Passage

2 Timothy 4.12

Book: 2 Timothy · NASB95

Immediate context (±2 verses)

ASV

10. for Demas forsook me, having loved this present world, and went to Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. 11. Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee; for he is useful to me for ministering.

12. But Tychicus I sent to Ephesus.

The cloak that I left at Troas with Carpus, bring when thou comest, and the books, especially the parchments. 14. Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord will render to him according to his works: (2 Timothy 4:10-14, ASV)

WEB

10. for Demas left me, having loved this present world, and went to Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. 11. Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service.

12. But I sent Tychicus to Ephesus.

Bring the cloak that I left at Troas with Carpus when you come, and the books, especially the parchments. 14. Alexander, the coppersmith, did much evil to me. The Lord will repay him according to his deeds, (2 Timothy 4:10-14, WEB)

KJV

10. For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia. 11. Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.

12. And Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus.

The cloke that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments. 14. Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works: (2 Timothy 4:10-14, KJV)

YLT

10. for Demas forsook me, having loved the present age, and went on to Thessalonica, Crescens to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia, 11. Lukas only is with me; Markus having taken, bring with thyself, for he is profitable to me for ministration;

12. and Tychicus I sent to Ephesus;

the cloak that I left in Troas with Carpus, coming, bring thou and the books, especially the parchments. 14. Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil; may the Lord repay to him according to his works, (2 Timothy 4:10-14, YLT)

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Setting

Speaker: Paul, who names himself in the opening line (1:1) and writes as a prisoner (1:8; 2:9). Authorship of the three Pastoral Epistles (1 and 2 Timothy, Titus) is disputed. Many critical scholars hold that a later follower wrote them in Paul's name, pointing to differences of vocabulary and style from the undisputed letters and to a more settled church order. Others defend Paul's authorship, among them Luke Timothy Johnson (Anchor Bible, 2001), William Mounce (Word Biblical Commentary, 2000) and Philip Towner (NICNT, 2006), citing the letter's many personal details.
Audience: Timothy, "my beloved child" (1:2), whose "unfeigned faith" dwelt first in his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice (1:5). He is probably still at Ephesus: Paul reminds him of Onesiphorus's service there, which Timothy "knowest very well" (1:18), and greets Prisca and Aquila (4:19). Paul urges him to come to Rome quickly (4:9, 21).
Location: Rome, where Paul is in chains; Onesiphorus "sought me diligently, and found me" there (1:16-17).
Time period: on Pauline authorship, Paul's final imprisonment, usually dated c. AD 64-67, shortly before his death; he writes, "the time of my departure is come" (4:6). Scholars who regard the letter as pseudonymous usually place it late in the first century or early in the second. The reading below does not depend on the choice.
Literary context: the list of Paul's coworkers in the closing instructions (4:9-13). After naming those who have left him and asking for Mark (4:10-11), Paul notes where Tychicus has gone.

Theological reading

"But Tychicus I sent to Ephesus." (2 Timothy 4:12, ASV)

Who Tychicus was. Tychicus was from the province of Asia and traveled with Paul on the journey to Jerusalem (Acts 20:4). He carried Paul's letters and news: "Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things" (Ephesians 6:21; compare Colossians 4:7). In the letter to Titus, Paul plans to send "Artemas unto thee, or Tychicus" so that Titus can come to him (Titus 3:12).

Why mention it. If Timothy is at Ephesus, it is odd to tell him that Tychicus has been sent there. Many commentators take "I sent" as an epistolary past tense, written from the reader's point of view: "I am sending Tychicus", probably as the bearer of this letter. That would fit the pattern of Titus 3:12. Tychicus would then take Timothy's place, so that the church is not left without help when Timothy leaves for Rome. Others think Timothy was elsewhere in Asia, and the note simply tells him where Tychicus is.

A network of trust. The verse is a small window on the apostolic mission: a circle of named, trusted workers sent from place to place, carrying letters, filling gaps and keeping churches cared for. Paul in prison is still directing it. See 2 Timothy 4.9 and Church at Ephesus.

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.

None of the words in this verse has its own lexicon entry yet.

Notes

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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 (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
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 for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.