Translation commentary on 2 Timothy 4:18

The mention of being “rescued from the lion’s mouth” in the previous verse leads to this general statement of assurance that the Lord’s rescuing activity is true not only in the past but is also true for the future: he will rescue Paul from every evil (literally “every evil deed”). For evil see 1 Tim 6.4 and 2 Tim 3.13. This may be interpreted subjectively to mean that Paul will be delivered from doing anything evil. On the other hand it may be taken objectively to mean that no evil force has the power to destroy Paul. Taken in this manner the meaning is similar to that of the petition in the Lord’s Prayer, “Deliver us from evil (or, from the power of the Evil One).”

A subsequent future event, and perhaps a consequence of being rescued from the power of evil, is Paul’s being “saved” for Christ’s heavenly kingdom. For save see 1 Tim 1.15. In the present context save has eschatological overtones and includes the elements of being kept safe from eternal judgment and death, and preserved for eternal life. It may also be expressed as “take me safely” (Good News Translation) or “bring me safely” (Contemporary English Version).

The word for heavenly can literally be translated “above the sky,” hence “heavenly,” “celestial.” Heavenly kingdom is another way of speaking about heaven but focusing on the fact that it is Christ the Lord who has full power and authority there. For kingdom see further on 2 Tim 4.1. Another translation model for his heavenly kingdom is “into heaven, where he rules (as king).”

Such a hope and expectation of a future experience of complete deliverance leads to exalted praise, hence the doxology To him be the glory for ever and ever. Amen. This is the last part of the doxology found in 1 Tim 1.17; the translator should therefore refer to the discussion there. For glory see further comments on “glorious” in 1 Tim 1.11.

Alternative translation models for this verse are:
• The Lord (or, Christ) will not let any evil thing hurt me, and he will bring me safely into heaven, where he rules (or, where he is king). May people praise him forever. So be it.

Or:
• … May people unceasingly say to him, “You are wonderful.” Amen!

Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Paul’s Second Letter to Timothy. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1995. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 4:18

4:18a

And the Lord will rescue me: The Lord had rescued Paul in the past (4:17). Therefore, Paul was convinced that the Lord would deliver him in the future. However, since Paul fully expected to die soon (4:6), he believed that the Lord would deliver him in a spiritual sense, not a physical one. He was not saying that the Lord would protect him from persecution or other hard experiences.

the Lord: As in 4:17a, the word Lord here probably refers to Christ.

4:18b

from every evil action: The term every evil action refers to all the evil deeds that Satan or evil people would do to Paul. They wanted him to become discouraged, lose his faith, or sin, and to stop preaching about Jesus Christ.

4:18c

and bring me safely: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translated as bring me safely is literally “will save.” Only the Revised Standard Version tries to translate this literally. It is recommended that you follow the model of the Berean Standard Bible and the majority of other English versions.

His heavenly kingdom: This term refers to heaven, where Christ is with God the Father and where Christ will rule over everyone who believes in him.

4:18d

To Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen: As Paul tells Timothy about all that God has already done, and all that he will do in watching over Paul’s life, he switches to praising the Lord. This phrase is also found in the last part of 1 Timothy 1:17.

Him: The pronoun Him refers to the Lord Jesus.

the glory: In this verse glory refers to the praise, honor, and worship that people give to Christ.

Amen: The word Amen means “We(incl) agree with this” or “May it be this way!” “Amen” is borrowed from Hebrew. It is often used at the end of praises and prayers.

If people in your area say Amen at the end of prayers, or use another word or phrase that has this type of meaning, you should use the same word here.

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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.

Commentaire sur la traduction de 2 Timothée 4.18

Paul vient de parler d’être délivré de la gueule du lion (2 Tim 4.17) et il continue dans la même veine, exprimant sa confiance totale en Dieu. Il reprend le verbe ῥύομαι rhuomai, délivrer, qu’il met en relief au début de la phrase, litt. « délivrera moi le Seigneur de toute œuvre mauvaise ». Pour délivrera, voir 2 Tim 3.11 ; 2 Tim 4.17.

de toute entreprise perverse est littéralement ἔργον πονηρός ergon ponêros, « de toute œuvre mauvaise » (Nouvelle Bible Segond), mais certains disent simplement « de tout mal » (Bible en français courant, Parole de Vie). Sur la notion du « mal », voir 1 Tim 6.4 et 2 Tim 3.13. Le contexte indique la délivrance des attaques des adversaires. Bien que l’interprétation « toute œuvre du Malin » soit grammaticalement possible, aucune version ne semble adopter ce sens.

et me sauvera pour son Royaume céleste : le verbe sauver suit et souligne le verbe délivrer. Mais ici Paul est délivré de quelque chose et sauvé en vue de ou pour quelque chose : le Royaume du ciel. Pour sauver, voir l’Introduction et 2 Tim 1.9.

Le Royaume céleste renvoie le plus souvent au « Royaume de Dieu » plutôt que de celui du Christ, mais dans ce verset, les deux personnes sont difficiles à distinguer, tant leur action est coordonnée. Ici, le Royaume est envisagé, non dans son sens premier, abstrait, de « règne » (2 Tim 4.1), mais plutôt sous un aspect plus concret, d’une communauté qui vit sous le règne ou la direction de Dieu. L’auteur exprime donc sa confiance que le Seigneur, l’ayant délivré de ses adversaires terrestres, lui réservera une place dans son Royaume céleste. On pourrait alors traduire : « pour appartenir à son Royaume céleste ». La Bible de Jérusalem dit que le Seigneur « me sauvera en me gardant pour son Royaume céleste ». Sur l’emploi des majuscules, voir 2 Tim 1.12.

Le mot céleste rend un adjectif qui est mis en relief en grec. L’emphase semble être sur un temps futur lorsque les croyants seront au ciel avec leur Sauveur.

A lui soit la gloire dans les siècles des siècles ! : en grec ces mots décrivent le Seigneur, litt. « auquel [est] la gloire pour les âges des âges ». Voir 1 Tim 1.17, qui est très semblable. Il peut être nécessaire d’ajouter un verbe, par exemple « A lui soit/donné rendu la gloire ».

Pour Amen, voir 1 Tim 1.17.

Source: Zogbo, Lynell & Ellingworth, Paul La deuxième lettre à Timothée – Manuel de traduction – Commentaire linguistique et exégétique de la Bible. Alliance biblique universelle, 2021.