Philémon 1:12

12 Reçois-le donc comme mes propres entrailles.

Philémon 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.

Philémon 1:12 In-Context

10 Je te prie pour mon fils Onésime, que j'ai engendré étant dans les chaînes,

11 Qui t'a été autrefois inutile, mais qui maintenant te sera utile, aussi bien qu'à moi, et que je te renvoie.

12 Reçois-le donc comme mes propres entrailles.

13 Je voulais le retenir auprès de moi, afin qu'il me servît à ta place dans les liens où je suis pour l'Évangile.

14 Mais je n'ai rien voulu faire sans ton avis, afin que ton bienfait ne fût pas comme forcé, mais volontaire.