After several verses of careful preparation (at least vv. 6-10 and possibly 3-10), Paul comes to the most central and sensitive point in this part of the letter. The first words are literally “for we hear.” “For” is a common word, in Greek as in English, often used, as in verse 7, in a weak and general sense. Here, on the contrary, the word has its full force and its strict meaning; it introduces an explanation of what has gone before. Good News Translation (contrast Barclay Translator’s New Testament) brings this out very well by we say this because, and secondarily by beginning a new paragraph (cf. Bijbel in Gewone Taal Bible en français courant Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch [but not Biblia Dios Habla Hoy] Le Nouveau Testament. Version Synodale). Jerusalem Bible begins a new paragraph at verse 10, making it relate to verse 11, in the manner that a rule is related to an example of its application. Barclay transforms the present “we hear” into “news has reached us.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, on the other hand, emphasizes both the present tense and the change to specific facts by translating “now we hear.” The text strongly implies that Paul has recently received news from Thessalonica, either by letter or by a direct oral message. There is no suggestion of hearsay or rumor.

Because of the particular form of this communication (namely, a letter), it may be necessary to render we say this as “we are writing this.”

In some languages a literal rendering of we hear would suggest actual listening rather than learning about an event through channels. Therefore it may be more satisfactory to translate we hear as “we have been told” or even “we have learned.” Such a shift from a literal rendering of hear may be necessary to avoid the suggestion of “rumor.”

Among you (Barclay “in your society,” Translator’s New Testament “of you”) reminds the reader that Paul is still addressing the whole community, including those members of it (“brothers,” cf. vv. 6, 15) who are behaving badly.

Live lazy lives (recalling 2 Thess. 3.6; see the notes there) is literally “are walking (i.e. behaving) lazily.” This is not a reference to a lifelong habit of laziness, but to a refusal to work.

The last part of the verse, literally “not working but being busybodies,” contains a play on words which raises difficulties similar to those mentioned in the notes on verses 2 and 3. Moffatt attempts a play on words with his “busybodies instead of busy.” The single word translated meddle in other people’s business is the same as the word “work,” with the addition of a prefix meaning “around” (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “run around uselessly”). It is a secondary matter, depending on the resources of the receptor language, whether such a play on words can be reproduced in translation. If it can be done naturally, so much the better, but the more important translation problem is how to combine the two ideas of (1) not working and (2) interfering in other people’s affairs. The translation of (1) must not imply such total passivity as to contradict (2). Good News Translation slightly undertranslates (1), subordinating it to (2) by the phrase do nothing except. Barclay, at a rather higher level of language, keeps a good balance while still linking the two phrases closely together: “idle in their own affairs, and interfering in everyone else’s.”

The double relative clauses in verse 11, who live lazy lives and who do nothing except meddle in other people’s business, may create serious grammatical problems in some languages, and therefore some restructuring may be required. However, the relation between these two relative clauses is quite different from the relation between a similar set of relative clauses in verse 6. Here in verse 11 there is an element of contrast; these people refuse to work but do not hesitate to meddle in other people’s affairs. The contrast and the play on words can perhaps be introduced by setting off the final relative clause as a separate sentence, for example, “… who refuse to work. Rather, they are constantly involved in other people’s work,” or “who refuse to work for themselves but are busy meddling in other people’s work.” The rendering of “work for themselves” must not be understood in the sense of self-employment, but rather in a sense of “working in order to support themselves.”

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 .

Paul continues to express himself in very concentrated language, and it will often be necessary in translation to spell out in more detail some elements of meaning which are only implicit in the text. Moreover, the division between the Greek sentences, which comes at the end of verse 7, does not correspond to the major division in the thought, which comes after already at work. Up to that point, Paul is mainly concerned with present events. From the beginning of verse 8, he is concerned with the future. Verse 7b is transitional, referring backward to the one who holds … back, but is more closely related to the future events which form the subject of verses 8-9. This can be seen more clearly if Paul’s statements are separated from one another and compared with a literal translation:

(1) The Mysterious Wickedness is already at work (v. 7a).
(2) At present someone is holding (the Wicked One) back (v. 7b).
(3) This person will be removed (v. 7b).
(4) His removal is all that is necessary for the Wicked One to appear (v. 8a).
(5) So the Wicked One will then appear (v. 8a).

