Philemon 1:20
in Philemon 1Yes, brother, let me have some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord: refresh my heart in Christ.
KJV
Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord: refresh my bowels in the Lord.
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This verse in Philemon 1
Commentary
14 notes on this verseYea, brother - It is even so, that thou art thus indebted to me. Let me have joy of thee, in forgiving Onesimus, and receiving him into thy favor. In the words εγε σου οναιμην, which we should translate, let me have Profit of thee, there is an evident paronomasia, or play on the name of Onesimus. See on Phm 1:2 (note), Phm 1:11 (note). Refresh my bowels - Gratify the earnest longing of my soul in this. I ask neither thy money nor goods; I ask what will enrich, not impoverish, thee to give.
This site's exposition
let me have some benefit from you
on Philemon 1:20-22
Paul asks Philemon to refresh his heart, the verb verse 7 used of what Philemon did for the saints. Paul writes knowing that you will do even more than I ask, and asks for a guest room. He will see the answer in person.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
"Yes, brother". Again, from what is pleasing it advances to what is serious. "Yes," he said, "brother." What? Accept it yourself. I will take advantage from you in things that are according to Christ. "May I enjoy". That is, I delight in your excellent works …
But when you have joy of a man in God, it is God rather than man that you enjoy. For you enjoy Him by whom you are made happy, and you rejoice to have come to Him in whose presence you place your hope of joy. And accordingly, Paul says to Philemon, "Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord." For if he had not added "in the Lord," but had only said, "Let me have joy of thee," he would have implied that he fixed his hope of happiness upon him, although even in the immediate context to "enjoy" is used in the sense of to "use with delight." For when the thing that we love is near us, it is a matter of course that it should bring delight with it. And if you pass beyond this delight, and make it a means to that which you are permanently to rest in, you are using it, and it is an abuse of language to say that you enjoy it. But if you cling to it, and rest in it, finding your happiness complete in it, then you may be truly and properly said to enjoy it. And this we must never do except in the case of the Blessed Trinity, who is the Supreme and Unchangeable Good.
What is, "Yea, brother"? Receive him, he says. For this we must understand though unexpressed. For dismissing all pleasantry, he again pursues his former considerations, that is, serious ones. And yet even these are serious. For the things that proceed from Saints are of themselves serious, even when they are pleasantry.
"Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord, refresh my heart in Christ." That is, thou grantest the favor to the Lord, not to me. "My heart," that is, toward thyself.
"So, brother, I might enjoy you in the Lord." The Latin language does not clarify the Greek word 'proprietatem'. What he says, "yes, brother, yes" is something like the adverb of flattery. But we interpreters sound more flowing and diluted as "so, brother," something else more than what is written. For as Anna's Hebrew word frequently translated by the seventy interpreters as "oh yes", indicates a prayerful attitude in their own language.
7 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church2 voices
From heartfelt speech the apostle again passed to something more important, imploring: "let me have joy," he says, "of thee," that is, let me enjoy thy good deeds, not in worldly matters, but in those which are in the Lord. Give rest, he says, to …
And he adds, Yes, indeed, brother, may I too make use of you, as if to say, if you want me for a partner, take him back, and I will so use you, brother, that is, if you do it, you will fill my wishes …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
It is not any carnal selfish respect I am actuated by, but what is pleasing to Christ, and that he may have honour therein." Observe, [1.] The Lord's honour and service are a Christian's chief aim in all things.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
Refresh my bowels in Christ - Give me the most exquisite and Christian pleasure.
Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
let me--"me" is emphatic: "Let me have profit (so Greek 'for joy,' onainen, referring to the name Onesimus, 'profitable') from thee, as thou shouldst have had from Onesimus"; for "thou owest thine ownself to me." in the Lord--not in worldly gain, but in thine increase in the graces of the Lord's Spirit [ALFORD]. my bowels--my heart.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord - “By showing me this favor in receiving my friend and brother as I request.” The phrase “in the Lord,” here seems to mean that, if this request was granted, he would recognize the hand of the Lord in it, and would receive it as a favor from him. Refresh my bowels in the Lord - The “bowels,” in the Scriptures, are uniformly spoken of as the seat of the affections - meaning commonly the upper viscera, embracing the heart and the lungs; compare the notes at Isa 16:11. The reason is, that in any deep emotion this part of our frame is peculiarly affected, or we feel it there. Compare Robinson’s Lex. on the word σπλάγχνον splangchnon See this illustrated at length in Sir Charles Bell’s” Anatomy of Expression,” p. 85, following Ed. London, 1844. The idea here is, that Paul had such a tender affection for Onesimus as to give him great concern and uneasiness. The word rendered “refresh” - ἀνάπαυσόν anapauson - means “to give rest to, to give repose, to free from sorrow or care;” and the sense is, that by receiving Onesimus, Philemon would cause the deep and anxious feelings of Paul to cease, and he would be calm and happy; compare the notes at Phm 1:7.
The words behind it
13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ναί, | nai | Yes, | G3483 → | |
| ἀδελφέ, | adelphe | brother, | G80 → | 343 times |
| ἐγώ | ego | I myself | G1473 → | 839 times |
| σου | sou | from you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| ὀναίμην | onaimen | I would have profit | G3685 → | |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| κυρίῳ· | kurio | [the] Lord; | G2962 → | 711 times |
| ἀνάπαυσόν | anapauson | do refresh | G373 → | |
| μου | mou | my | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| τὰ | ta | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| σπλάγχνα | splagchna | heart | G4698 → | 11 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| Χριστῷ.¶ | christo | Christ. | G5547 → | 523 times |
ναί,Yes,
naiG3483 →
ἀδελφέ,brother,
adelpheG80 →343 times
ἐγώI myself
egoG1473 →839 times
σουfrom you
souG4771 →2973 times
ὀναίμηνI would have profit
onaimenG3685 →
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
κυρίῳ·[the] Lord;
kurioG2962 →711 times
ἀνάπαυσόνdo refresh
anapausonG373 →
μουmy
mouG3165 →1936 times
τὰ<the>
taG3588 →19766 times
σπλάγχναheart
splagchnaG4698 →11 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
Χριστῷ.¶Christ.
christoG5547 →523 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
Hebrews 13:17Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they watch over your souls as those who must give an account. To this end, allow them to lead with joy and not with grief, for…
it leads to
- 1 Thessalonians 5:12–13
But we ask you, brothers, to acknowledge those who work diligently among you, who preside over you in the Lord and give you instruction.
- 1 Timothy 5:17
Elders who lead effectively are worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.
- Hebrews 13:7
Remember your leaders who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.
- 1 Peter 5:5
Young men, in the same way, submit yourselves to your elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
- Acts 20:28
Keep watch over yourselves and the entire flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:12–13
Through
3 John 1:4I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
it leads to
- Galatians 4:19
My children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you,
- 1 Timothy 1:2
To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
- Galatians 4:19
Through
Philemon 1:7I take great joy and encouragement in your love, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 7:13
On 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.
- 2 Corinthians 7:13
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies5
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); Augustine of Hippo, On Christian Doctrine 1.33.37; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Philemon; John Chrysostom, Homily on Philemon 3; 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 PHILEMON; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Philemon and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Philemon.