Philemon 1:7
in Philemon 1I take great joy and encouragement in your love, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For I had much joy and comfort in thy love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through thee, brother.
KJV
For we have great joy and consolation in thy love, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother.
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This verse in Philemon 1
Commentary
14 notes on this verse"For we have had great joy and consolation in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother." He emphasizes and teaches more fully why he said, "I give thanks to my God always remembering you in my prayers." It was worthy indeed to give thanks to God for the love of Philemon, who had refreshed the internal affection of the heart and the deep recesses of the saints by receiving them. And this is the apostolic idiom; to always call it "hearts," wanting to show the fullness of love in the mind.
This site's exposition
remembering you in my prayers
on Philemon 1:4-7
The thanksgiving records Philemon's love for all the saints: he has refreshed the hearts of the saints. The Greek splanchna, hearts, returns for Onesimus at verse 12 and for Paul at verse 20. Philemon is asked for what he is known for.
This site's exposition
refreshed the hearts of the saints
Philemon refreshed the hearts of the saints by keeping an open house, and Adam Clarke reads it as kindness to poor believers. Paul sets the word brother last in the sentence. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown read that as a way to win a warm hearing for the appeal that follows.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
It is evident that he expresses himself as being joyful because he was ministering to the needs of the saints: from which he rejoices even more, being certain that he was obeying his commands, whom he knows to be superior.
"we have great joy". Not only, Paul says, did we rejoice, but such was the pleasure that it even brought us comfort while in bonds. "because the hearts of the saints". See! He wishes to say: If you grant favors to others, much more grant …
Nothing so shames us into giving, as to bring forward the kindnesses bestowed on others, and particularly when a man is more entitled to respect than they. And he has not said, "If you do it to others, much more to me"; but he has insinuated the same thing, though he has contrived to do it in another and a more gracious manner. "I had joy," that is, thou hast given me confidence from the things which thou hast done to others. "And consolation," that is, we are not only gratified, but we are also comforted. For they are members of us. If then there ought to be such an agreement, that in the refreshing of any others who are in affliction, though we obtain nothing, we should be delighted on their account, as if it were one body that was benefited; much more if you shall refresh us also. And he has not said, "Because thou yieldest, and compliest," but even more vehemently and emphatically, "because the bowels of the Saints," as if it were for a darling child fondly loved by its parents, so that this love and affection shows that he also is exceedingly beloved by them.
The Medieval Church2 voices
That is, we have joy, and not only joy, but also great consolation in bonds on account of your love, that is, your compassionate and generous disposition of heart. Very wisely the apostle undertakes the matter, reminding him of his benefactions to others, in order …
The reason he gives thanks is joy. And he says, For I had great joy and consolation... 3 John 4: 'I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.' For this joy alleviates anxiety. That is why he …
6 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
23 There salute thee Epaphras, my fellowprisoner in Christ Jesus; 24 Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my fellowlabourers. 25 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
For we have great joy and consolation in thy love,....
The apostle's thanksgiving and prayer for Philemon are here set forth by the object, circumstance, and matter of them, with the way whereby much of the knowledge of Philemon's goodness came to him. Here is the object of Paul's praises and prayers for Philemon: I thank my God, making mention of thee in my prayers,
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
For we have great joy and consolation in thy love - In thy love toward Christians. The word here rendered “joy” (χάριν charin), properly means grace. A large number of manuscripts, however, instead of this word, have χαρὰν charan, Charan, joy. See Wetstein. This reading has been adopted by Griesbach, Tittman, and Hahn. Because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother - For your kindness to them. The word “bowels” here probably means minds, hearts, for it is used in the Scriptures to denote the affections.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
For--a reason for the prayer, Phm 4-6. we have--Greek, "we had." joy and consolation--joined in 2Co 7:4. saints are refreshed by thee--His house was open to them. brother--put last, to conciliate his favorable attention to the request which follows.
For we have great joy - This verse does not read harmoniously. The Greek authorizes the following arrangement: For we have great joy and consolation in thy love, O brother, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee. The apostle speaks here of the works of charity in which Philemon abounded towards poor Christians.
The words behind it
19 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| χαρὰν | charan | Joy | G5479 → | |
| γὰρ | gar | for | G1063 → | 1039 times |
| πολλὴν | pollen | great | G4183 → | |
| ἔσχον | eschon | I have | G2192 → | 707 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| παράκλησιν | paraklesin | encouragement | G3874 → | |
| ἐπὶ | epi | by occasion of | G1909 → | |
| τῇ | tea | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀγάπῃ | agape | love | G26 → | 114 times |
| σου, | sou | of you, | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| ὅτι | hoti | because | G3754 → | 1292 times |
| τὰ | ta | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| σπλάγχνα | splagchna | hearts | G4698 → | 11 times |
| τῶν | ton | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἁγίων | hagion | saints | G40 → | |
| ἀναπέπαυται | anapepautai | have been refreshed | G373 → | |
| διὰ | dia | through | G1223 → | 664 times |
| σοῦ, | sou | you, | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| ἀδελφέ.¶ | adelphe | brother. | G80 → | 343 times |
χαρὰνJoy
charanG5479 →
γὰρfor
garG1063 →1039 times
πολλὴνgreat
pollenG4183 →
ἔσχονI have
eschonG2192 →707 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
παράκλησινencouragement
paraklesinG3874 →
ἐπὶby occasion of
epiG1909 →
τῇthe
teaG3588 →19766 times
ἀγάπῃlove
agapeG26 →114 times
σου,of you,
souG4771 →2973 times
ὅτιbecause
hotiG3754 →1292 times
τὰthe
taG3588 →19766 times
σπλάγχναhearts
splagchnaG4698 →11 times
τῶνof the
tonG3588 →19766 times
ἁγίωνsaints
hagionG40 →
ἀναπέπαυταιhave been refreshed
anapepautaiG373 →
διὰthrough
diaG1223 →664 times
σοῦ,you,
souG4771 →2973 times
ἀδελφέ.¶brother.
adelpheG80 →343 times
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
1 Thessalonians 2:19After all, who is our hope, our joy, our crown of boasting, if it is not you yourselves in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming?
it leads to
- Philippians 4:1
Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you must stand firm in the Lord, my beloved.
- 1 Thessalonians 3:13
so that He may establish your hearts in blamelessness and holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints. Amen.
- Philippians 2:16
as you hold forth the word of life, in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:23
Now 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.
- 2 Corinthians 1:14
as you have already understood us in part, so that you may boast of us just as we will boast of you in the day of our Lord Jesus.
- Philippians 4:1
Through
2 Corinthians 7:4Great is my confidence in you; great is my pride in you; I am filled with encouragement; in all our troubles my joy overflows.
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 1:4
who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.
- James 1:2
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds,
- 2 Corinthians 1:4
Through
2 Corinthians 7:13On account of this, we are encouraged. In addition to our own encouragement, we were even more delighted by the joy of Titus. For his spirit has been refreshed by all of you.
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 7:6
But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the arrival of Titus,
- 2 Corinthians 7:6
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Philemon
This page draws on 13 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); Ambrosiaster, Commentary on Philemon; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Philemon; John Chrysostom, Homily on Philemon 2; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, COMMENTARY ON PHILEMON; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Philemon and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Philemon.