Philemon 1:21
in Philemon 1Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Having confidence in thine obedience I write unto thee, knowing that thou wilt do even beyond what I say.
KJV
Having confidence in thy obedience I wrote unto thee, knowing that thou wilt also do more than I say.
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This verse in Philemon 1
Commentary
13 notes on this verse"Confident in your obedience, I have written to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say." Whoever presumes of him whom he is about to ask, prejudices himself in a certain manner, that it may not be lawful for him to deny what he is asked. Moreover, if he who asks knows that he will be asked for more than he has asked, he seeks smaller things, that he may have the voluntary compliance of the person asked, and a greater reward in return.
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.
This site's exposition
you will do even more than I ask
Paul writes confident of the obedience of Philemon, and Chrysostom notes that such confidence makes a refusal hard. A man trusted to do more than is asked will shrink from doing less. Barnes reads the more as receiving Onesimus with kindness.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
"confident". Paul said, "You do this not for me, but for Christ." "confident in your obedience". I did not write to you as one commanding or stubbornly dealing with you, but having confidence "in your obedience". Whom would these things not soften, even if he …
Having confidence in your obedience, I have written to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say. I am now being affectionate, so that his obedience may be voluntary, in order to bear fruit. For by doing so, he provokes him to …
"Having confidence in thy obedience, I write unto thee." What stone would not these things have softened? What wild beast would not these things have rendered mild, and prepared to receive him heartily? After having borne witness to him by so many great testimonies of his goodness, he is not ashamed again to excuse himself. He says, Not barely requesting it, nor as commanding it, nor arbitrarily, but "having confidence in thy obedience I wrote unto thee." What he had said at the beginning, "having confidence," that he also says here in the sealing up of his letter.
"Knowing that thou wilt also do more than I say." At the same time in saying this he excited him. For he would have been ashamed, though for nothing else, if having such credit with him as this, that he would do more than he said,-he should not do so much.
The Medieval Church1 voice
Then when he says Trusting in your compliance, he provides a reason on the side of Philemon, and a commendation of his obedience. First he shows how he is confident in his obeying; second he adds to it something similar. Therefore he says, Trusting in …
5 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
I, he says, wrote to you, not commanding and not out of self-love, but hoping in your obedience. What iron would not be softened by these words?
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Having confidence in thy obedience,....
Thus far is the substance and body of the epistle. The conclusion, where, 1. He signifies his good hope of deliverance, through their prayers, and that shortly he might see them, desiring Philemon to make provision for him: But withal prepare me also a lodging; for I trust that through your prayers I shall be given unto you,
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Having confidence in thy obedience - That you would comply with all my expressed desires. I wrote unto thee - “I have written to you;” to wit, in this Epistle. Knowing that thou wilt also do more than I say - In all the respects which he had mentioned - in receiving Onesimus, and in his kind treatment of him. He had asked a great favor of him, but he knew that he would go even beyond what he had asked.
Having confidence in thy obedience - I know that it will please thee thus to oblige thy friend, and I know that thou wilt do more than I request, because thou feelest the affection of a son to thy spiritual father. Some think that the apostle hints to Philemon that he should manumit Onesimus.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Πεποιθὼς | pepoithos | Having been persuaded of | G3982 → | |
| τῇ | tea | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ὑπακοῇ | hupakoea | obedience | G5218 → | |
| σου | sou | of you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| ἔγραψά | egrapsa | I write | G1125 → | |
| σοι | soi | to you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| εἰδὼς | eidos | knowing | ||
| ὅτι | hoti | that | G3754 → | 1292 times |
| καὶ | kai | even | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ὑπὲρ | huper | above | G5228 → | 155 times |
| ἃ | ha | what [things] | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| λέγω | lego | I say | G3004 → | |
| ποιήσεις. | poieseis | you will do. | G4160 → | 569 times |
ΠεποιθὼςHaving been persuaded of
pepoithosG3982 →
τῇthe
teaG3588 →19766 times
ὑπακοῇobedience
hupakoeaG5218 →
σουof you
souG4771 →2973 times
ἔγραψάI write
egrapsaG1125 →
σοιto you
soiG4771 →2973 times
εἰδὼςknowing
eidos
ὅτιthat
hotiG3754 →1292 times
καὶeven
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ὑπὲρabove
huperG5228 →155 times
ἃwhat [things]
haG3739 →1405 times
λέγωI say
legoG3004 →
ποιήσεις.you will do.
poieseisG4160 →569 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
2 Thessalonians 3:4And we have confidence in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do what we command.
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 2:3
I wrote as I did so that on my arrival I would not be saddened by those who ought to make me rejoice. I had confidence in all of you, that you would share…
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- Philippians 1:6
being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:10
And you are indeed showing this love to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to excel more and more
- Philippians 2:12
Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now even more in my absence, continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.
- 2 Corinthians 2:3
Through
Galatians 5:10I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is troubling you will bear the judgment, whoever he may be.
it leads to
- Galatians 5:12
As for those who are agitating you, I wish they would proceed to emasculate themselves!
- Philippians 3:15
All of us who are mature should embrace this point of view. And if you think differently about some issue, God will reveal this to you as well.
- Galatians 5:12
Through
2 Corinthians 2:3I wrote as I did so that on my arrival I would not be saddened by those who ought to make me rejoice. I had confidence in all of you, that you would share…
it leads to
- Galatians 5:10
I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is troubling you will bear the judgment, whoever he may be.
- 2 Corinthians 8:22
And we are sending along with them our brother whose earnestness has been proven many times and in many ways, and now even more so by his great confidence in you.
- Galatians 5:10
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Philemon
This page draws on 12 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; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrosiaster, Commentary on Philemon; Jerome, Commentary on Philemon; John Chrysostom, Homily on Philemon 3; 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.