Literal translation:
For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work (1): only the restrainer now until he becomes out of the way (2,3,4). And then will be revealed the lawless one (5)….

As already mentioned, verses 6-7 contain a good deal of repetition. In verse 6, Paul was saying that the restraining power was stopping the Wicked One from appearing before the right time. Verses 7-8a say the converse; that is, when the restrainer is taken away, the Wicked One will appear. Paul insists in verse 7, more strongly than before, on what is happening already and “now.” (Good News Translation omits this second “now,” cf. Revised Standard Version “he who now restrains it.” Unlike the word for now used in verse 6, this word must refer to time.) The Day of the Lord is not yet here, as some think, but events are already taking place which are connected with the end.

The close link between verses 6 and 7-8a is marked by “for” at the beginning of verse 7; but Good News Translation, following current English usage, leaves “for” to be implied. In a sense the relation between the first sentence of verse 7 and the immediately preceding sentence is a contrast in time, and this may be indicated in some languages by the conjunction “but.” It may then be useful to transpose the position of the adverb already, for example, “but already the Mysterious Wickedness is at work.”

The Mysterious Wickedness is literally “the mystery of lawlessness.” Like the “restraining power,” “lawlessness” is sometimes referred to as an abstract power and sometimes as a person. The distinction was probably not absolute for Paul, but he appears to think of the forces of evil as taking on a more personal form as they show themselves more openly in the final struggle. The term “mystery” is almost always used in the New Testament in speaking of truths which are hidden to people generally but which are made known to Christians. The translator should avoid expressions which suggest either (1) something which no one can understand, or (2) a puzzle to which there is a solution which anyone can understand. A mystery, for New Testament writers and for Paul in particular, is an open secret which anyone who becomes a Christian can come to understand, but which no one can understand apart from faith. Good News Translation does not fully convey the difficult idea of the “open secret,” which may need to be explained in a glossary note. The relation between “mystery” and “wickedness” is probably “the mystery which consists of wickedness.” Good News Bible show that it is the wickedness, not directly the mystery, which is … at work, producing the effects to be mentioned in verse 11-12.

The Mysterious Wickedness is already at work may be difficult to translate into some languages, particularly those in which one cannot speak of an abstraction such as wickedness “doing” anything. The closest equivalent in meaning to Wickedness is already at work may be “many people are already doing what is wicked” or “… what is evil.” If Wickedness is to be related to the concept of “lawlessness” in the sense of opposition to what God has established as right, one may say “but already many people are doing what is against what God has said.” This, however, leaves out of the picture the difficult attributive Mysterious. It would be incorrect to translate this as “and no one can understand this,” or to assume that it simply means that “wickedness works in a hidden manner.” In a number of languages the closest equivalent of Mysterious would have to be a complete clause, for example, “and we can only understand this because of what God has revealed to us.”

Is … at work is the translation most commonly chosen, but some commentators prefer “is … set to work” (Best, cf. Rigaux). The Greek verb used here always speaks of the activity of supernatural powers. If the translation “is … set to work” is chosen, it will be necessary in some languages to state who sets the Mysterious Wickedness to work. The possibilities are (1) Satan, as in verse 9, (2) God, as in verse 11, and (3) the “restraining power,” which is the least likely of the three. In verses 9 and 11, the noun which Good News Translation translates power is related to the verb is … at work (or “is … set to work”). It seems most natural to think of the Mysterious Wickedness being set to work by Satan.

The notes on verse 7 suggested reason for taking the first words of verse 8 with what has gone before. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch makes 8a a separate sentence: “When that has happened, God’s Enemy will come forward.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch also makes a new section of verses 8-17. However, although verses 8-12 contain some important new developments, they have more in common with verses 1-7 than with verses 13-17, and Good News Translation‘s arrangement of the sections is to be preferred.

The general expression what is going to happen may need to be made more specific and so may be rendered “what I said was going to happen.” This will tie the statement to what has already been described in verses 3 and 4. The one who holds it back may be rendered as “the one who prevents it from happening,” or “the one who causes it not to happen.”

