1 Thessalonians 4:13

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
But	δὲ de	G1161	but · conjunction
would	θέλομεν thelomen	G2309	to determine (as an active option from subjective impul… · verb — present active indicative, 1st person plural
not	Οὐ Ou	G3756	the absolute negative (compare G3361 (μή)) adverb · particle — negative
have	θέλω thélō	G2309	to determine (as an active option from subjective impul…
you	ὑμᾶς hymâs	G5209	you (as the objective of a verb or preposition)
ignorant	ἀγνοεῖν, agnoein	G50	not to know (through lack of information or intelligenc… · verb — present active infinitive
brethren	ἀδελφοί, adelphoi	G80	a brother (literally or figuratively) near or remote (m… · noun — vocative plural masculine
concerning	περὶ peri	G4012	properly · preposition
asleep	κοιμωμένων, koimōmenōn	G2837	to put to sleep · verb — present middle participle, genitive plural masculine
that	ἵνα ina	G2443	compare G3588 (ὁ)) · conjunction
sorrow	λυπῆσθε lupēsthe	G3076	to distress · verb — present passive subjunctive, 2nd person plural
not	μὴ mē	G3361	(adverb) not · particle — negative
even	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
as	καθὼς kathōs	G2531	just (or inasmuch) as · conjunction
others	λοιποὶ loipoi	G3062	remaining ones · adjective — nominative plural masculine
have	ἔχοντες echontes	G2192	to hold (used in very various applications · verb — present active participle, nominative plural masculine
no	μὴ mē	G3361	(adverb) not · particle — negative
hope	ἐλπίδα. elpida	G1680	expectation (abstractly or concretely) or confidence · noun — accusative singular feminine

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

Daniel 12:2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
1 Thessalonians 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them whic…
1 Thessalonians 5:10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
1 Corinthians 15:18-19 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.
2 Peter 3:4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of th…
Acts 7:60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
1 Corinthians 15:6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen aslee…
Ephesians 2:12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having…

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Thessalonians 4:13–end

In these words the apostle comforts the Thessalonians who mourned for the death of their relations and friends that died in the Lord. His design is to dissuade them from excessive grief, or inordinate sorrow, on that account. All grief for the death of friends is far from being unlawful; we may weep at least for ourselves if we do not weep for them, weep for own loss, though it may be their fain. Yet we must not be immoderate in our sorrows, because, I. This looks as if we had no hope, Th1 4:13. It is to act too much like the Gentiles, who had no hope of a better life after this; whereas we Christians, who have a most sure hope, the hope of eternal life after this, which God who cannot lie h…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Thessalonians 4:13

The leading topic of Paul's preaching at Thessalonica having been the coming kingdom (Act 17:7), some perverted it into a cause for fear in respect to friends lately deceased, as if these would be excluded from the glory which those found alive alone should share. This error Paul here corrects (compare Th1 5:10). I would not--All the oldest manuscripts and versions have "we would not." My fellow labourers (Silas and Timothy) and myself desire that ye should not be ignorant. them which are asleep--The oldest manuscripts read present tense, "them which are sleeping"; the same as "the dead in Christ" (Th1 4:16), to whose bodies (Dan 12:2, not their souls; Ecc 12:7; Co2 5:8) death is a calm…

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Adam Clarke on 1 Thessalonians 4:13

I would not have you to be ignorant - Instead of εχομεν, have, θελομεν, wish, is the reading of ADEFG, many others, besides the Arabic, Ethiopic, Armenian, some of the Slavonian, the Vulgate, and Itala, with many of the Greek fathers. This is undoubtedly the true reading: Brethren, I would not wish you to be ignorant; or, I would not that you should be ignorant. This was probably one of the points which were lacking in their faith, that he wished to go to Thessalonica to instruct them in. Them which are asleep - That is, those who are dead. It is supposed that the apostle had heard that the Thessalonians continued to lament over their dead, as the heathens did in general who had no hope of t…

The Church Fathers

I suppose, moreover, that he promises to the Thessalonians the integrity of the whole substance of man. So that for the great future there need be no fear of blemished or defective bodies.
— Tertullian, On the Resurrection of the Flesh

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them which are asleep in Jesus Will God bring with Him.". For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so also them which have fallen asleep in Jesus will God bring with Him."
— Cyprian, Treatise VII On the Mortality

For the consideration of the apostle's declaration must be set before us, who says, "Be not overwhelmed with sadness at the falling asleep of any one, just as the nations are who are without hope." And justly; or, believing the resurrection of Christ we believe also in our own, for whose sake He both died and rose again.
— Tertullian, Of Patience

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Hope — One of the three main elements of Christian character (1 Cor. 13:13). It is joined to faith and love, and is opposed to seeing or possessing (Rom. 8:24; 1 John 3:2). “Hope is an essential and…
Immortality — Perpetuity of existence. The doctrine of immortality is taught in the Old Testament. It is plainly implied in the writings of Moses (Gen. 5:22, 24; 25:8; 37:35; 47:9; 49:29, comp. Heb. 11:13-16; Ex.…
Peter, Second Epistle of — The question of the authenticity of this epistle has been much discussed, but the weight of evidence is wholly in favour of its claim to be the production of the apostle whose name it bears. It…
Thessalonians, First Epistle To The — was written by the apostle Paul at Corinth, a few months after he had founded the church at Thessalonica, at the close of the year A.D. 62 or the beginning of 53. The Epistles to the Thessalonians,…
Bereavement · RESIGNATION IN — RESIGNATION IN
Death Of Saints, The · Survivors consoled for — Survivors consoled for
Immortality · 2:11; — 2:11;

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).

1 Thessalonians 4:13

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Thessalonians 4:13–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Thessalonians 4:13

Adam Clarke on 1 Thessalonians 4:13

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

1 Thessalonians 4:13

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Thessalonians 4:13–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Thessalonians 4:13

Adam Clarke on 1 Thessalonians 4:13

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Gill on 1 Thessalonians 4:13

John Calvin on 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14

Tyndale Open Study Notes on 1 Thessalonians 4:13