Teks -- 2 Thessalonians 3:8 (NET)

3:8 and we did not eat anyone’s food without paying. Instead, in toil and drudgery we worked night and day in order not to burden any of you.

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per frasa)

Robertson: 2Th 3:8 - For nought

For nought ( dōrean ).

Adverbial accusative, as a gift, gift-wise (dōrea , gift, from didōmi ). Same claim made to the Corinthians (2Co 11:7), old word, in lxx, and papyri. He lodged with Jason, but did not receive his meals gratis , for he paid for them. Apparently he received no invitations to meals. Paul had to make his financial independence clear to avoid false charges which were made in spite of all his efforts. To eat bread is merely a Hebraism for eat (2Th 3:10). See note on 1Th 2:9 for labour and travail, and night and day (nuktos kai hēmeras , genitive of time, by night and by day). See note on 1Th 2:9 for rest of the verse in precisely the same words.

Vincent: 2Th 3:8 - Any man's bread

Any man's bread ( ἄρτον παρά τινος )

Lit. bread from any one , or at any man's hand .

Vincent: 2Th 3:8 - For nought

For nought ( δωρεὰν )

The word is a noun, meaning a gift . See Joh 4:10; Act 2:38; Rom 5:15. The accusative often adverbially as here; as a gift , gratis . Comp. Mat 10:8; Rom 3:24; Rev 21:6.

Vincent: 2Th 3:8 - Labor and travail

Labor and travail

See on 1Th 1:3.

Vincent: 2Th 3:8 - Be chargeable

Be chargeable ( ἐπιβαρῆσαι )

Po . Better, burden . By depending upon them for pecuniary support. Comp. 1 Corinthians 9:3-18, and see on 1Th 2:6.

JFB: 2Th 3:8 - eat any man's bread

Greek, "eat bread from any man," that is, live at anyone's expense. Contrast 2Th 3:12, "eat THEIR OWN bread."

JFB: 2Th 3:8 - wrought

(Act 20:34). In both Epistles they state they maintained themselves by labor; but in this second Epistle they do so in order to offer themselves herein as an example to the idle; whereas, in the first, their object in doing so is to vindicate themselves from all imputation of mercenary motives in preaching the Gospel (1Th 2:5, 1Th 2:9) [EDMUNDS]. They preached gratuitously though they might have claimed maintenance from their converts.

JFB: 2Th 3:8 - labour and travail

"toil and hardship" (see on 1Th 2:9).

JFB: 2Th 3:8 - night and day

Scarcely allowing time for repose.

JFB: 2Th 3:8 - chargeable

Greek, "a burden," or "burdensome." The Philippians did not regard it as a burden to contribute to his support (Phi 4:15-16), sending to him while he was in this very Thessalonica (Act 16:15, Act 16:34, Act 16:40). Many Thessalonians, doubtless, would have felt it a privilege to contribute, but as he saw some idlers among them who would have made a pretext of his example to justify themselves, he waived his right. His reason for the same course at Corinth was to mark how different were his aims from those of the false teachers who sought their own lucre (2Co 11:9, 2Co 11:12-13). It is at the very time and place of writing these Epistles that Paul is expressly said to have wrought at tent-making with Aquila (Act 18:3); an undesigned coincidence.

Clarke: 2Th 3:8 - Neither did we eat any man’ s bread for naught

Neither did we eat any man’ s bread for naught - We paid for what we bought, and worked with our hands that we might have money to buy what was necessary

Clarke: 2Th 3:8 - Labour and travail night and day

Labour and travail night and day - We were incessantly employed, either in preaching the Gospel, visiting from house to house, or working at our calling. As it is very evident that the Church at Thessalonica was very pious, and most affectionately attached to the apostle, they must have been very poor, seeing he was obliged to work hard to gain himself the necessaries of life. Had they been able to support him he would not have worked with labor and travail night and day, that he might not be burdensome to them; and, as we may presume that they were very poor, he could not have got his support among them without adding to their burdens. To this his generous mind could not submit; it is no wonder, therefore, that he is so severe against those who would not labor, but were a burden to the poor followers of God.

