G3726 ὁρκίζω (horkízō)

Adjure (3726) (enorkizo from hórkos = an oath) (the only use in Scripture) means to put someone under (or bind by) an oath or to make to swear. To place someone under a solemn charge. Figuratively, the idea is that of an earnest appeal. Enorkizo is found only here in all of Scripture. Note that the Textus Receptus has the verb horkizo (also used in Mark 5:7, Acts 19:13; cf related word exorkizo Mt 26:63) instead of enorkizo as found in the manuscripts generally recognized by Biblical scholars as more accurate to the original Greek. English dictionaries state that to adjure (ad = to + jurare = to swear from jus = oath) means to solemnly urge someone to do something and implies advising as well as pleading with the idea of the invoking of something sacred. To adjure can include the idea of to command, often by exacting an oath. The present tense indicates the abiding nature of this charge. Paul is saying that the Thessalonian saints (probably especially the leaders) are in a sense to "take an oath" that they will read this letter in the public assembly. This is not simply a suggestion but conveys a more solemn request which is backed by the phrase by the Lord which indicates that Paul receives his authority to make this statement from the Lord Jesus Christ! Constable comments that Paul... put his readers under oath (I charge you) to do this, suggesting that God would discipline them if they disobeyed. Were there some problems in the church that Paul wanted to get at by having everyone hear his words? Or did he realize that this epistle was written under divine inspiration and was therefore spiritually valuable? Perhaps he had both motives. (Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., et al: The Bible Knowledge Commentary. 1985. Victor or Logos) Remember that most people in the early church did not read but received their exposure to the Bible by public reading. Compare Paul's request to the pattern in Nehemiah 8... And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. 6 Then Ezra blessed the LORD the great God. And all the people answered, "Amen, Amen!" while lifting up their hands; then they bowed low and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground. 7 Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, explained the law to the people while the people remained in their place. 8 And they read from the book, from the law of God, translating to give the sense (give understanding) so that they understood the reading. (Nehemiah 8:5-8) (Comment: The Scriptures were written in Hebrew, but the people had no doubt used the Aramaic language or possibly other languages while in Babylon or while scattered in Assyria. Thus translation, as well as simple reading and exposition, would have been required for many of the people.) Vincent comments that... This strong appeal (as emphasized by the verb horkizo) may perhaps be explained by a suspicion on Paul's part that a wrong use might be made of his name and authority (see 2 Th. 2:2), so that it was important that his views should be made known to all. (note the Greek word all means all without exception - all were in need of the Word of God! This is imperative!) Guzik comments that.. Many different reasons have been suggested for why Paul added this phrase at the end of his letter. · Since this was his first letter, there was as of yet no established custom of the public reading of his letters, and he wanted to make sure the practice was established. · Since the letter was a substitute for his personal presence, Paul did not want any disappointment at his absence to dampen the spread of the letter. · Paul wanted to make sure that the church heard the letter first-hand, and not through intermediaries who might misstate his message. · Perhaps Paul feared that people would look up passages in the letter that spoke to the issues that interested them the most, and ignore the other parts. (1 Thessalonians 5) Letter (1992) (epistole from epistello = to send to, to send upon, to send word verbally or by letter, latter meaning primarily in the NT <> from epi = to + stello = to send) refers to a personal written message addressed to a person or group of people (the latter in the present context) and sent by a messenger. The Greek reads literally "the (specific) letter". The ISBE notes that the NT epistles represent... A written communication; a term inclusive of all forms of written correspondence, personal and official, in vogue from an early antiquity. As applied to the twenty-one letters, which constitute well-nigh one-half of the New Testament, the word “epistle” has come to have chiefly a technical and exclusive meaning. It refers, in common usage, to the communications addressed by five (possibly six) New Testament writers to individual or collective churches, or to single persons or groups of Christian disciples. Thirteen of these letters were written by Paul; three by John; two by Peter; one each by James and Jude; one — the epistle to the Hebrews — by an unknown writer. (Orr, J, et al: The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: 1915)