Philemon 1:10
in Philemon 1I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whose father I became while I was in chains.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
I beseech thee for my child, whom I have begotten in my bonds, Onesimus,
KJV
I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds:
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This verse in Philemon 1
Commentary
5 notes on this verseIn wishing to obtain what he asks for, he now asserts that he is pleading not for Philemon's slave, but for his own son. And regarding that son whom he has begotten in the chains of the gospel, that is, which he endured for the sake of Christ's gospel.
This site's exposition
my son Onesimus
on Philemon 1:10-12
The name is held back until the ground is laid: I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds, the runaway converted under Paul's imprisonment. Onesimus means profitable, and Paul turns the name in a pun both households would feel, in time past unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me; under Roman law Philemon could brand or kill him, and Paul sends him back anyway with the letter in his hand. Receive him, that is, mine own bowels: the slave returns carrying the apostle's own heart.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
14 , Many brethren, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word of the Lord without fear. When God's servants are bound, yet his word and Spirit are not bound; spiritual children may then be born to them.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
I beseech thee for my son Onesimus - It is evident from this that Onesimus was converted by St. Paul while he was prisoner at Rome, and perhaps not long before he wrote this epistle.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
I beseech thee--emphatically repeated from Phm 9. In the Greek, the name "Onesimus" is skilfully put last, he puts first a favorable description of him before he mentions the name that had fallen into so bad repute with Philemon.
The words behind it
12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| παρακαλῶ | parakalo | I exhort | G3870 → | |
| σε | se | you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| περὶ | peri | for | G4012 → | |
| τοῦ | tou | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἐμοῦ | emou | my | G1473 → | 839 times |
| τέκνου | teknou | child | G5043 → | |
| ὃν | hon | whom | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| ἐγέννησα | egennesa | I have begotten | G1080 → | |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| τοῖς | tois | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δεσμοῖς | desmois | chains | G1199 → | |
| Ὀνήσιμον, | onesimon | Onesimus, | G3682 → |
παρακαλῶI exhort
parakaloG3870 →
σεyou
seG4771 →2973 times
περὶfor
periG4012 →
τοῦ<the>
touG3588 →19766 times
ἐμοῦmy
emouG1473 →839 times
τέκνουchild
teknouG5043 →
ὃνwhom
honG3739 →1405 times
ἐγέννησαI have begotten
egennesaG1080 →
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
τοῖςthe
toisG3588 →19766 times
δεσμοῖςchains
desmoisG1199 →
Ὀνήσιμον,Onesimus,
onesimonG3682 →
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
Galatians 4:19My children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you,
it leads to
- Ephesians 4:13
until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, as we mature to the full measure of the stature of Christ.
- Romans 13:14
Instead, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.
- Romans 8:29
For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers.
- Ephesians 4:24
and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
- Colossians 4:12
Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, so that you may stand mature and fully assured in the…
- Ephesians 4:13
Through
1 Timothy 1:2To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
it leads to
- 2 Timothy 1:2
To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Titus 1:4
To Titus, my true child in our common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.
- 1 Corinthians 4:14–17
I am not writing this to shame you, but to warn you as my beloved children.
- 2 Timothy 1:2
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies4
On this verse
About Philemon
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Philemon; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.