Lectionary Year A
November 17, 2002
I Thessalonians 5:1-11

Initial Acquaintance/Rough Translation

A. Comparing Translations

(JFC) The English Standard Version (2001) which is almost verbatim with the Revised Standard Version and the New English Translation (1996) differ some:

3 then sudden destruction will come upon them, - ESV
then sudden destruction comes on them, - NET

4b for that day to surprise you like a thief - ESV
for the day to overtake you like a thief would. - NET

6 So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. - ESV
So then we must not sleep as the rest, but must stay alert and sober. - NET

8 But since we belong to the day, - ESV
But since we are of the day, - NET

10b we might live with him. - ESV
we will come to life together with him. - NET

11c just as you are doing. - ESV
just as you are in fact doing. - NET

B. Textural Criticism

(JFC) 3 For auvtoi/j evfi,statai, a dative, 3rd person plural pronoun with a present, active, participle, some significant witnesses have epistatai autoij, indicative, while a few others have auvtoi/j fanhsetai, future and passive of the word meaning, "appear" or "bring to light", while the majority of significant witnesses retain the received version but with epistatai, as above, the indicative. Then, for the aorist, active, subjunctive, evkfu,gwsin, some few witnesses read, ekfeuxontai, a future tense, which seems to be far from the sense originally intended. 4 For the nominative singular, kle,pthj, a couple of editions read, kleptaj, which Metzger (TCGNT) notes, "appears to have arisen from scribal conformation to the preceding u`ma/j, resulting in near nonsense (cf. the similar image in ver. 2)." 5b Instead of evsme.n, first person plural, present, active, indicative, some Alexandrians read, este, second person plural, which dislocates the author from those addressed, which might have been the original except that so much of this epistle is in the former, which very definitely connects the author with those he addresses.

C. Rough Translation

(JFC) 1 But about the times and the seasons, brothers, not need [accusative] do you have to you [dative] to be written [present, passive, infinitive], 2 for yourselves accurately have known [perfect, active, indicative] that a day of (the) Lord like a thief in a night like this comes. 3 When they might say [present, active, subjunctive], "Peace and security", then sudden [nominative] to them appears destruction like birth-pains [nominative] in her womb is having, and not could they escape [aorist, active, subjunctive]. 4 But you, brothers, not are in darkness, so that the day to you [accusative] like a thief might /could overtake [aorist, active, subjunctive]; 5 for all of you descendants of light are and descendants of day. Not are we of night nor of darkness. 6 So/Therefore then not should we sleep like others but we should keep awake and be sober. 7 For the sleeping ones of night do sleep and the ones having gotten drunk of night are drunk; 8 but we of day being should be sober having been dressed in a breastplate of faith and love and helmet of hope for salvation; 9 that not did set/place/put us the God into anger but to obtaining salvation through the Lord of ours Jesus Christ 10 who died for us, so that whether we should keep awake or should die/sleep together with Him we should remain alive. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as also you are doing [present, active, indicative].



| Return to Gospel text listings | Return to Epistle text listings |
| Return to Old Testament listings | Return to Psalm listings |
| User response form |