The passive expression is taken out of the way must be made active in some languages, and this would probably require the introduction of an agent. New Testament scholars normally agree that the agent in this instance would be God himself, who arranges events at the proper time. Therefore one may translate until … is taken out of the way as “until God takes out of the way the one who is preventing all this from happening.”

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 .

Finally, as in 1 Thess. 4.1 (see the note on that verse), does not necessarily imply that Paul is coming to the end of his letter; it means that his last major subject is being approached. This is an additional reason for taking verses 1-5 with what follows. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “we are coming to the end” overemphasizes finally, while Bijbel in Gewone Taal “also” (“pray also for us, brothers”) underemphasizes it. Knox and Translator’s New Testament have “and now” (cf. Barclay “it only remains,” Traduction œcuménique de la Bible), which strikes a good balance. If finally is too closely related to pray in the translation, it may suggest that the final content of this letter refers to prayer. In a sense, however, finally introduces the whole theme of the obligation of the Thessalonians to work. The equivalent of finally in some languages is “and now for the last part of what I want to say,” or “and now to introduce my last point.”

Our brothers, as in many previous passages and at verse 6, marks the beginning of a new section. (The function of this word in verse 13 is rather different.)

The form of the Greek verb for pray excludes the idea of offering prayer at only one particular time. However, it is reading too much into the text to make it mean “go on praying, as you are doing already,” or “pray continually.” The purpose of the prayer or its content—the two ideas are as difficult to distinguish in Greek as in English—is twofold: first and foremost, the spread of the Christian message; and secondly, the rescue of Paul and his companions from their enemies. If “Lord” is understood as referring to God, then it is “the word that comes from God”; but if “Lord” is interpreted as referring to Jesus, then it is “the word is about the Lord.”

Pray for us as a command may require in some languages an introductory expression which will make it seem more like a request, for example, “please pray for us.” In a number of languages pray is simply “speak to God on our behalf.”

The Lord’s message is the same in Greek as “the message about the Lord” in 1 Thess. 1.8, but “the message which the Lord gives” is also a possible meaning (cf. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). Bijbel in Gewone Taal has simply “the gospel,” and this is what Paul means, but “gospel” in English and some other languages may be a word used mainly in church circles and therefore not part of a common language translation.

May continue to spread rapidly and be received with honor is literally “may run and be glorified.” Continue is implicit (see next paragraph). Paul has spoken of the previous rapid spread of the Christian message in 1 Thess. 1.8 ff. What is the literal meaning of this metaphor “to run”? Good News Translation‘s spread rapidly conveys the essential ideas of progress and speed. In other contexts (e.g. 1 Corinthians 9.24-26) “run” implies effort, but this does not seem to be appropriate here. To speak of the Christian message being “glorified” is unusual. The close connection with “run” makes the reader think of those who win a race and receive a prize, and one almost expected a reference to the “glorifying” of those who receive the message and remain faithful to it (cf. Romans 8.17, 30). But “be glorified” has the same subject as “run,” and the text cannot be made to mean “pray that the word may spread rapidly, and that those who receive it may be glorified.” To glorify the word means to give the Christian message its due honor and to receive it with thanks (cf. 1.10, 12). The first element is brought out in the same way by both Good News Translation and Translator’s New Testament (cf. Knox); the second is brought out by Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “may be received with thanks to God.” “Run” and “glorify” are closely linked, but Barclay weakens both by combining them as “may make the same splendid progress.”

Continue is one possible interpretation of a comparison which is not explicit in the text (literally “may run and be glorified also among you”). Knox makes this comparison explicit “may run its course triumphantly with us, as it does with you.” However, “with us” might be misunderstood as meaning “pray that we ourselves (Paul, Silas, and Timothy) may honor the Christian message more highly.” This would make “run” very difficult to understand, it would have no parallel elsewhere in Paul’s writing, and it would not fit in easily with verse 2. Paul is not thinking here of the evangelists themselves, but of their mission. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch‘s way of making the comparison explicit is better: “that the message from the Lord may spread rapidly, and everywhere, as with you, may be received with thanks to God.” It would also be possible grammatically to take “as among you” with both “run” and “be glorified,” producing the translation: “may spread rapidly and be glorified everywhere, as it did and was among you.” The structure of the Greek sentence slightly favors this interpretation, since “run” and “be glorified” are closely linked. On the other hand, it might be argued that “run” suggests movement from one place to another, rather than within a single community.

