SIL Translator’s Notes on 1 Thessalonians 2002

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Thessalonians 2:7

2:7

nursing mother: The Greek word trophos, which the Berean Standard Bible (like many other English versions) translates as nursing mother, is not the normal Greek word for “mother.” It refers specifically to a woman who feeds a child from her breast. Usually this is the mother of a child, but in some cultures this can be another woman. So some English versions (King James Version, Revised Standard Version, and Revised English Bible) use the word “nurse.” However, in modern English, this word only refers to a person who works in a hospital, which is not the meaning here. Therefore, it is recommended that you translate this word as “mother” unless you have a special term with exactly the same meaning as the Greek word.

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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.

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Thessalonians 4:8

4:8a

then: The Greek word toigaroun, which the Berean Standard Bible translates as then, indicates that this is Paul’s conclusion to 4:3–7. Here is another way to translate this transition word:

Therefore (New International Version (2011 Revision))

does not reject man but God: Paul was emphasizing that what he was telling the Thessalonians here was not something that he or anyone else had invented. It was something that God had revealed to him.

4:8b

who gives you His Holy Spirit: Paul’s point was that the Thessalonians must behave in a holy manner, since God had put his Holy Spirit in them. His Spirit is holy/pure, so they too must be holy/pure. If relative clauses are only used in your language to identify something or someone, using a relative clause here would suggest that Paul was just identifying which God gives the Holy Spirit. In that case, you will have to use another grammatical construction to provide this extra information about God. One way to do this would be to use a separate sentence, as the Display has done.

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SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Thessalonians 5:23

Section 5:23–28

Paul prayed that God would bless the Thessalonians

Paragraph 5:23–24

To conclude his letter, Paul prayed that God would make the Thessalonian believers completely pure in all that they believed and did. He assured them that God would enable them to do this.

5:23a

Now: The Berean Standard Bible has used the English word Now as an idiomatic way of beginning this verse. Be careful not to translate this literally as a time word, as it is not referring to “the present time.”

the God of peace: This phrase means that God is the source of peace, that is, that God is the one who causes people to be peaceful.

peace: The New Testament speaks about different sorts of peace, for example:

(a) Peace between individuals.

(b) Peace between God and people.

However, most commentators agree here that Paul was using the Greek word eirēnē as he would have used the Hebrew word šalom. He therefore meant all the blessings, physical and spiritual, that God gives to his people. See the note on 1:1d.

Paul used this phrase in other letters; see Romans 15:33, 16:20; Philippians 4:9. It is also used in Hebrews 13:20. You should translate the phrase in the same way in each of these verses.

Himself: The Greek word autos, Himself, is often used to emphasize something. However, that is not true in this verse. It is just a usual opening for a prayer in Greek that asks God to do something for someone.

5:23b

sanctify: This word means “to make holy/pure.” See the note on “holy” in 3:13b and 4:3a. Paul explained more fully what he meant in 5:23c.

completely: This means that Paul wanted God to sanctify the Thessalonians in every part of their lives.

5:23c

and may your entire spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: Some commentators suggest that this sentence is the desired result of 5:23b. It is more likely, however, that Paul was expanding what he had said in 5:23b. He wanted the believers at Thessalonica to behave in a righteous manner so that when Christ returned, he would not be able to criticize or accuse them because of anything they had done. However, Paul knew that only God could help them behave like that.

spirit, soul, and body: This is the only place in the New Testament where such a distinction is made. Paul probably used all three to emphasize that a person is a whole being, rather than because he intended to distinguish the three terms. If your language does not make a similar three-way distinction, it may be helpful to distinguish at least between the body and the part of a person that continues to live after the body dies. The important thing in your translation is to show that everything Christians do must be pleasing to God.

blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: Paul was praying that God would enable them to be blameless from the present time until the Lord Jesus returned, so that when Jesus returned, he would judge them as having done nothing for which they deserved to be punished. See the notes on 3:13b and 3:13c.

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SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Thessalonians 2:18

2:18a

For: In Greek, 2:18 begins with the word dioti. This word can mean one of two things in this context:

(1) It means “since, for, because” and it introduces the grounds/basis for Paul and his companions making every effort to see the Thessalonians.

(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version (2011 Revision), Revised Standard Version, NET Bible, SSA)

(2) It means “therefore” and it introduces the result of Paul’s great desire to see them again.

(King James Version, Revised English Bible)

Many English versions leave this connection implicit and therefore their translations are ambiguous. Most commentaries support the first option, and it is recommended that you also follow option (1).

2:18b

indeed I, Paul, tried again and again: There is no verb in this part of the verse in the Greek text, but it is probably best to understand the implied verb as being the same verb as in 2:17c: “tried hard to come.”

Here Paul only referred to himself rather than including Silvanus and Timothy. He was not implying that they did not try to visit the Thessalonians. Rather, he was emphasizing his own personal effort.

but Satan obstructed us: It was human beings who caused trouble for Paul (Acts 17:5–9), but Paul attributed their actions to the work of Satan.

us: Paul referred once more to himself and his companions after talking about himself alone earlier in the verse.

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SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Thessalonians 5:2

5:2a

For you are fully aware: Paul had undoubtedly told the Thessalonians about these things when he was with them, but here he reminded them they could not know the exact day and time when Jesus would return.