TSK: 2Th 3:8 - eat // but // night

eat : 2Th 3:12; Pro 31:27; Mat 6:11

but : Act 18:3, Act 20:34; 1Co 4:12; 2Co 11:9; 1Th 4:11

night : 1Th 2:9

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per Ayat)

Poole: 2Th 3:8 - Neither did we eat any man’ s bread for nought // But wrought with labour and travail // night and day

Neither did we eat any man’ s bread for nought: the apostle here gives a particular positive instance of what before he speaks negatively, and in general; and brings his discourse home to the present case, and declares his orderly working in this, that he wrought for his own bread, and did not eat for nought, or live upon that which was freely given. dwrean the word is sometimes taken for that which is without effect, as Gal 2:21 , answering to the Hebrew word Chinnam, oft used, Psa 7:4 25:3 69:4 119:61 . Or, that which is without cause; and that either with respect to injury received, as Joh 15:25 , or benefit bestowed, as Rom 3:24 , when it is freely given without merit. The apostle means that he preached the gospel to them freely, as he tells the Corinthians, 2Co 11:7 . Though if he had received maintenance for his labour in the gospel among them, it was that which he well deserved, and he had not eaten their bread for nought; but he wrought with his own hands to maintain himself, as he did at Corinth, Act 18:3 .

But wrought with labour and travail and he wrought laboriously, with wearisome and toilsome labour, as the words import; and that

night and day as he had told them in the former Epistle, 1Th 2:9 ; only he speaks of it here upon a different account; there, to clear his ministry from suspicion of covetousness, and to evidence his sincere affection to them; here, to set before them an example of industry against such who lived idly, and did eat others’ bread. Had he not wrought with his hands, he had not walked disorderly; but lest any should think so, he would do it to take away all occasion of evil. For though the labour of the ministry in the exercise of the mind and study may be reckoned as the greatest, yet most people cannot judge of it, and think it such; and though he had power to forbear working, as he tells the Corinthians, 1Co 9:6 , yet he would do it rather than any good should be hindered, or any evil furthered thereby.

Haydock: 2Th 3:8 - Burthensome

Burthensome. By the Greek, he understands those who being idle, and not keeping themselves employed, lead a disorderly life. (Witham)

Gill: 2Th 3:8 - Neither did we eat any man's bread for nought // but wrought with labour and travail night and day // that we might not be chargeable to any of you

Neither did we eat any man's bread for nought.... Or freely, at free cost, without paying for it; he signifies, that what they ate, they bought with their own money, and lived on no man, without giving him a valuable consideration for what they had; though if they had not paid in money for their food, they would not have ate it for nought, since they laboured among them in preaching the Gospel to them; and such labourers are worthy of their maintenance, Luk 10:7 though the former sense is the apostle's here:

but wrought with labour and travail night and day: not only laboriously preaching the Gospel to them, as often as they could have opportunity, but working very hard and incessantly with their hands, at the occupations and trades they had been brought up to; and that of the Apostle Paul's was a tentmaker, at which he sometimes wrought, thereby ministering to his own, and the necessities of others, Act 18:3, nor was this inconsistent with his learning and liberal education. It was usual with the Jewish doctors to learn a trade, or follow some business and calling of life; See Gill on Mar 6:3. The apostle's end in this was,

that we might not be chargeable to any of you; or burdensome to them, they being for the most part poor; and the apostles being able partly by their own hand labour, and partly by what they received from Philippi, Phi 4:16 to support themselves, chose to that they might not lie heavy upon them, and any ways hinder the spread of the Gospel among them, at its first coming to them. And so Maimonides says the ancient Jewish doctors behaved, and with a like view: wherefore, says he ^p,

"if a man is a wise man, and an honourable man, and poor, let him employ himself in some handicraft business, even though a mean one, and not distress men (or be burdensome to them); it is better to strip the skins of beasts that have been torn, than to say to the people, I am a considerable wise (or learned) man, I am a priest, take care of me, and maintain me; and so the wise men have ordered: and some of the greatest doctors have been hewers of wood, and carriers of timber, and drawers of water for the gardens, and have wrought in iron and coals, and have not required anything of the congregation; nor would they take anything of them, when they would have given to them.''