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 .

They is a general word, “such people” as Paul has just described.

The word for punishment normally means a penalty imposed by a court of law.

The word here rendered suffer is less emphatic than the unrelated words for “suffer” which Paul uses in verses 5 and 6. It means simply “undergo.” Moffatt translates “they will pay the penalty.”

Eternal destruction is a difficult phrase, not only from the theological point of view, which does not concern us directly here, but also for the translator. Destruction suggests that the persecutors will cease to exist, but if this were so, how could their destruction be eternal except in the sense of “final” or “permanent”? This same word for destruction could be translated “disaster” in 1 Thess. 5.3, and New American Bible translates it “ruin” here. Eternal is often used in the New Testament in speaking of the age to come or the last days. “Eternal life” is not simply life which goes on forever, but life of a quality associated with the age to come. Eternal destruction is the opposite of this. In 1 Thess. 4.17 Paul describes the life of the age to come by saying simply “we will always be with the Lord.” Conversely, eternal destruction is to be separated from the presence of the Lord. The persecutors will be punished in such a way that “all that makes life worth living is destroyed” (H. A. A. Kennedy, quoted by Best, p. 262).

Eternal destruction must be rendered in some languages as a verb phrase, for example, “he will destroy them forever.” This expression may be related to what precedes as “they will be punished; God will destroy them forever,” or “God will cause them to suffer; he will punish them by destroying them forever.” Note, however, that this eternal destruction is further defined by the phrase which follows, namely, separated from the presence of the Lord.

Separated from represents a common Greek preposition which has a wide range of meanings. King James Version Moffatt Zürcher Bibel translate it rather vaguely as “from.” Knox thinks that it is God’s presence which causes the destruction and translates “the presence of the Lord, and the majesty of his power, will condemn them to eternal punishment,” but he adds a note giving another interpretation. It is more natural to understand the word “from” as referring (metaphorically) to space, and this is the meaning in Isaiah 2.10, 19, 21, of which this verse is a quotation. Most translations understand in this way: separated (cf. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch), Jerusalem Bible “excluded” (cf. Phillips), New English Bible “cut off,” Barclay Translator’s New Testament “banishment” (cf. Bijbel in Gewone Taal), “far from” (cf. Bible en français courant Biblia Dios Habla Hoy Luther 1984 Bible de Jérusalem La Sainte Bible: Nouvelle version Segond révisée Le Nouveau Testament. Version Synodale Zürcher Bibel).

The phrase separated from the presence of the Lord serves to further define the meaning of eternal destruction. One may therefore introduce this expression as “this means they will be separated from the presence of the Lord.” In some languages, however, it is extremely difficult to use a passive expression such as separated without indicating precisely who does the separating and the mode of the separation. One must say in some instances “God will close them off from where the Lord will be.” In many instances, of course, the Lord must be rendered as “our Lord.”

The presence of the Lord is a non-figurative equivalent of the Greek “the face of the Lord,” which is not very natural in current English. The Lord, as usual in Paul’s writings, means Jesus (cf. v. 8), though in the passage in Isaiah which Paul is quoting, the Lord naturally refers to God. His glorious might is literally “the glory of his might,” and could also mean “the glory which comes from” or “is caused by his might.” On “glory,” see 1 Thess. 2.12; cf. 2.6, 20. In some translations his glorious might has been rendered merely as “his wonderful strength.” But this is often not satisfactory. How can one be separated from someone’s strength? It is possible in some instances to reverse the attribution and to speak, not of “glorious might,” but “great wonderfulness”; that is to say “God will shut them away from the great wonderfulness of our Lord.” In some cases this may be best indicated by “and they will never see how very wonderful he is,” or “… never experience his great wonderfulness.”

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 .

