# 1 Thessalonians 2.17 **Book:** [1 Thessalonians](/codex/1-thessalonians/) · NASB95 ## Immediate context (±2 verses) **ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/)) > 15. who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove out us, and pleased not God, and are contrary to all men; 16. forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved; to fill up their sins always: but the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost. > > **17. But we, brethren, being bereaved of you for a short season, in presence not in heart, endeavored the more exceedingly to see your face with great desire:** > > 18. because we would fain have come unto you, I Paul once and again; and Satan hindered us. 19. For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of glorying? Are not even ye, before our Lord Jesus at his coming? (1 Thessalonians 2:15-19, ASV) **WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/)) > 15. who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and drove us out, and didn’t please God, and are contrary to all men; 16. forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved; to fill up their sins always. But wrath has come on them to the uttermost. > > **17. But we, brothers, being bereaved of you for a short season, in presence, not in heart, tried even harder to see your face with great desire,** > > 18. because we wanted to come to you, indeed, I, Paul, once and again, but Satan hindered us. 19. For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Isn’t it even you, before our Lord Jesus at his coming? (1 Thessalonians 2:15-19, WEB) **KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/)) > 15. Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men: persecuted us: or, chased us out 16. Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost. > > **17. But we, brethren, being taken from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavoured the more abundantly to see your face with great desire.** > > 18. Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us. 19. For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? rejoicing: or, glorying (1 Thessalonians 2:15-19, KJV) **YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/)) > 15. who did both put to death the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and did persecute us, and God they are not pleasing, and to all men [are] contrary, 16. forbidding us to speak to the nations that they might be saved, to fill up their sins always, but the anger did come upon them, to the end! > > **17. And we, brethren, having been taken from you for the space of an hour, in presence, not in heart, did hasten the more abundantly to see your face in much desire,** > > 18. wherefore we wished to come unto you, (I indeed Paul,) both once and again, and the Adversary did hinder us; 19. for what [is] our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? are not even ye before our Lord Jesus Christ in his presence? (1 Thessalonians 2:15-19, YLT) ## Setting - **Speaker:** Paul, writing with Silvanus (Silas) and Timothy, who are named as co-senders in the opening ([1 Thess 1:1](/codex/1-thessalonians-1-1/)). - **Audience:** The church in Thessalonica, capital of the Roman province of Macedonia; a largely Gentile congregation of recent converts ([1 Thess 1:9](/codex/1-thessalonians-1-9/)) founded on the second missionary journey ([Acts 17:1-9](/codex/acts-17-1-9/)). - **Location:** Written from Corinth, shortly after Timothy returned with news of the young church ([1 Thess 3:6](/codex/1-thessalonians-3-6/)). - **Time period:** c. AD 50-51. The Gallio inscription from Delphi fixes Paul in Corinth around AD 51-52 ([Acts 18:12](/codex/acts-18-12/)), which makes this letter either the earliest or one of the two earliest surviving Pauline writings, roughly twenty years after the crucifixion. ## Theological reading "But we, brethren, being bereaved of you for a short season, in presence not in heart, endeavored the more exceedingly to see your face with great desire." **"Bereaved."** The KJV renders the word "being taken from" and tags it Strong's G642, its only appearance in the New Testament. The ASV's "bereaved" captures the sense of loss in it. Paul describes his forced departure from Thessalonica, when the brethren "sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea" ([Acts 17:10](/codex/acts-17-10/)), as a separation he suffered, not a choice he made. **"In presence not in heart."** The separation is physical only. Many interpreters see an implied charge behind the preceding section of the letter (2:1-12): that Paul was one more travelling teacher who took what he could and moved on. His reply is that he left against his will and has been trying to return. **"With great desire."** "Desire" is G1939 in the KJV, the same word Paul uses two chapters later of the Gentiles' "passion of lust" (4:5). The word is neutral; its object decides whether it is good. Here it is a pastor's longing for his people, and verse 18 names what stopped him: "I Paul once and again; and Satan hindered us." See [Church at Thessalonica](/codex/church-at-thessalonica/). ## Key words _Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word._ - [G2540 - kairos](/codex/g2540-kairos/), *kairos*, Strong's G2540 - [G2588 - kardia](/codex/g2588-kardia/), *kardia*, Strong's G2588 - [G1492 - oida](/codex/g1492-oida/), *oida*, Strong's G1492 - [G4314 - pros](/codex/g4314-pros/), *pros*, Strong's G4314 ## Notes _Your annotations._ ## Why these four translations ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the **most literal English translations available** (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the **public domain in the United States**, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance. The four: - **[ASV](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition. - **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English. - **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base. - **[YLT](/codex/ylt/)** (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff. See [Bibles](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.