2 Timothy 4:18
in 2 Timothy 4And the Lord will rescue me from every evil action and bring me safely into His heavenly kingdom. To Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
The Lord will deliver me from every evil work, and will save me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be the glory for ever and ever. Amen.
KJV
And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
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This verse in 2 Timothy 4
Commentary
12 notes on this verseFor then, he says, the threat had vanished. But because the Gospel became sufficient, he will rescue me from all: that is to say, he will not leave me and the threat will disappear.
This site's exposition
At my first defense
on 2 Timothy 4:16-18
At my first defense, the prima actio before Nero's court, no one stood with me. Paul prays May it not be charged against them, echoing the Lord's words from the cross. Yet the Lord stood by me and strengthened me.
This site's exposition
bring me safely into His heavenly kingdom
Paul expects death, as verse 6 said, so the rescue he hopes for is of another kind. Albert Barnes reads it as being kept from shrinking back or falling away at the end. John Wesley sets the heavenly kingdom against Nero's.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
And the Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and will bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen. and the Lord will rescue me. If He will deliver, how does He say, "I am already …
"Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me." Though deserted by man, God doth not permit him to suffer any harm. He strengthened me, he says, that is, He gave me boldness in speaking. He suffered me not to sink. "That by me the preaching might be fully known." That is, might be fulfilled. Observe his great humility. He does not say He strengthened me as deserving of His gift, but that "the preaching," with which I was intrusted, "might be fully known." As if any one should wear a purple robe and a diadem, and to that circumstance should owe his safety. "And that all the Gentiles might hear." What is this? That the luster of the Gospel, and the care of His Providence for me, might be known to all. "And I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion." "And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work." See how near he had been to death. He had fallen into the very jaws of the lion. For he calls Nero a lion from his ferocity, and the violent and daring character of his government. "The Lord delivered me," he says, "and will deliver." But if he says, "He will deliver me," why does he say, "I am ready to be offered"? Attend to the expression, "He delivered me," he says, "from the lion's mouth"; and again, "He will deliver me," not from the lion's mouth, but "from every evil work." For then He delivered me from the danger; but now that enough has been done for the Gospel, He will yet again deliver me from every sin, that is, He will not suffer me to depart with condemnation. For that he should be able to "resist unto blood striving against sin" (Heb. xii. 4), and not yield, is a deliverance from another lion, even the devil, so that this preservation is greater than the former when he seems to be given up. "And will preserve me unto His heavenly kingdom; to Whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." This then is salvation, when we shine forth there. […]
The Medieval Church2 voices
Before this He delivered me from bodily death; but since I have already preached sufficiently, henceforth, I hope, He will deliver me not from bodily death, since I am already "being poured out as a drink offering," but from every sin, that is, He will …
Second, he was freed of guilt; hence he says, "the Lord has delivered me from every evil work." But some are freed from punishment but fall into the sin of denying the faith: "he delivered me from my strongest enemies and from them that hated …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work - Which is far more than delivering me from death. Yea, and, over and above, preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom - Far better than that of Nero.
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work - None of the evil designs formed against me to make me unfaithful or unsteady, to cause me to save my life at the expense of faith and a good conscience, shall succeed; my life may go, but he will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom. A continuance on earth the apostle expects not; but he has glory full in view, and therefore he gives God glory for what he had done, and for what he had promised to do.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
1Th 1:10): He saves from evil; He gives good things. heavenly kingdom--Greek, "His kingdom which is a heavenly one." to whom, &c.--Greek, "to whom be the glory unto the ages of ages." The very hope produces a doxology: how much greater will be the doxology which the actual enjoyment shall produce! [BENGEL].
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work - He does not say from “death,” for he expected now to die; see 2Ti 4:6. But he was assured that God would keep him from shrinking from death when the hour approached; from apostasy, and from the manifestation of an improper spirit when he came to die. And will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom - So keep me from evil that I shall reach his heavenly kingdom; see 2Ti 4:8. To whom be glory forever and ever - Paul was accustomed to introduce a doxology in his writings when his heart was full (compare Rom 9:5), and in no place could it be more appropriate than here, when he had the fullest confidence that he was soon to be brought to heaven. If man is ever disposed to ascribe glory to God, it is on such an occasion.
The words behind it
25 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ῥύσεταί | rhusetai | Will deliver | G4506 → | 17 times |
| με | me | me | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| ὁ | ho | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| κύριος | kurios | Lord | G2962 → | 711 times |
| ἀπὸ | apo | from | G575 → | 640 times |
| παντὸς | pantos | every | G3956 → | 1235 times |
| ἔργου | ergou | deed | G2041 → | 168 times |
| πονηροῦ | ponerou | evil | G4190 → | |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| σώσει | sosei | will bring [me] safely | G4982 → | |
| εἰς | eis | into | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| τὴν | ten | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| βασιλείαν | basileian | kingdom | G932 → | |
| αὐτοῦ | autou | of Him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| τὴν | ten | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἐπουράνιον· | epouranion | heavenly; | G2032 → | |
| ᾧ | ho | to whom [is] | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| ἡ | he | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δόξα | doxa | glory | G1391 → | |
| εἰς | eis | unto | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| τοὺς | tous | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| αἰῶνας | aionas | ages | G165 → | 121 times |
| τῶν | ton | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| αἰώνων, | aionon | ages, | G165 → | 121 times |
| ἀμήν.¶ | amen | Amen. | G281 → |
ῥύσεταίWill deliver
rhusetaiG4506 →17 times
μεme
meG3165 →1936 times
ὁthe
hoG3588 →19766 times
κύριοςLord
kuriosG2962 →711 times
ἀπὸfrom
apoG575 →640 times
παντὸςevery
pantosG3956 →1235 times
ἔργουdeed
ergouG2041 →168 times
πονηροῦevil
ponerouG4190 →
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
σώσειwill bring [me] safely
soseiG4982 →
εἰςinto
eisG1519 →1755 times
τὴνthe
tenG3588 →19766 times
βασιλείανkingdom
basileianG932 →
αὐτοῦof Him
autouG846 →5565 times
τὴν<the>
tenG3588 →19766 times
ἐπουράνιον·heavenly;
epouranionG2032 →
ᾧto whom [is]
hoG3739 →1405 times
ἡthe
heG3588 →19766 times
δόξαglory
doxaG1391 →
εἰςunto
eisG1519 →1755 times
τοὺςthe
tousG3588 →19766 times
αἰῶναςages
aionasG165 →121 times
τῶνof the
tonG3588 →19766 times
αἰώνων,ages,
aiononG165 →121 times
ἀμήν.¶Amen.
amenG281 →
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
Matthew 6:13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Corinthians 10:13
Through
2 Thessalonians 3:3But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.
it leads to
- John 17:15
I am not asking that You take them out of the world, but that You keep them from the evil one.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:24
The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do it.
- Psalms 121:7
The LORD will guard you from all evil; He will preserve your soul.
- 1 Corinthians 1:9
God, who has called you into fellowship with His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.
- John 17:15
Through
1 Thessalonians 5:23Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your entire spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
it leads to
- Jude 1:24
Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you unblemished in His glorious presence, with great joy—
- 1 Corinthians 1:8–9
He will sustain you to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
- Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it pierces even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
- Jude 1:24
Where this verse is studied
On this page
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On this verse
On this chapter
About 2 Timothy
This page draws on 12 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on 2 Timothy 10; John Damascene, Commentary (church-history corpus); John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, COMMENTARY ON 2 TIMOTHY; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 2 Timothy and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on 2 Timothy.