For a discussion of in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, see 2 Thess. 3.6.

Paul’s instructions are introduced by two verbs, both normally used by a superior addressing an inferior. Command clearly includes this meaning. Warn does not, and it is an unusual meaning of the Greek, which, in similar context, normally means “appeal to, urge, exhort, encourage.” Bible en français courant has “recommend” (cf. Biblia Dios Habla Hoy). Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch (cf. Bijbel in Gewone Taal) takes the two words together and translates “we exhort” (possibly “warn”) “then … with all emphasis.” Barclay, at the risk of anticlimax, differentiates the two verbs rather sharply as “our instructions and our plea.” Good News Translation‘s warn seems rather too strong. It is true that in verse 4 and 6 (cf. 10), Paul has used the same Greek verb without feeling any need to soften it by adding a gentler expression. However, examples of this procedure are to be found elsewhere in Paul’s writings (e.g. Romans 1.11-12), and verse 15 fulfills a similar function here. Some such expression as “command and urge” would preserve the balance. Best has the rather less emphatic “instruct and request.”

In some languages there is a problem in relating the verbs command and warn to what follows, because what follows is essentially direct discourse. One would expect the second person plural “you” to be used in the direct discourse, so that the latter part of verse 12 would read “we command these people and urge them, You must lead orderly lives and work to earn your own living.” A difficulty with the term warn is that it suggests a negative prohibition which might be taken to mean “warn them not to lead orderly lives.” A rendering such as “strongly urge” in place of warn would eliminate this difficulty.

Revised Standard Version‘s “such persons,” for these people, faithfully reproduces the form of the Greek, but sound too pejorative for a letter partly addressed to the people in question, and for a passage in which Paul insists that they are still “brothers” (v. 15). The Vulgate carefully avoids a common pejorative Latin pronoun, and translates “to those however who are of this kind.” Similarly Good News Translation avoids “such.”

There are two possible meanings of living a lazy life in verse 6 (cf. v. 11 and 1 Thess. 5.14), but we have already given reason for suggesting that Paul’s main attack is against refusal to work, rather than against disorderly conduct as such. However, the second meaning does lie in the background, and Paul’s fear that those who refuse to work may disturb and agitate the Christian community is reflected both in verse 11 (meddle) and here. Orderly is not formally related in Greek to the word for lazy or “disorderly” which has been used earlier, but the meanings are contrastively related. Orderly may mean either “calm” or “silent,” but “calm” fits the context better. Lead orderly lives is literally “go-on-working with calm” (Bible en français courant “work regularly,” cf. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). Good News Translation separates work and attaches it to the following phrase.

It may be impossible to translate literally lead orderly lives. It may be possible to say “live in an orderly way,” but in many languages the concept of “orderly” has nothing to do with proper living. The closest equivalent in meaning may be more appropriately expressed as a type of modal, for example, “live as they should.”

Earn their own living is literally “eat their own bread” (see the notes on v. 8). This may be expressed in some languages as “earn money for food and clothes,” or “work to feed their mouths.” Or the focus may be upon family responsibilities, for example, “work to help their families.”

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 .

Then in New Testament Greek, as in English, may mean either “at that time” or “next, immediately after.” The context suggests the second meaning here: “as soon as the restraining power is taken away, the Wicked One will appear.” To show the close connection between the temporal elements in these verses, it may be possible to render then as “only then.” This will reinforce the relation between the removal of the restraining one and the appearance of the Wicked One.

For the Wicked One, see the introductory notes on 2.1-12 and the notes on 2 Thess. 2.3.

The rest of verse 8 has a poetic tone which the translator should try to reproduce, using, of course, the poetic features of the receptor language. There are several poetic features in the original Greek text. To begin with, there is (1) a kind of rhythm and balance of expression: “whom the Lord Jesus will / kill by the breath of his mouth // and / destroy by the appearance of his coming.” (2) This is a modified quotation of Isaiah 11.4 (cf. Psalm 33.6), which is poetic in the original Hebrew. (3) The repetition, both between the two halves of the couplet (kill and destroy) and within the second half (“appearance” and “coming”) is poetic, as is also (4) the pictorial language, “the breath of his mouth.”

