Philemon 1:15

For perhaps he therefore departed for a season, that thou shouldest receive him for ever;

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
For	γὰρ gar	G1063	properly · conjunction
perhaps	τάχα tacha	G5029	shortly · adverb
he	ἐχωρίσθη echōristhē	G5563	to place room between · verb — aorist passive indicative, 3rd person singular
therefore	τοῦτο toûto	G5124	that thing
departed	χωρίζω chōrízō	G5563	to place room between
for	πρὸς pros	G4314	a preposition of direction · preposition
season	ὥραν, hōran	G5610	an "hour" (literally or figuratively) · noun — accusative singular feminine
that	ἵνα ina	G2443	compare G3588 (ὁ)) · conjunction
receive	ἀπέχῃς· apechēs	G568	(actively) to have out · verb — present active subjunctive, 2nd person singular
him	αὐτὸν auton	G846	the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — accusative singular masculine
ever	αἰώνιον aiōnion	G166	perpetual (also used of past time · adjective — 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

Genesis 50:20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.
Genesis 45:5-8 Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.
Isaiah 20:6 And the inhabitant of this isle shall say in that day, Behold, such is our expectation, whither we flee for help to be delivered from the ki…
Acts 4:28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.
Psalms 76:10 Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain.

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

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Philemon 1:8–end

We have here, I. The main business of the epistle, which was to plead with Philemon on behalf of Onesimus, that he would receive him and be reconciled to him. Many arguments Paul urges for this purpose, Plm 1:8-21. The 1st Argument is taken from what was before noted, and is carried in the illative wherefore: "Seeing so much good is reported of thee and found in thee, especially thy love to all saints, now let me see it on a fresh and further occasion; refresh the bowels of Onesimus and mine also, in forgiving and receiving him, who is now a convert, and so a saint indeed, and meet for thy favour and love." Observe, A disposition to do good, together with past instances and expressions of it…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Philemon 1:15

perhaps--speaking in human fashion, yet as one believing that God's Providence probably (for we cannot dogmatically define the hidden purposes of God in providence) overruled the past evil to ultimately greater good to him. This thought would soften Philemon's indignation at Onesimus' past offense. So Joseph in Gen 45:5. departed--literally, "was parted from thee"; a softening term for "ran away," to mitigate Philemon's wrath. receive him--Greek, "have him for thyself in full possession" (see on Phi 4:18). The same Greek as in Mat 6:2. for ever--in this life and in that to come (compare Exo 21:6). Onesimus' time of absence, however long, was but a short "hour" (so Greek) compared with…

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Adam Clarke on Philemon 1:15

He - departed for a season - This is another most delicate stroke. He departed thy slave, thy unfaithful slave; he departed for a short time; but so has the mercy of God operated in his behalf, and the providence of God in thine, that he now returns, not an unfaithful slave, in whom thou couldst repose no confidence, but as a brother, a beloved brother in the Lord, to be in the same heavenly family with thee for ever. Thou hast, therefore, reason to be thankful to God that he did depart, that he might be restored to thee again infinitely better than he was when be left thee. God has permitted his unfaithfulness, and overruled the whole both to his advantage and thine. The apology for Onesimu…

The Church Fathers

Onesimus's flight has become the source of good things to him.
— Theodoret of Cyrus, Interpretation of the Letter to Philemon

Clearly Onesimus's flight has served to reverse the wickedness of his judgment. The "perhaps," however, makes Paul more persuasive [i.e., Paul puts this thought forward as a consideration for Philemon].
— Theodore of Mopsuestia, COMMENTARY ON PHILEMON

Sometimes the occasion of evil becomes the occasion of good, and God turns evil human plans to an upright end.… If indeed [Onesimus] had not fled his master, he never would have come to Rome where Paul was in prison in chains. If he had not seen Paul in chains, he would not have received faith in Christ. If he had not had faith in Christ, he never would have become Paul's son, so that he might be sent for the work of the gospel.… Paul says "perhaps" cautiously, hesitantly, with trepidation and not with certainty. If he had not said "perhaps," all slaves would need to flee in order to become apostles.
— Jerome, Commentary on Philemon

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

Employer · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Forgiveness · OF ENEMIES — OF ENEMIES
Intercession · .Paul for Onesimus — .Paul for Onesimus
Master · SCRIPTURES RELATING TO MASTERS OF SERVANTS — SCRIPTURES RELATING TO MASTERS OF SERVANTS

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).

Philemon 1:15

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Philemon 1:8–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Philemon 1:15

Adam Clarke on Philemon 1:15

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Philemon 1:15

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Philemon 1:8–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Philemon 1:15

Adam Clarke on Philemon 1:15

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Gill on Philemon 1:15

John Calvin on Philemon 1:15-19

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Philemon 1:15