II Thessalonians 3:10
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For even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “If anyone is unwilling to work, he shall not eat.”
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
For even--Translate, "For also." We not only set you the example, but gave a positive "command." commanded--Greek imperfect, "We were commanding"; we kept charge of you. would not work--Greek, "is unwilling to work." BENGEL makes this to be the argument: not that such a one is to have his food withdrawn from him by others; but he proves from the necessity of eating the necessity of working; using this pleasantry, Let him who will not work show himself an angel, that is, do without food as the angels do (but since he cannot do without food, then he ought to be not unwilling to work). It seems to me simpler to take it as a punishment of the idle. Paul often quotes good adages current among the people, stamping them with inspired approval. In the Hebrew, "Bereshith Rabba," the same saying is found; and in the book Zeror, "He who will not work before the sabbath, must not eat on the sabbath."
Open source ↗In the close of the foregoing chapter, the apostle had prayed earnestly for the Thessalonians, and now he desires their prayers, encouraging them to trust in God, to which he subjoins another petition for them (Th2 3:1-5). He then proceeds to give them commands and directions for correcting some things he was informed were amiss among them (Th2 3:6-15) and concludes with benedictions and prayers (Th2 3:16-18).
Open source ↗3:10 Work is the appropriate way to gain a living (see Gen 3:17-19; Ps 128:2; Prov 10:4). Paul absolves the church of the responsibility of feeding other believers who refuse to work.
Open source ↗Cross-references
Other passages the community most often connects to this one. Tap to read.
By the sweat of your brow you will eat your bread, until you return to the ground— because out of it were you taken. For dust you are, and to dust you shall return.”
and to aspire to live quietly, to attend to your own matters, and to work with your own hands, as we instructed you.
The slacker craves yet has nothing, but the soul of the diligent is fully satisfied.
The slacker does not plow in season; at harvest time he looks, but nothing is there.
The craving of the slacker kills him because his hands refuse to work.
Indeed, when we were with you, we kept warning you that we would suffer persecution; and as you know, it has come to pass.
But I have told you these things so that when their hour comes, you will remember that I told you about them. I did not tell you these things from the beginning, because I was with you.
Jesus said to them, “These are the words I spoke to you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about Me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms.”
When they came to him, he said, “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I arrived in the province of Asia.