Because of the poetic tone of this verse, one should not look for a distinction between kill and destroy. In other contexts, kill can mean “annul, abolish,” as in Hebrews 10.9, and destroy can mean “make inactive,” as in Romans 3.3; but such a distinction does not need to be made in the present case. (Translator’s New Testament, however, has “take away all his power.”) Similarly, “appearance” and “coming” are close in meaning. They are really closer in Greek than in those translations which render “appearance” by such words as “brightness” and “radiance” (King James Version cf. Knox Phillips New English Bible Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). The second edition of Bible de Jérusalem correctly changes “resplendence” to “manifestation.” Barclay, recognizing that parallelism is not a normal feature of English poetry, combines the two lines: “the Lord Jesus will blast him out of existence with the breath of his mouth and with the blinding brilliance of his coming.”

There is a serious problem of temporal sequence in verses 8-9. A literal rendering of verse 8 (“and then will be revealed the Lawless One, whom the Lord Jesus will kill … by the appearance of his coming”) would seem to imply that immediately upon the appearance of the Wicked One the Lord Jesus will destroy him. However, in verse 9 there is a description of what the Wicked One will do when he comes. It may be possible to suggest a time span between the appearance of the Wicked One and the coming of the Lord Jesus by shifting the order of clauses, as Good News Translation does: then the Wicked One will be revealed, but when the Lord Jesus comes, he will kill…. This order suggests a time span during which the events described in verse 9 can take place. In fact, it may be necessary in some languages to begin verse 9 with a temporal conjunction such as “in the meantime.”

When the Lord Jesus comes … with his dazzling presence is literally “by the manifestation of his coming,” but this refers to a single event, not (as, for example in Revised Standard Version) “his appearing and his coming.” The poetic use of repetition emphasizes the solemn nature of the event, and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “he will annihilate him by his mere appearing” is rather wide of the mark. The Greek expression translated in Good News Translation as with his dazzling presence is best taken as means rather than simply as a temporal qualification, since it is parallel with the expression with the breath from his mouth. Therefore one may translate this phrase in some languages as “by means of his being present in a dazzling way,” or perhaps “by means of his appearing in a glorious way.”

For a more detailed discussion of presence, see the discussion of when he comes (1 Thess. 2.19).

The breath from his mouth is a rather common biblical expression (e.g. Exodus 15.8; Psalm 33.6) which can sometimes be misunderstood in translation. (1) The Greek word for breath also means “spirit” (cf. King James Version), but there is no reference here to the Holy Spirit. (2) “Breath” does not mean simply “word,” as in Phillips “the words from the mouth of the Lord Jesus.” (3) God’s breath is always thought of as powerful, so the meaning is very different from “a puff of wind will blow him away.” A literal rendering of with the breath from his mouth may involve a number of serious complications. In the place, it is rather redundant to speak of “the breath of his mouth,” since the breath is normally regarded as coming from the mouth. Even to speak of someone being killed by this breath may seem either humorous (as a reference to halitosis or bad breath) or as a suggestion of some kind of disease spread by germs carried on the breath. The concept of breath in this verse may be incorporated in the idea of “kill” in some languages by rendering “he will blow him out of this life,” or “by blowing he will destroy him.” Where it is either misleading or completely unintelligible to speak of “the breath of his mouth,” it may be better to drop this aspect of the figurative language and simply say “the Lord Jesus will kill him.”

Older translations, such as King James Version, followed a text which omitted Jesus and had “consume” instead of kill. Modern editions and translations prefer the text on which Good News Translation is based.

Verses 9-12 raise a general problem of the relation between past, present, and future events, which it is convenient to look at as a whole. If we try to list them according to tense, we reach the not very definite result shown in the diagram|fig:Table_2TH2-8.htm. The distinction is far from clear-cut. Items 1, 2, and 8 are certainly future in meaning, though the verb in 1 is grammatically present. Item 4 is clearly past. Items 3, 5, 6, and 7 may be present, future, or both in meaning.

