were very desirous to visit the Church at Thessalonica, but they were unable to do so for the singular reason announced in the text, namely, "Satan hindered us." It was not from want of will, for they had a very great attachment to the Thessalonian Brethren and they longed to look them in the face again.
PAUL, Silas and Timothy were very desirous to visit the Church at Thessalonica, but they were unable to do so for the singular reason announced in the text, namely, "Satan hindered us." It was not from want of will, for they had a very great attachment to the Thessalonian Brethren and they longed to look them in the face again. They said of the Thessalonians, "We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers: remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labor of love and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of God and our Father." Their will was overruled as to visiting the Church together, but being anxious for its welfare, they sent Timothy alone to minister for a time in its midst. It was not want of will which hindered them, but want of power. They were not prevented by God's special Providence. We find on certain occasions that Paul was not allowed to go precisely where his heart would have led him. "They assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not." "They were forbidden of the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia," but their course was directed towards Troas that they might preach in Europe the unsearchable riches of Christ. They could not, however, trace their absence from Thessalonica to any Divine interposition. It appeared, to them, to proceed from the great adversary—"Satan hindered them." How Satan did so it would be useless to affirm dogmatically, but we may form a reasonable conjecture.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
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 1Th 3:2, 1Th 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 2Co 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.
The words behind it
17 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| διότι | dioti | therefore | G1360 → | 23 times |
| ἠθελήσαμεν | ethelesamen | we wanted | G2309 → | |
| ἐλθεῖν | elthein | to come | G2064 → | 628 times |
| πρὸς | pros | to | G4314 → | 700 times |
| ὑμᾶς, | humas | you — | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| ἐγὼ | ego | I myself | G1473 → | |
| μὲν | men | indeed | G3303 → | |
| Παῦλος | paulos | Paul | G3972 → | |
| καὶ | kai | both | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἅπαξ | hapax | once | G530 → | |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| δίς, | dis | twice — | G1364 → | |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἐνέκοψεν | enekopsen | hindered | G1465 → | |
| ἡμᾶς | hemas | us | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| ὁ | ho | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| σατανᾶς. | satanas | Satan. | G4567 → |
διότιtherefore
diotiG1360 →23 times
ἠθελήσαμενwe wanted
ethelesamenG2309 →
ἐλθεῖνto come
eltheinG2064 →628 times
πρὸςto
prosG4314 →700 times
ὑμᾶς,you —
humasG4771 →2973 times
ἐγὼI myself
egoG1473 →
μὲνindeed
menG3303 →
ΠαῦλοςPaul
paulosG3972 →
καὶboth
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἅπαξonce
hapaxG530 →
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
δίς,twice —
disG1364 →
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐνέκοψενhindered
enekopsenG1465 →
ἡμᾶςus
hemasG3165 →1936 times
ὁ<the>
hoG3588 →19766 times
σατανᾶς.Satan.
satanasG4567 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Revelation 2:10Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Look, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison to test you, and you will suffer tribulation for ten days. Be faithful…
it leads to
- James 1:12
Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.
- Matthew 10:22
You will be hated by everyone because of My name, but the one who perseveres to the end will be saved.
- Revelation 3:10–11
Because you have kept My command to persevere, I will also keep you from the hour of testing that is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the…
- Luke 21:16–19
You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you will be put to death.
- Mark 13:13
You will be hated by everyone because of My name, but the one who perseveres to the end will be saved.
- James 1:12
Through
Romans 1:13I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, how often I planned to come to you (but have been prevented from visiting until now), in order that I might have a harvest among…
it leads to
- Acts 19:21
After these things had happened, Paul resolved in the Spirit to go to Jerusalem after he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia. “After I have been there,” he said, “I must see Rome as…
- Philippians 4:17
Not that I am seeking a gift, but I am looking for the fruit that may be credited to your account.
- Acts 19:21
Through
Romans 15:22That is why I have often been hindered from coming to you.
it leads to
- Romans 1:13
I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, how often I planned to come to you (but have been prevented from visiting until now), in order that I might have a harvest among…
- Romans 1:13
About 1 Thessalonians
This page draws on 12 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the New Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 657: “Satanic Hindrances” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Against Jovinian 2.3; John Chrysostom, Homilies Concerning the Statues, Homily 1; John Chrysostom, Homily on 1 Thessalonians 3; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 1 Thessalonians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on 1 Thessalonians.