5:2b

the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night: This whole sentence is a simile. Paul was not comparing Jesus to a thief who steals something. The point of the comparison is that Jesus will return unexpectedly, at a time when people are not prepared, in the same way that a thief comes during the night when people are asleep and not expecting him. Jesus himself taught similarly in Matthew 24:43. One way to express this would be:

the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief who comes at night (UBS Handbook handbook, p106).

the Day of the Lord: The phrase the Day of the Lord was a well-known phrase in the OT (for example, see Joel 2:31; Amos 5:18; Malachi 4:5). When this phrase occurred in the OT, “Lord” always referred to God the Father. The whole phrase therefore referred to the time when God would judge the people of the world and punish those who had sinned against him. However, in the NT, the Lord almost always refers to the Lord Jesus. So the Day of the Lord here means “the day when the Lord Jesus will return to earth.”

will come: In some languages it may not be possible to say that a day/time will come. If this is the case in your language, you may need to talk about Jesus himself coming.

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SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Thessalonians 1:6

1:6a

And you became imitators of us and of the Lord: Like 1:5, this sentence connects to 1:4. Paul and his companions knew that God had chosen the Thessalonians not only because the gospel had come to them with power (1:5) but also because they had accepted it. Also, they became imitators of Paul and the Lord. They imitated the way that they had seen Paul behave. They also acted in the way that he had taught them that Jesus had acted. This can also be expressed:

You took us and the Lord as your model (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
you followed our example and the example of the Lord (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
You were like us and the Lord in the way you behaved. (UBS Handbook, page 10)

1:6b

when you welcomed the message with the joy of the Holy Spirit: Normally people are sad when they suffer. However, the Holy Spirit enabled the Thessalonians to be joyful even while they suffered. See Galatians 5:22; Romans 5:3, 5:5.

The commentators do not agree how the phrase you welcomed the message relates to the phrase in 1:6a “you became imitators of us and of the Lord.” There are two possibilities:

(1) The connection is one of manner, that is, the Thessalonians imitated Paul and Jesus. Although people were persecuting them, they joyfully accepted the message.

(New Living Translation (2004 Revision))

(2) The connection is a time connection, that is, the Thessalonians began to imitate Paul and Jesus when/after they had joyfully accepted the message. Therefore, the Thessalonians imitated the whole way that Paul and Jesus behaved, not just the way that they suffered.

(Berean Standard Bible, NET Bible)

Most English versions are ambiguous (see the New American Standard Bible). It is recommended that you follow the first option (1), as it has the best commentary support. The Thessalonians joyfully believed the gospel and they continued to be joyful even while they suffered. This is how they became like Paul and the Lord Jesus Christ.

the message: Paul used the Greek noun logos here, which means “message” or “word.” He was specifically referring to the message about Jesus that he had preached to them (1:5a). This word could be translated here as “gospel” (as in 1:5a) or “the message about Jesus.” The important thing is to make clear that Paul was referring to the same message here and in 1:5a.

1:6c

in spite of your great suffering: People were persecuting the believers severely because they believed in Christ and in what he had taught. However, although this happened, other Thessalonians became believers.

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SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Thessalonians 3:10

3:10a

Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you face to face: This verse does not begin a new sentence in Greek. Paul was saying that he and his companions rejoiced in God’s presence as they prayed night and day. It may be natural in your language not to begin a new sentence in this verse. For example:

⁹For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, ¹⁰as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith? (English Standard Version)

Night and day: See the note on 2:9b.

face to face: See the notes on 2:17b and 2:17c.

3:10b

and supply what is lacking from your faith: Paul and his companions had only been able to spend a short time in Thessalonica. Therefore, Paul felt that he still had much to teach them about their Christian faith. Although the rest of this letter adds some of that teaching, as does 2 Thessalonians, Paul still prayed that he would be able to teach them again in person one day.

your faith: This refers to what the Thessalonians believed concerning God and Christ.

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SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Thessalonians 5:13

5:13a

In love: The Thessalonians were not only to respect their leaders, they were also to love them. The word huperekperissou, which the Berean Standard Bible translates as highest, probably applies to this part of verse, as well as to hold them in…regard. Here, it would mean “love them greatly/exceedingly.”

hold them in highest regard: “To hold someone in regard” is another way in English of saying “to respect/esteem someone.” The verb is not the same in Greek as the one used in 5:12a, but the meaning is similar. Paul added the adverb huperekperissou, which the Berean Standard Bible translates as highest, in order to strengthen the verb. The Thessalonians were not only to respect their leaders, they were to respect them “greatly/exceedingly.”

because of their work: Paul stated that the Thessalonian believers must respect and love their leaders, not because of their status, but because of what they were doing for the rest of the Thessalonian believers.

5:13b

Live in peace with one another: Unlike the previous commands, this one was addressed to all the Christians in Thessalonica, including the leaders. But there is no need to make this explicit in your translation. Paul knew that the devil likes to cause believers to quarrel and so disrupt the fellowship that they have with one another. Paul gave similar commands in other letters too. For example, see 2 Corinthians 13:11.

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Source: SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Thessalonians 2002

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Thessalonians 2:7

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Thessalonians 4:8

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Thessalonians 5:23

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Thessalonians 2:18

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Thessalonians 5:2

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Thessalonians 1:6

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Thessalonians 3:10

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Thessalonians 5:13

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