1 Thessalonians 2:16

Verse

hindering us from telling the Gentiles how they may be saved. As a result, they continue to heap up their sins to full capacity; the utmost wrath has come upon them.

American Standard Version (1901)

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.

Bible in Basic English

Who, to make the measure of their sins complete, kept us from giving the word of salvation to the Gentiles: but the wrath of God is about to come on them in the fullest degree.

Douay-Rheims 1899

Prohibiting us to speak to the Gentiles, that they may be saved, to fill up their sins always: for the wrath of God is come upon them to the end.

Free Bible Version

trying to prevent us from speaking to the other nations to prevent them from being saved. They're always sinning to the maximum extent, but for them full judgment has arrived!

Geneva Bible 1599

And forbid vs to preach vnto the Gentiles, that they might be saued, to fulfill their sinnes alwayes: for the wrath of God is come on them, to the vtmost.

King James (Authorized) Version

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.

Plain English Version

They try to stop us telling everyone that God can save people that are not Jewish. That Jewish mob did a lot of bad things in the past, and they are also doing those bad things now, so they make God angry, and he is going to punish them.

Translation for Translators

Specifically, when we tell the good message to non-Jewish people in order that they can be saved {that God will save them} spiritually, these unbelieving Jews try to stop/prevent us from doing that. Because they continually sin more and more, they are almost reaching the limit that has been set by God [MET]! God will soon punish them [MTY], at last, for all their sins!

Unlocked Literal Bible

They forbid us to speak to the Gentiles for them to be saved. The result is that they always fill up their own sins. Wrath must come on them in the end.

Noah Webster Bible

Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved, to fill up their sins always: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.

World English Bible

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.

Young's Literal Translation

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!

Context

Paul’s Ministry

¹⁵who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and drove us out as well. They are displeasing to God and hostile to all men, ¹⁶hindering us from telling the Gentiles how they may be saved. As a result, they continue to heap up their sins to full capacity; the utmost wrath has come upon them.

Sermons

When the Wicked Shall Have Filled Up the Measure of Their Sin, Wrath Will Come Upon Them to the Uttermost

Jonathan Edwards

Homily 37 on the Acts of the Apostles

St. John Chrysostom

Day 59, 1 Thessalonians 2

David Servant

Summary

This verse highlights the hostility faced by the early Christians in Thessalonica, as they were persecuted by their own countrymen who rejected the message of Christ. The opposition they encountered was not only from the Roman authorities but also from their fellow Jews who did not believe in Jesus as the Messiah. Despite facing such adversity, the believers remained steadfast in their faith, trusting in God's sovereignty and finding strength in His grace. This passage serves as a reminder of the challenges that come with following Christ and the importance of standing firm in the face of opposition, knowing that ultimately, God's justice will prevail.

Commentary

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
John Gill
Tyndale

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

Forbidding--Greek, "Hindering us from speaking," &c. to fill up their sins alway--Tending thus "to the filling up (the full measure of, Gen 15:16; Dan 8:23; Mat 23:32) their sins at all times," that is, now as at all former times. Their hindrance of the Gospel preaching to the Gentiles was the last measure added to their continually accumulating iniquity, which made them fully ripe for vengeance. for--Greek, "but." "But," they shall proceed no further, for (Ti2 3:8) "the" divine "wrath has (so the Greek) come upon (overtaken unexpectedly; the past tense expressing the speedy certainty of the divinely destined stroke) them to the uttermost"; not merely partial wrath, but wrath to its full extent, "even to the finishing stroke" [EDMUNDS]. The past tense implies that the fullest visitation of wrath was already begun. Already in A.D. 48, a tumult had occurred at the Passover in Jerusalem, when about thirty thousand (according to some) were slain; a foretaste of the whole vengeance which speedily followed (Luk 19:43-44; Luk 21:24).

