2 Thessalonians 3:10

10 While we were with you, we gave you the order: "Whoever doesn't want to work shouldn't be allowed to eat."

2 Thessalonians 3:10 Meaning and Commentary

2 Thessalonians 3:10

For even when we were with you
At Thessalonica in person, and first preached the Gospel to them,

we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat;
the Ethiopic version reads in the singular number, "when I was with you, I commanded you"; using the above words, which were a sort of a proverb with the Jews, and is frequently used by them, (lyka al yad) , or (oygn al yel) , "that if a man would not work, he should not eat" {q}. And again ^F18,

``he that labours on the evening of the sabbath (or on weekdays), he shall eat on the sabbath day; and he who does not labour on the evening of the sabbath, from whence shall he eat (or what right and authority has he to eat) on the sabbath day?''

Not he that could not work through weakness, bodily diseases, or old age, the necessities of such are to be distributed to, and they are to be taken care of, and provided with the necessaries of life by the officers of the church; but those that can work, and will not, ought to starve, for any assistance that should be given them by the members of the church, or the officers of it.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F17 Bereshit Rabba, sect. 14. fol. 13. 1. Echa Rabbati, fol. 48. 4. & Midrash Koholet, fol. 65. 4.
F18 T. Bab. Avoda Zara, fol. 3. 1.

2 Thessalonians 3:10 In-Context

8 We didn't eat anyone's food without paying for it. Instead, we worked hard and struggled night and day in order not to be a burden to any of you.

9 It's not as though we didn't have a right to receive support. Rather, we wanted to set an example for you to follow.

10 While we were with you, we gave you the order: "Whoever doesn't want to work shouldn't be allowed to eat."

11 We hear that some of you are not living disciplined lives. You're not working, so you go around interfering in other people's lives.

12 We order and encourage such people by the Lord Jesus Christ to pay attention to their own work so they can support themselves.