2 Timothy 2:4 BSB — MannaFest

2 Timothy 2:4

A soldier refrains from entangling himself in civilian affairs, in order to please the one who enlisted him.

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

No soldier on service entangleth himself in the affairs of this life; that he may please him who enrolled him as a soldier.

KJV

No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

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Commentary

5 voices

Basil of Caesarea

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE ASCETICAL LIFE (379)

Where is Christ, the King? In heaven, to be sure. In this direction it behooves you, soldier of Christ, to direct your course. Forget all earthly delights. A soldier does not build a house. He does not aspire to the possession of lands. He does not concern himself with devious, coin-purveying trade.… The soldier enjoys a sustenance provided by the king. He need not furnish his own nor vex himself in this regard.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

John Gill

1697–1771

Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748)

No man that warreth,.... Who is a soldier, and gives himself up to military service, in a literal sense: the Vulgate Latin version, without any authority, adds, "to God"; as if the apostle was speaking of a spiritual warfare; whereas he is illustrating a spiritual warfare by a corporeal one; and observes, that no one, that is in a military state, entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; with civil affairs, in distinction from military ones.

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)

That - Minding war only, he may please his captain. In this and the next verse there is a plain allusion to the Roman law of arms, and to that of the Grecian games. According to the former, no soldier was to engage in any civil employment; according to the latter, none could be crowned as conqueror, who did not keep strictly to the rules of the game.

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible (1832)

No man that warreth entangleth, etc. - It is well remarked by Grotius, on this passage, that the legionary soldiers among the Romans were not permitted to engage in husbandry, merchandise, mechanical employments, or any thing that might be inconsistent with their calling. Many canons, at different times, have been made to prevent ecclesiastics from intermeddling with secular employments. The who will preach the Gospel thoroughly, and wishes to give full proof of his ministry, had need to have no other work. He should be wholly in this thing, that his profiting may appear unto all.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Voices on this verse

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Original language & word study

11 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
οὐδεὶς	oudeis	No [one]	G3762 →
στρατευόμενος	strateuomenos	serving as a soldier	G4754 →
ἐμπλέκεται	empleketai	entangles himself	G1707 →
ταῖς	tais	in the	G3588 →
τοῦ	tou	of this	G3588 →
βίου	biou	life	G979 →
πραγματείαις,	pragmateiais	affairs,	G4230 →
ἵνα	ina	so that	G2443 →
τῷ	tō	the [one]	G3588 →
στρατολογήσαντι	stratologēsanti	having enlisted him	G4758 →
ἀρέσῃ.	aresē	he may please.	G700 →

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

G3762oudeisNo [one]232×

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
2 Peter 2:20
If indeed they have escaped the corruption of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, only to be entangled and overcome by it again, their final condition is worse…
leads to
- Hebrews 10:26–27
  If we deliberately go on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no further sacrifice for sins remains,
- Hebrews 6:4–8
  It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit,
- Philippians 3:19
  Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and their glory is in their shame. Their minds are set on earthly things.
- Luke 11:24–26
  When an unclean spirit comes out of a man, it passes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’
- Deuteronomy 32:29
  If only they were wise, they would understand it; they would comprehend their fate.
Through
1 Thessalonians 2:4
Instead, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, not in order to please men but God, who examines our hearts.
leads to
- Galatians 1:10
  Am I now seeking the approval of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.
- Romans 8:27
  And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
Through
Luke 8:14
The seeds that fell among the thorns are those who hear, but as they go on their way, they are choked by the worries, riches, and pleasures of this life, and their fruit does…
leads to
- 1 John 2:15–17
  Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

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Preaching in the Wilderness — Gustave Doré (engraving, public domain)

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01Commentary

The record, by era

Voices on this verse

02Original language & word study

03The walk

Where the connections lead

04Related verses

05Featured studies on this passage

06About 2 Timothy

The record, by era

Where the connections lead

Commentary

Original language & word study

The walk

Related verses

Featured studies on this passage

About 2 Timothy