4:21a

Make every effort to come to me before winter: Make every effort is an English phrase that translates one Greek verb. It means “to work/try hard” or “to put the most effort into it that you can.” This same verb is found in 2:15a and 4:9.

winter: Timothy would have had to travel from Ephesus to Rome by sea. In winter, a trip across the sea in a ship was dangerous because of storms. If Timothy did not travel to Rome soon after he received Paul’s letter, he might have to wait another five or six months until there was good sailing weather again.

If there is no cold season in your area, you could translate winter as “the time when there are many storms.”

4:21b

Eubulus sends you greetings, as do Pudens, Linus, Claudia: The people that Paul named in this list were in Rome and knew that Paul was sending a letter to Timothy. They each wanted Timothy to know that they were thinking about him and desiring that all would be well with him. Claudia was a woman. The other three were men.

4:21c

all the brothers: The word brothers here means “the believers” and probably includes both men and women. In your translation, you can say “all the other believers” or “all the brothers and sisters.”

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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible. BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.