1 Thessalonians 2:7

Text (1 Thessalonians 2:7)

7 But we were gentle in the midst of you, as when a nurse cherisheth her own children:

Translation and Paraphrase

7.

But (instead of seeking glory) we were gentle (while we were) in the midst of you. (Indeed we treated you so) that it was as if a nurse were cherishing her own children.

Notes (1 Thessalonians 2:7)

1.

A man seeking his own glory would have been domineering and demanding. But Paul was gentle among the Thessalonians.

2.

He treated them as a nurse would cherish and protect her own children. The word own should be in the translation before the word children. A nurse, even a devoted one, would probably be more loving and attentive to her own children, than to the children of strangers. Paul considered the Thessalonians to be as dear and close to him as a nurse's own children would be to her.

3.

Gentleness is never weak. Gentleness is the strong self-sacrificing spirit which makes heroes and martyrs. Abraham Lincoln was gentle. Jesus was gentle. But how strong He was! The Lord's servant must be gentle and not strive. 2 Timothy 2:24. The real power of a man is seen not in how violent he can get, but in what he can endure with gentleness.

4.

There is some uncertainty about one word in this verse. Some New Testament manuscripts have gentle (Gr., epioi), as our common King James version has, and some have babes (nepioi). By dropping the first letter of the word for babes we get the word for gentle. The American Standard Version margin says, Most of the ancient authorities read babes. (That seems an overly strong statement to us.) Westcott and Hort's Greek N.T. has babes in the text. Nestle's Greek N.T. (which we are following) has gentle in the text, and babes in the margin.

To us it seems that the word babes would make little sense in this verse. (Why should Paul say, We were babes among you?) Furthermore, it does not have overwhelming manuscript support. Its chief support is the Latin text and the Vatican manuscript. We feel that the King James version is correct in adopting the reading, gentle.