Philippians 4:10

He renders loving thanks for their Alms, brought him by Epaphroditus

10. But The directly didactic message of the Epistle is now over, and he turns to the personal topic of the alms, for himself and his work, received through Epaphroditus from Philippi.

I rejoiced R.V., I rejoice; taking the Greek aorist as "epistolary." See on Philippians 2:25. The aorist may refer, however, to the joy felt when the gift arrived, the first thankful surprise; and if so, A.V. represents it rightly.

in the Lord See last note on Philippians 1:8. The whole circumstance, as well as the persons, was in deep connexion with Him.

at the last Better, with R.V., at length; a phrase of milder emphasis. "At the last" (cp. Genesis 49:19) is "at last" in an older form. The Philippians had sent St Paul a subsidy, or subsidies, before; but for reasons beyond their control there had been a rather long interval before this last.

your care of me hath flourished Better, you have shot forth thought (as a branch or bud) for me; or, less lit., you have burgeoned into thought for me. The verb, only intransitive in the classics, is also transitive in LXX. (see Ezekiel 17:24) and Apocrypha (see Sir 1:14). The poetic boldness of the phrase is noticeable; our second alternative translation fairly represents it. Perhaps the courteous kindliness of the Apostle's thought comes out in it; an almost pleasantry of expression.

wherein Or, whereon; "with a view to which"; i.e., as the previous words imply, with a view to an effort to aid him.

ye were careful Ye took thought. The verb (phroneîn) is quite different from that in Philippians 4:6. It bears here (and just above, where its infinitive is represented by the English noun "thought") the unusual meaning of definite thinking, not, as usual, that of being in a mental state. See on Philippians 1:7.

The gracious, sympathetic recognition of good intentions is indeed Christian.

lacked opportunity Particularly, a suitable bearerhad not been forthcoming.