1 Thessalonians 2:17

Being bereaved of you (aporpanisqente ap umwn). First aorist passive participle of the rare compound verb (aporpanizw, in Aeschylus, but nowhere else in N.T.). Literally, being orphaned from you (ap umwn, ablative case). Paul changes the figure again (tropo or mother nurse in verse 1 Thessalonians 7 , nhpio or babe in verse 1 Thessalonians 7 , pathr or father in verse 1 Thessalonians 11 ) to orphan (orpano). He refers to the period of separation from them, for a short season (pro kairon wra) for a season of an hour. This idiom only here in N.T., but pro kairon in Luke 8:13 and pro wran in 2 Corinthians 7:8 . But it has seemed long to Paul. Precisely how long he had been gone we do not know, some months at any rate. In presence, not in heart (proswpwi ou kardiai). Locative case. Proswpon, old word (pro, op, in front of the eye, face) for face, look, person. Literally, in face or person. His heart was with them, though they no longer saw his face. Heart, originally kardia, is the inner man, the seat of the affections and purposes, not always in contrast with intellect (nou). "Out of sight, not out of mind" (Rutherford). Endeavoured the more exceedingly (perissoterw espoudasamen). Ingressive aorist active indicative of spoudazw, old word to hasten (from spoudh, speudw). We became zealous. Comparative adverb perissoterw from perisson, more abundantly than before being orphaned from you. Your face (to proswpon umwn). Cf. his face above. With great desire (en pollh epiqumiai). In much longing (epiqumia from epi and qumo, epiqumew, to run after, to yearn after, whether good or bad).