John Gill Bible Commentary

Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles, that they might be saved,.... Speaking or preaching the Gospel is the ordinary means of saving souls, or of acquainting them with the way of salvation, the necessity of it, and of the application of it to them, and with this end and view it is preached: now though the Jews disbelieved the Gospel, and despised the ministry of it, and disavowed any such use and end of it, yet such was their envy at the Gentiles, and their hatred of them, that could they have believed it to be the means of salvation, they would have forbidden the preaching of it to them, as they now did; and it is certain, that even the believing Jews, through ignorance, did at first disapprove of the ministry of the word to the Gentiles; see Act 11:1 such was the aversion of that nation to all others, and which perfectly agrees with their general sentiments, which forbid the explanation of the law to the Gentiles; and therefore it need not be wondered at, that they should do all that in them lay to hinder the entrance and spread of the Gospel among them, of which take the following proof (f): "whoever has not the holy name sealed and bound in his flesh (i.e. is not circumcised) "it is forbidden to make known to him a word of the law", and much less to study in it--and whoever is not circumcised, and they give to him , "the least thing in the law", it is as if he destroyed the world, and dealt falsely with the name of God--Hillell and Shammai did not make known to Onkelos a word of the law, until he was circumcised--and the traditions are, that even though a man is circumcised, yet if he does not do the commands of the law, lo, he is as a Gentile in all things, and "it is forbidden to teach him the words of the law":'' nay, it is a rule with the Jews (g), that "if a Gentile studies in the law, he is guilty of death:'' and thus were they left in providence, to judicial blindness and hardness of heart, to fill up their sins alway; the measure of their own and their fathers' iniquities; see Mat 23:32 a phrase expressive of the abounding of their sins, and of their being under a divine appointment, and of their being limited and restrained by a divine power, and overruled by infinite wisdom, to answer some ends and purposes of God's glory; for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost: which is to be understood, not of their wrath and fury being come to its highest degree and pitch against the followers of Christ, but of "the wrath of God", as the Vulgate Latin version and Beza's ancient copy express it; and designs not so much "eternal punishment", as the Ethiopic version renders the phrase, or everlasting wrath and damnation on the reprobate part of that people, as temporal ruin and destruction, which was now near at hand, and hung over their heads; and therefore is said to be come to them, and which in a little time fell upon their nation and city, and temple, even to the uttermost, to the last degree; and was, as the Arabic version renders it, "wrath consuming"; or "the consummation, and that determined poured upon the desolate", spoken of in Dan 9:27 and which, as it is come upon them, will remain "unto the end", as the phrase may also be rendered; unto the end of the world, until the fulness of the Gentiles is brought in, and then God's elect among the Jews shall obtain mercy, and be called, and so all Israel shall be saved, Rom 11:25. (f) Zohar in Lev. fol. 30. 2, 3. (g) T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 59. 1. Maimon. Hilchot Melachim, c. 10. sect. 9.

1 Thessalonians 2:16

Paul’s Ministry

Scripture
Sermons
Commentary

Berean Standard Bible

hindering us from telling the Gentiles how they may be saved. As a result, they continue to heap up their sins to full capacity; the utmost wrath has come upon them.

American Standard Version (1901)

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.

Bible in Basic English

Who, to make the measure of their sins complete, kept us from giving the word of salvation to the Gentiles: but the wrath of God is about to come on them in the fullest degree.

Douay-Rheims 1899

Prohibiting us to speak to the Gentiles, that they may be saved, to fill up their sins always: for the wrath of God is come upon them to the end.

Free Bible Version

trying to prevent us from speaking to the other nations to prevent them from being saved. They're always sinning to the maximum extent, but for them full judgment has arrived!

Geneva Bible 1599

And forbid vs to preach vnto the Gentiles, that they might be saued, to fulfill their sinnes alwayes: for the wrath of God is come on them, to the vtmost.

King James (Authorized) Version

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.

Plain English Version

Translation for Translators

Unlocked Literal Bible

They forbid us to speak to the Gentiles for them to be saved. The result is that they always fill up their own sins. Wrath must come on them in the end.

Noah Webster Bible

Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved, to fill up their sins always: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.

World English Bible

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.

Young's Literal Translation

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!

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
John Gill
Tyndale

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary

1 Thessalonians 2:16

Verse

Context

Paul’s Ministry

Sermons

Summary

Commentary

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary

Tyndale Open Study Notes

1 Thessalonians 2:16

Paul’s Ministry

When the Wicked Shall Have Filled Up the Measure of Their Sin, Wrath Will Come Upon Them to the Uttermost

Homily 37 on the Acts of the Apostles

Day 59, 1 Thessalonians 2

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary

Tyndale Open Study Notes