1 Thessalonians 2:17

Forced Absence from Thessalonica

2:17 But when we were separated from you, brothers and sisters, ¹  for a short time (in presence, not in affection) ²  we became all the more fervent in our great desire ³  to see you in person. ⁴ 

1 Thessalonians 3:12

3:12 And may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we do for you,

1 Thessalonians 4:17

4:17 Then we who are alive, who are left, ⁵  will be suddenly caught up ⁶  together ⁷  with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord.

¹ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:4.

² tn Grk “in face, not in heart.”

³ tn Grk “with great desire.”

⁴ tn Grk “to see your face.”

⁵ tc The words οἱ περιλειπόμενοι (Joi perileipomenoi, “[the ones] who are left”) are lacking in F G {0226^vid} ar b as well as a few fathers, but the rest of the textual tradition has the words. Most likely, the Western mss omitted the words because of perceived redundancy with οἱ ζῶντες (Joi zwnte", “[the ones] who are alive”).

⁶ tn Or “snatched up.” The Greek verb ἁρπάζω implies that the action is quick or forceful, so the translation supplied the adverb “suddenly” to make this implicit notion clear.

⁷ tn Or “simultaneously,” but this meaning does not fit as well in the parallel in 5:10.