to toil (as a task · verb — present middle or passive deponent participle, nominative plural masculine
eat
ἐσθίωσιν.esthiōsin
G2068
used only in certain tenses · verb — present active subjunctive, 3rd person plural
own
ἑαυτῶνhe'autōn
G1438
him- (her- · reflexive pronoun
bread
ἄρτονarton
G740
bread (as raised) or a loaf · noun — accusative singular masculine
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
Ephesians 4:28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him…
1 Thessalonians 4:11 And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;
2 Thessalonians 3:8 Neither did we eat any man’s bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of…
Proverbs 17:1 Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith, than an house full of sacrifices with strife.
Ecclesiastes 4:6 Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit.
Genesis 49:14-15 Issachar is a strong ass couching down between two burdens:
1 Thessalonians 4:1 Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to plea…
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15
The apostle having commended their obedience for the time past, and mentioned his confidence in their obedience for the time to come, proceeds to give them commands and directions to some who were faulty, correcting some things that were amiss among them. Observe, The best society of Christians may have some faulty persons among them, and some things that ought to be reformed. Perfection is not to be found on this side heaven: but evil manners beget good laws; the disorders that Paul heard of as existing among the Thessalonians occasioned the good laws we find in these verses, which are of constant use to us, and all others whom they may concern. Observe,
I. That which was amiss among the Th…
by--The oldest manuscripts read, "IN the Lord Jesus." So the Greek, Th1 4:1, implying the sphere wherein such conduct is appropriate and consistent. "We exhort you thus, as ministers IN Christ, exhorting our people IN Christ."
with quietness--quiet industry; laying aside restless, bustling, intermeddling officiousness (Th2 3:11).
their own--bread earned by themselves, not another's bread (Th2 3:8).
Adam Clarke on 2 Thessalonians 3:12
With quietness they work - Μετα ἡσυχιας· With silence; leaving their tale-bearing and officious intermeddling. Less noise and more work!
That - they work, and eat their own bread - Their own bread, because earned by their own honest industry. What a degrading thing to live on the bounty or mercy of another, while a man is able to acquire his own livelihood! He who can submit to this has lost the spirit of independence; and has in him a beggar's heart, and is capable of nothing but base and beggarly actions. Witness the great mass of the people of England, who by their dependence on the poor rates are, from being laborious, independent, and respect able, become idle, profligate, and knavish;…
Why does he direct them to eat their bread in silence? Plainly, lest they lose by immoderation of language the work which they acquired for their sustenance and that of others.
So we ask and encourage those who have this kind of life in the Lord Jesus Christ to work quietly and earn their own food. In order to persuade them more easily, he urges them by invoking the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to obey what is beneficial for them.
This we must also keep in mind—that he who labors ought to perform his task not for the purpose of ministering to his own needs but that he may accomplish the Lord's command, "I was hungry and you gave me to eat," and so on. To be concerned for oneself is strictly forbidden by the Lord in the words, "Be not concerned for your life, what you shall eat, nor for your body, what you shall put on," and he adds, "for the heathens seek after all these things." Everyone, therefore, in doing his work, should place before himself the aim of service to the needy and not his own satisfaction. Thus, he will escape the charge of self-love and receive the blessing for fraternal charity from the Lord, who said, "As long as you did it to one of these, the least of my brothers, you did it to me." Nor should anyone think that the apostle is at variance with our rule when he says, "that working they would eat their own bread." This is addressed to the unruly and indolent, and means that it is better for each person to minister to himself at least and not be a burden to others than to live in idleness.
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
Poor — The Mosaic legislation regarding the poor is specially important. (1.) They had the right of gleaning the fields (Lev. 19:9, 10; Deut. 24:19, 21). (2.) In the sabbatical year they were to have their…
Commandments · PRECEPTS OF PAUL. EXPLICITLY STATED OR IMPLIED IN DIDACTIC EPISTLES — PRECEPTS OF PAUL. EXPLICITLY STATED OR IMPLIED IN DIDACTIC EPISTLES
Industry · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Labor · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Peace · Ministers should exhort to — Ministers should exhort to
Slothfulness · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
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).
on 2 Thessalonians 3:12
Now them that are such,.... For this was not the case and character of them all. Did such practices generally obtain, no community, civil or religious, could subsist. And the apostle wisely distinguishes them from others, that the innocent might not be involved in the charge.
We command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ; using both authority and entreaty; taking every way to reclaim them, commanding in the name of Christ and beseeching for the sake of Christ
that with quietness they work: with their own hands, at their proper callings, and so support themselves, provide for their families, and have something to give to them that are in need; by which means they will live peaceable and qu…
2 Thessalonians 3:11-13
11. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.
11. Audimus enim quosdam versantes inter vos inordinate nihil operis agentes, sed curiose satagentes.
12. Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.
12. Talibus autem praecipimus, et obsecramus [715] per Dominum nos trum Iesum Christum, ut cum quiete operantes suum ipsorum panem edant.
13. But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.
13. Vos autem fratres, ne defatigemini benefaciendo.
11 We hear that there are some among you. It is probable that this kind of drones were…
Paul underscores the strength of the command by appealing to the authority of the Lord Jesus (as in 3:6; 1 Thes 4:1-2). • settle down: i.e., lead a quiet life instead of being involved in meddlesome activities (see 1 Thes 4:11).