However, Greek makes a distinction, perhaps more important than that of tense, between events thought of as (1) taking place over a period of time and now complete, (2) those taking place over a period of time but not yet complete, and (3) those taking place at a point in time and therefore (at least by implication) complete. No verbs in group (1) occur in the present verses. “He will deceive” (item 2 in the above list) is not expressed by a verb. Items 1, 3, and 6 fall in group (2), and items 4, 5, 7, and both verbs of 8 fall in group (3).

This distinction, as it has just been applied to these verses, has some interesting though partly tentative implications for the translator. Item 1 does not focus on the event of the coming of the Wicked One, since this has been specified in verse 8. Item 1 focuses rather on the series of events which occur during the period of his coming. Items 3 and 6 overlap present and future: those who are to perish are already beginning to perish. The notes on verse 11 will suggest reasons for the translation “the reason for this is that God is sending….” The other items raise no special problems. Item 4 is clearly marked as occurring at a point in the past. Item 5 focuses on the point of final and complete salvation. The translation of item 7 will be determined by that of item 6, the main verb. The context clearly places item 8 in the future.

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 .

This verse contains Paul’s second request for prayer, and both parts of it are expressed in very general terms. Paul was probably referring to particular difficulties in which he and his companions found themselves at the time of writing. The Thessalonians may have known about these problems, but we do not. The Greek has literally “that we may be rescued from the wicked and evil men.” It would be unnatural to use here the word “the” in English, since there has been no previous reference to particular wicked men (except perhaps in 2.7, which is an even more difficult verse.) King James Version has “unreasonable” where Good News Translation has wicked. “Unreasonable” represents an earlier sense of the Greek word, but by the time of Paul its meaning had become more general.

A literal translation of rescue might suggest that Paul and his colleagues were actually in the power of wicked and evil men who had in some way gotten control of them, perhaps even putting them in prison. That is clearly not the correct meaning. Therefore, it may be more appropriate to translate “pray also that God will keep us from suffering because of wicked and evil men,” or “… that God will keep wicked and evil men from harming us,” or “… causing us great trouble.”

It may be impossible in some languages to distinguish between wicked and evil. These are essentially equivalent terms, and may be translated together in some languages simply as “very wicked men.” A qualifier such as “very” may be regarded as compensating for the loss of one of the attributes or as representing the closest equivalent emphasis.

The relation between the two parts of the verse is not clear. For rightly indicates only a loose connection, since the second part of the verse does not explain the first, except indirectly in the sense that if everyone believed the message there would be no wicked and evil people. Bijbel in Gewone Taal Bible en français courant Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch make verse 2b a separate sentence.

The message is implicit, since “believe” in normal English (though not in church language) requires an object. The text is literally “for not of all the faith.” Knox interprets this in a footnote as “ ‘The faith does not reach all hearts’; or possibly ‘faith is not to be found in all hearts’.” However, “faith,” even with “the,” should not be understood here as a system of belief; rather it is the positive response to the Christian message. “Faith” is therefore often translated by a verb such as “believe.” Bible en français courant has “for it is not everyone who accepts to believe,” and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “for not all let themselves be called to believe.” If one does make the message explicit as the object of the verb believes, it may be necessary to relate this message to what has already been spoken of in verse 14 as the Good News and in verse 15 as our preaching. Therefore one may wish to say “believes the message we have proclaimed,” or “believes the Good News.” The last word of verse 2, “faith,” and the first word of verse 3, “faithful,” form the hinge on which Paul turns to a rather different subject, the contrast between faith and stability.

Verses 3-5 cannot be understood without realizing that the basic meaning of the Hebrew concept of faith is “firmness, reliability, or steadfastness.” This is the central idea which is repeatedly emphasized here by the words translated faithful, strengthen, keep you safe, confidence (v. 4), endurance (v. 5), and possibly also lead (v. 5). (The original suggests making a path which is straight and therefore safe.) There is a restless spirit in the air, with people becoming over-excited about the Day of the Lord and busybodies upsetting the life of the community. In addition, there are attacks from outside the church, and even fiercer tests will come before the End. Only the Lord (that is, Jesus) can keep the Thessalonians safe among these dangers (vv. 3, 5), but they must also hold on to the evangelists’ teaching (v. 4).

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 .

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 .