Philemon 1:20

20 I do wish, brother, that I may have some benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ.

Philemon 1:20 in Other Translations

KJV
20 Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord: refresh my bowels in the Lord.
ESV
20 Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.
NLT
20 Yes, my brother, please do me this favor for the Lord’s sake. Give me this encouragement in Christ.
MSG
20 Do me this big favor, friend. You'll be doing it for Christ, but it will also do my heart good.
CSB
20 Yes, brother, may I have joy from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ.

Philemon 1:20 Meaning and Commentary

Philemon 1:20

Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord
Through the apostle was his spiritual father, having been the instrument of his conversion, yet he calls him his brother, as being a partaker of the same grace, and a minister of the same Gospel; and intimates to him, that should he grant his request, and receive his servant again, it would give him great joy and pleasure, and that not of a carnal, but of a spiritual kind, even joy in the Lord; he should rejoice in the presence of the Lord, and before him, concerning him; he should rejoice in his faith in the Lord, and love for him, and obedience to him; all which would be discovered in such a conduct: the Syriac version renders it, as an assurance to himself,

I shall be refreshed by thee in our Lord;
not doubting but that he would gratify him in the thing he asked of him, which would be a refreshment to him; the Vulgate Latin version renders it, "may I enjoy thee in the Lord": meaning not his company and presence, either in this world, or in the world to come; but that he might enjoy or receive the favour from him he had petitioned him for, for the Lord's sake; the Arabic version renders it, as a reason why he should do it, "I have been profitable to thee in the Lord"; confirming what he had said before, that he owed himself to him; he having been useful to him in bringing him to the knowledge of Christ, and faith in him; and the Ethiopic version refers it to a promise, "I will repay in our Lord"; in spiritual things in our Lord, if not in things temporal:

refresh my bowels in the Lord;
or "in Christ"; as the Alexandrian copy, the Syriac and Ethiopic versions, read; and by his "bowels", he either means Onesimus, as in ( Philemon 1:12 ) who, in a spiritual sense, came forth out of his bowels; or else himself, his soul, his spirit, his inward parts; and so the Ethiopic version renders it, "refresh my soul"; and the sense is, that he desired in the Lord, and for his sake, that he would receive Onesimus again, which would give him an inward pleasure, and refresh his spirit; and indeed he intimates, that nothing could be more cheering and reviving to him.

Philemon 1:20 In-Context

18 If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me.
19 I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back—not to mention that you owe me your very self.
20 I do wish, brother, that I may have some benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ.
21 Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.
22 And one thing more: Prepare a guest room for me, because I hope to be restored to you in answer to your prayers.

Cross References 1

  • 1. ver 7; 1 Corinthians 16:18
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