See also the notes on 1 Thess. 5.2, and 2 Thess. 1.12.
When he comes. The Greek suggests a single event at an indefinite time in the future.
On that Day is emphatic in Greek, because it comes right at the end of this long sentence (vv. 3-10). Many translations, including Good News Translation make the flow of the sentence smoother by moving on that Day to an earlier position; others preserve the emphasis by making this phrase a separate sentence (Knox “yes; there will be justice when that day comes,” cf. Bible de Jérusalem “thus it will be on that day”). If on that Day is not closely related to the rest of the verse, the reader may be left asking “On what day?” For the original readers, the phrase on that Day would have been easy to understand because of its use in the Old Testament, where it means the same as “the day of the Lord.” Isaiah 2, a passage from which Paul has just quoted; uses this expression repeatedly. Christians reinterpreted “the day of the Lord” to mean the day on which the Lord Jesus would come again, and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch makes this explicit by translating “that happens on the day on which he comes.” Several translations, including Translator’s New Testament and Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, add a note to explain the associations of “that day;” the capital letter used by Good News Translation (cf. Bible en français courant) and Bijbel in Gewone Taal “the great Day,” show in other ways that “Day,” has a special significance here.
Because of the special significance given to that Day, it may be necessary in some languages to use qualifying expressions, for example, “on that special Day” or “on that very important Day.” Note, however, that verse 10, though very closely linked to verse 9, may introduce complications in some languages, especially if phrases such as eternal destruction, separated from the presence of the Lord, and his glorious might are all expressed as complete clauses. It may therefore be necessary to begin verse 10 as a separate sentence, for example, “All this will happen when he comes on that special Day….”
It should be noted that to spell Day with a capital letter does not help the person who only hears the passage read aloud. Capitals generally should be used in accordance with the usage of the receptor language, but they are not very effective in distinguishing shades of theological meaning. There is a tendency in some languages, including English and French (cf. Bible en français courant Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, but not Bible de Jérusalem) for the use of capitals to decline.
To receive glory … and honor. Virtually all translations take this to mean that the purpose of Jesus’ coming again is to receive glory and honor. However, New Testament Greek, under Hebrew influence, does not distinguish clearly between purpose and result, and it would make equally good sense if Paul meant that the result of Jesus’ coming, in the impressive way described in verses 7b-9, would be to make all believers give him honor and glory. In Revelation 16.9, where the Greek construction is similar, Good News Translation translates “(men) would not turn from their sins and praise his greatness,” and the second part of this sentence is sometimes understood as the result of the first.
The Greek is literally “when he comes to be glorified in his saints” (cf. King James Version Revised Standard Version). The word for “glory” is an unusual compound, repeated in verse 12, literally “in-glorified in his saints.” This emphasizes the word “in” and makes it important to establish its exact meaning. The possibilities may be grouped as follows: (1) “in (the assembly) of his saints” (cf. Psalm 89.7), “when his people are gathered together,” hence “among his people” (cf. New English Bible “glorified among his own and adored among all believers”). (2) “By means of” or “because of the saints” (cf. Barclay translation of 12a: “the name of the Lord Jesus will be glorified because of you,” and Traduction œcuménique de la Bible of verse 10a: “glorified in the person of his saints”). This is not necessarily the same as “by the saints,” and some commentators suggest that the angels would glorify God when they see what he has made of the saints. This interpretation, however, is unnecessarily complicated, since the identity of those who give glory is not stated either here or in similar Old Testament passages (e.g. Isaiah 45.25). Several translations, including Bible en français courant and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, therefore take the verse to mean that Jesus will come “to be honored (glorified) by all his saints”; Good News Translation and Bijbel in Gewone Taal use active verbs to give the same meaning. If the translator chooses an equivalent of “by,” the context will still show clearly that a community is intended.
On people (literally “saints”), see the notes on 1 Thess. 3.13. Here, however, the words all who believe show clearly that human believers and not angels are intended. The whole passage contrasts the fate of persecutors and believers. New English Bible translates “his own”; Barclay “his own dedicated people”; Translator’s New Testament “those who belong to him.”
The word translated honor is a verb which may suggest a range of emotions going from astonishment and fear to reverence and wonder. Both the parallel with glory and the wider context suggest something more than mere surprise or shock. Barclay has “welcomed with … awe and wonder,” and Best has “marvelled at.”
A literal translation of to receive glory from all his people and honor from all who believe might suggest two different actions by two distinction groups. In reality, what will happen on the day of the Lord’s return is essentially a single event expressed in this parallel form. To avoid the impression that there will be two events and two groups of persons, it may be necessary to translate “to receive glory and honor from all his people, that is to say, from all who believe in him.”
The expressions receive glory and receive … honor may be regarded as substitute passives. It may be important to restructure this sentence in some languages as “when he comes on that special Day, all his people will give him glory, that is to say, all who believe in him will show him honor.” In this type of context “to give him glory” may be expressed in some languages as “to lift up his name,” “to praise him with powerful words,” or “to show how wonderful he is.” In many languages a verb such as “honor” may be expressed as “to praise” or “to say great things about.”
Believe in verse 10a and have believed in verse 10b refer to acts which took place at a particular point in the past, probably the point at which Paul’s readers first became Christians. You too will be among them (cf. other common language translations, Barclay “and by you too,” Translator’s New Testament “you too are included”) is not in the Greek, but is inserted in order to start a new sentence and to link with the rest of the passage words which, in the original, form a rather awkward parenthesis (King James Version uses marks of parenthesis at this point). It may be important to indicate clearly those among whom the believers in Thessalonica are to be, and thus one may need to say “you too will be with those who will honor the Lord.” In some cases, however, it may be sufficient to say “you too will be there with them.”
Message is the normal word for “witness” or “testimony.” As an apostle, Paul counted himself among the witnesses to Christ’s resurrection (cf. 1 Corinthians 15.8 f.), though not, of course, to his earthly life. The last part of verse 10 is literally “because our testimony to you was believed” (Revised Standard Version). Most modern translations change this into the equivalent active form. It may, however, be more natural to render because you have believed the message that we told you simply as “because you believed what we told you.” If one specifically wishes to emphasize the element of “testimony,” one can say “because you believed what we told you, things that we ourselves personally knew about.”
Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Second Letter to the Thessalonians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1976. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .