Filemone 1:12

12 Il quale io ho rimandato; or tu accoglilo, cioè, le mie viscere.

Filemone 1:12 Meaning and Commentary

Philemon 1:12

Whom I have sent again
From Rome to Colosse, or to Philemon, wherever he was, along with this epistle:

thou therefore receive him, that is, mine own bowels;
meaning his son, who, in a spiritual sense, came out of his bowels, to whom he stood in the relation of a spiritual father; so the Syriac version renders it, as my son, so receive him; see ( Genesis 15:4 ) ( 2 Samuel 16:11 ) and for whom he had a most strong affection, and tender regard; his bowels yearned for him, and he suggests by this expression, that should he reject him, it would give him the utmost pain and uneasiness; and he should be obliged to cry out as the Prophet Jeremy did, "my bowels, my bowels, I am pained at the very heart"; ( Jeremiah 4:19 ) wherefore he entreats him to receive him again into his house and family, into his service, and into his heart and affections, where the apostle had received him.

Filemone 1:12 In-Context

10 ti prego, dico, per lo mio figliuolo Onesimo, il quale io ho generato ne’ miei legami.

11 Il quale già ti fu disutile, ma ora è utile a te ed a me.

12 Il quale io ho rimandato; or tu accoglilo, cioè, le mie viscere.

13 Io lo voleva ritenere appresso di me, acciocchè in vece tua mi ministrasse nei legami dell’evangelo;

14 ma non ho voluto far nulla senza il tuo parere; acciocchè il tuo beneficio non fosse come per necessità, ma di spontanea volontà.