Philippians 2:27

For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
For	γὰρ gar	G1063	properly · conjunction
indeed	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
sick	ἠσθένησεν ēsthenēsen	G770	to be feeble (in any sense) · verb — aorist active indicative, 3rd person singular
unto	παραπλήσιον paraplēsion	G3897	close by · adjective — accusative singular neuter
death	θανάτῳ· thanatō	G2288	(properly · noun — dative singular masculine
but	ἀλλ᾽ all᾽	G235	properly · conjunction
God	θεὸς theos	G2316	figuratively · noun — nominative singular masculine, a title
on	ἠλέησεν ēleēsen	G1653	to compassionate (by word or deed · verb — aorist active indicative, 3rd person singular
him	αὐτόν, auton	G846	the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — accusative singular masculine
and	δὲ de	G1161	but · conjunction
not	οὐκ ouk	G3756	the absolute negative (compare G3361 (μή)) adverb · particle — negative
him	αὐτὸν auton	G846	the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — accusative singular masculine
only	μόνον mónon	G3440	merely
but	ἀλλὰ alla	G235	properly · conjunction
me	ἐμέ emé	G1691	me
also	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
lest	μὴ mē	G3361	(adverb) not · particle — negative
have	σχῶ. schō	G2192	to hold (used in very various applications · verb — second aorist active subjunctive, 1st person singular
sorrow	λύπην lupēn	G3077	sadness · noun — accusative singular feminine
upon	ἐπὶ epi	G1909	properly · preposition
sorrow	λύπην lupēn	G3077	sadness · 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

Psalms 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.
Philippians 2:30 Because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death, not regarding his life, to supply your lack of service toward me.
Job 5:19 He shall deliver thee in six troubles: yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee.
Psalms 103:3-4 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
John 11:3-4 Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.
Acts 9:37 And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick, and died: whom when they had washed, they laid her in an upper chamber.
1 Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye ar…
2 Corinthians 2:7 So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.

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

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Philippians 2:19–end

Paul takes particular notice of two good ministers; for though he was himself a great apostle, and laboured more abundantly than they all, yet he took all occasions to speak with respect of those who were far his inferiors. I. He speaks of Timothy, whom he intended to send to the Philippians, that he might have an account of their state. See Paul's care of the churches, and the comfort he had in their well-doing. He was in pain when he had not heard of them for a good while, and therefore would send Timothy to enquire, and bring him an account: For I have no man like-minded, who will naturally care for your state. Timothy was a non-such. There were, no doubt, many good ministers, who were in…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Philippians 2:27

Epaphroditus' sickness proves that the apostles had not ordinarily the permanent gift of miracles, any more than of inspiration: both were vouchsafed to them only for each particular occasion, as the Spirit thought fit. lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow--namely, the sorrow of losing him by death, in addition to the sorrow of my imprisonment. Here only occurs anything of a sorrowful tone in this Epistle, which generally is most joyous.

Adam Clarke on Philippians 2:27

Lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow - The sorrows of his death, added to the sorrow he endured on account of his sickness; or he may refer to his own state of affliction, being imprisoned and maltreated.

John Gill on Philippians 2:27

For indeed he was sick nigh unto death,.... It was not a mere rumour, or a false alarm, but was real matter of fact; and it was not a light disorder, a slight indisposition, but a very dangerous illness; though the sickness was not unto death, yet near it. Good men, such as Christ loves, as he did Lazarus, are sometimes sick; though their spiritual diseases are healed, and their sins forgiven, so that the inhabitants of Zion have no more reason to say that they are sick, since Christ has took their infirmities, and bore their sickness, yet they are not exempt from bodily disorders; and which are sometimes such as bring them to the brink of the grave, and, as it were, to the gates of death; a…

The Church Fathers

The words "God had mercy on him" also reveal Epaphroditus's zeal for the contest. He did not wish to be rid of his wretched life, even knowing the gain that was to spring from it. "And God also pitied me," says Paul, "by not depriving me of my fellow worker."
— Theodoret of Cyrus, EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS 2.26-7

Many are preserved and pitied by God because something is done through them which belongs to the ministry of salvation. At the same time we also should pray for those who are ill, lest we be saddened by the loss of those whose help we need in the performance, imparting and proclamation of divine grace.
— Gaius Marius Victorinus, EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS 2.27

Note what benefits we experience from the Lord even in this life. Hence we ought not hurry to death. For even if this world is a hotbed of sin and therefore to be shunned, yet the desire to live in the world comes from your nature and is not sin. Life ought to be desired. So it is right to say "God had mercy on him."
— Gaius Marius Victorinus, EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS 2.27

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

Apphia — Increasing, a female Christian at Colosse (Philemon 1:2), supposed by some to have been the wife of Philemon.
Archippus — Master of the horse, a “fellow-soldier” of Paul’s (Philemon 1:2), whom he exhorts to renewed activity (Col. 4:17). He was a member of Philemon’s family, probably his son.
Epaphroditus — Fair, graceful; belonging to Aphrodite or Venus the messenger who came from Phillipi to the apostle when he was a prisoner at Rome (Phil. 2:25-30; 4:10-18). Paul mentions him in words of esteem and…
Epaphroditus · Sick at Rome — Sick at Rome
Mercy Of God, The · Exemplified: Epaphroditus — Exemplified: Epaphroditus
Sickness · God: Exhibits his mercy in healing — God: Exhibits his mercy in healing
Suffering · 1:7;4:11-18; — 1:7;4:11-18;

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).

Philippians 2:27

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Philippians 2:19–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Philippians 2:27

Adam Clarke on Philippians 2:27

John Gill on Philippians 2:27

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Philippians 2:27

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Philippians 2:19–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Philippians 2:27

Adam Clarke on Philippians 2:27

John Gill on Philippians 2:27

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Calvin on Philippians 2:25–end

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Philippians 2:27