to cause to be ("gen"-erate) · verb — second aorist passive deponent indicative, 1st person plural
gentle
ἤπιοςḗpios
G2261
properly
among
ἐνen
G1722
"in · preposition
you
ὑμῶνhymōn
G5216
of (from or concerning) you
even
ἄνán
G302
(what-
as
ὡςhōs
G5613
which how · particle
nurse
τροφὸςtrophos
G5162
a nourisher · noun — nominative singular feminine
cherisheth
θάλπῃthalpē
G2282
to brood · verb — present active subjunctive, 3rd person singular
her
ἑαυτῆςhe'autēs
G1438
him- (her- · reflexive pronoun
children
τέκνα,tekna
G5043
a child (as produced) · noun — accusative plural neuter
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
Isaiah 66:13 As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem.
2 Timothy 2:24-25 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,
1 Thessalonians 2:11 As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children,
Isaiah 49:23 And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth,…
2 Corinthians 10:1 Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward y…
Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
James 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without pa…
1 Corinthians 9:22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on 1 Thessalonians 2:7-12
In these words the apostle reminds the Thessalonians of the manner of his conversation among them. And,
I. He mentions the gentleness of their behaviour: We were gentle among you, Th1 2:7. He showed great mildness and tenderness who might have acted with the authority of an apostle of Christ. Such behaviour greatly recommends religion, and is most agreeable to God's gracious dealing with sinners, in and by the gospel. This great apostle, though he abhorred and avoided flattery, was most condescending to all men. He accommodated himself to all men's capacities, and became all things to all men. He showed the kindness and care of a nurse that cherishes her children. This is the way to win peop…
we were--Greek, "we were made" by God's grace.
gentle--Greek, "mild in bearing with the faults of others" [TITTMANN]; one, too, who is gentle (though firm) in reproving the erroneous opinions of others (Ti2 2:24). Some of the oldest manuscripts read, "we became little children" (compare Mat 18:3-4). Others support the English Version reading, which forms a better antithesis to Th1 2:6-7, and harmonizes better with what follows; for he would hardly, in the same sentence, compare himself both to the "infants" or "little children," and to "a nurse," or rather, "suckling mother." Gentleness is the fitting characteristic of a nurse.
among you--Greek, "in the midst of you," that is, in our int…
But we were gentle among you - Far from assuming the authority which we had, we acted towards you as a tender nurse or parent does to a delicate child. We fed, counselled, cherished, and bore with you; we taught you to walk, preserved you from stumbling, and led you in a right path.
Instead of ηπιοι, gentle, many MSS., and several versions and fathers, have νηπιοι, young children. But this never can be considered the original reading, the scope of the place being totally opposed to it. It is the Thessalonians whom the apostle considers as young children, and himself and fellow laborers as the nurse; he could with no propriety say that he was among them as a little child, while himself profes…
The Church Fathers
Then it is right to notice, with respect to the appellation of infant, that the infant is not predicated of the silly: for the silly man is called foolish: and infant is one that has newly become gentle and meek in Conduct. This the blessed Paul most clearly pointed out when he said, "When we might have been burdensome as the apostles of Christ, we were gentle among you, as a nurse cherisheth her children." The child is therefore gentle, and therefore more tender, delicate, and simple, guileless, and destitute of hypocrisy, straightforward and upright in mind, which is the basis of simplicity and truth.
But another might say that the perfect man is here called little, applying the word, "For he that is least among you all, the same is great." He will affirm that he who humbles himself and becomes a child in the midst of all that believe, though he be an apostle or a bishop, and becomes such "as when a nurse cherishes her own children," is the little one pointed out by Jesus. He will also affirm that the angel of such a person is worthy to behold the face of God. The little are here called perfect, according to the passage "He that is least among you all, the same is great." Paul said, "Unto me who am less than the least of all saints was this grace given." These are in harmony with the saying, "Whoever shall cause one of these little ones to stumble," and "So it is not the will of my Father in heaven that one of these little ones should perish."
Do we not see how, even in dumb and irrational animals, where the love is not spiritual but carnal and natural, with great affection the mother yields herself to her young ones when they will have the milk which is their right: and however impetuously the suckling rushes at the teats, yet that is better for the mother than that it should not suck nor exact that which of love is due? Often we see great calves driving their heads at the cow's udders with a force that almost lifts up the mother's body, yet does she not kick them off; nay, if the young one be not there to suck, the towing of the dam calls for it to come to the teats. If then there be in us that spiritual charity of which the apostle saith, "I became small in the midst of you even as a nurse cherishing her young ones;" we love you the more when ye are exacting. We like not the sluggish, because for the languid ones we are afraid.
Dictionary and topics
Children · Fondness and care of mothers for — Fondness and care of mothers for
Gentleness · .Of Paul — .Of Paul
Meekness · .Paul — .Paul
Ministers · Should be: Gentle — Should be: Gentle
Nurse · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Preaching · UNCLASSIFIED SCRIPTURES RELATING TO — UNCLASSIFIED SCRIPTURES RELATING TO
Simplicity · Should be exhibited: In preaching the gospel — Should be exhibited: In preaching the gospel
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
But we were gentle among you,.... Meek and humble, mild and moderate; not using severity, or carrying it in a haughty imperious manner; assuming power and dominion, lording it over God's heritage, and commanding persons to do homage and honour to them, and forcing themselves upon them, and obliging them to maintain them. The Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions, instead of "gentle", read, "little children"; as the word signifies, by adding a letter to it, and expresses much the same as the other, that they were harmless and modest, and disinterested; and sought not themselves neither honour nor wealth, but the real good of others, and were kind and tender, and affectionate to them:
even as a…
1 Thessalonians 2:5-8
5. For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God is witness:
5. Neque enim unquam in sermone adulationis fuimus, quemadmodum nostis, neque in occasione avaritiae: Deus testis.
6. Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ.
6. Nec quaesivimus ab hominibus gloriam, neque a vobis, neque ab aliis.
7. But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children:
7. Quum possemus in pondere esse tanquam Christi Apostoli, facti tamen sumus mites in medio vestri, perinde acsi nutrix aleret filios suos.
8. So being affectionately desi…
we were like children: Some manuscripts read we were gentle. Paul and his associates did not wield their apostolic authority to make demands (cp. Matt 20:25-28).
