1 Thessalonians 2:7
New International Version
Instead, we were like young children among you. Just as a nursing mother cares for her children,

New Living Translation
As apostles of Christ we certainly had a right to make some demands of you, but instead we were like children among you. Or we were like a mother feeding and caring for her own children.

English Standard Version
But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children.

Berean Standard Bible
On the contrary, we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother caring for her children.

Berean Literal Bible
But we were gentle in your midst, as a nursing mother would cherish her own children.

King James Bible
But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children:

New King James Version
But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children.

New American Standard Bible
But we proved to be gentle among you. As a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children,

NASB 1995
But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children.

NASB 1977
But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children.

Legacy Standard Bible
But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children.

Amplified Bible
But we behaved gently when we were among you, like a devoted mother tenderly caring for her own children.

Christian Standard Bible
Although we could have been a burden as Christ’s apostles, instead we were gentle among you, as a nurse nurtures her own children.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Although we could have been a burden as Christ’s apostles, instead we were gentle among you, as a nursing mother nurtures her own children.

American Standard Version
But we were gentle in the midst of you, as when a nurse cherisheth her own children:

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But we were meek among you, even as a nursemaid who cherishes her children.

Contemporary English Version
But as apostles, we could have demanded help from you. After all, Christ is the one who sent us. We chose to be like children or like a mother nursing her baby.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Whereas we might have been burdensome to you, as the apostles of Christ: but we became little ones in the midst of you, as if a nurse should cherish her children:

English Revised Version
But we were gentle in the midst of you, as when a nurse cherisheth her own children:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
although as apostles of Christ we had the right to do this. Instead, we were gentle when we were with you, like a mother taking care of her children.

Good News Translation
even though as apostles of Christ we could have made demands on you. But we were gentle when we were with you, like a mother taking care of her children.

International Standard Version
even though as apostles of the Messiah we might have made such demands. Instead, we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother tenderly caring for her own children.

Literal Standard Version
But we became gentle in your midst, as a nurse may nurture her own children,

Majority Standard Bible
On the contrary, we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother caring for her children.

New American Bible
although we were able to impose our weight as apostles of Christ. Rather, we were gentle among you, as a nursing mother cares for her children.

NET Bible
although we could have imposed our weight as apostles of Christ; instead we became little children among you. Like a nursing mother caring for her own children,

New Revised Standard Version
though we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children.

New Heart English Bible
But we were like little children among you, like a nursing mother cherishes her own children.

Webster's Bible Translation
But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children:

Weymouth New Testament
On the contrary, in our relations to you we showed ourselves as gentle as a mother is when she tenderly nurses her own children.

World English Bible
But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother cherishes her own children.

Young's Literal Translation
But we became gentle in your midst, as a nurse may cherish her own children,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Paul's Ministry
6Nor did we seek praise from you or from anyone else, although as apostles of Christ we had authority to demand it. 7On the contrary, we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother caring for her children. 8We cared so deeply that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God, but our own lives as well. That is how beloved you have become to us.…

Cross References
Galatians 4:19
My children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you,

1 Thessalonians 2:11
For you know that we treated each of you as a father treats his own children--

2 Timothy 2:24
And a servant of the Lord must not be quarrelsome, but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, and forbearing.


Treasury of Scripture

But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherishes her children:

we.

Genesis 33:13,14
And he said unto him, My lord knoweth that the children are tender, and the flocks and herds with young are with me: and if men should overdrive them one day, all the flock will die…

Isaiah 40:11
He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

Ezekiel 34:14-16
I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel…

as.

1 Thessalonians 2:11
As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children,

Numbers 11:12
Have I conceived all this people? have I begotten them, that thou shouldest say unto me, Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father beareth the sucking child, unto the land which thou swarest unto their fathers?

Isaiah 49:23
And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.

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Care Cares Caring Cherish Cherishes Cherisheth Children Contrary Gentle Little Midst Mother Nurse Nurses Nursing Ones Ourselves Proved Relations Showed Tenderly
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1 Thessalonians 2
1. In what manner the gospel was brought and preached to the Thessalonians.
18. A reason is rendered both why Paul was so long absent from them, and also so desirous to see them.














(7) Among you.--Rather, in the midst of you, making the gentleness still more marked. "Her," in the Greek emphatically her own. The contrast is drawn between the charlatan, licentious, sophistical, fawning, greedy, vainglorious teachers, to whom Greeks were well accustomed, and the Apostles, sitting familiarly like mothers amidst a group of their own children, folding them for warmth to their bosoms "Keep a mother's heart for men," was the advice which made Henri Perreyve's life so winning (Meditations, p. 87).

Verse 7. - But. The apostle now describes iris conduct positively. We were gentle; a word used of the amiable conduct of a superior toward an inferior, as of a master toward a servant, a prince toward his subjects, or a father toward his children. "The servant of God must not strive, but be gentle toward all men" (2 Timothy 2:24). Some manuscripts read, "We were babes among you" - the difference being only the addition of another letter. Among you; in our intercourse with you. Even as a nurse; or rather, a nursing mother, for the children arc her own. Cherisheth; the word employed for birds warming and cherishing their young. Her children. A stronger expression of tenderness and love could hardly be made. Even as a nursing mother dedicates her life for her infant; so, says Paul, we are willing to dedicate ourselves for you. Some important manuscripts read the verse thus: "But we were babes among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children;" but this arises from an obvious error of the transcriber.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
On the contrary,
Ἀλλὰ (Alla)
Conjunction
Strong's 235: But, except, however. Neuter plural of allos; properly, other things, i.e. contrariwise.

we were
ἐγενήθημεν (egenēthēmen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 1st Person Plural
Strong's 1096: A prolongation and middle voice form of a primary verb; to cause to be, i.e. to become, used with great latitude.

gentle
ἤπιοι (ēpioi)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3516: From an obsolete particle ne- and epos; not speaking, i.e. An infant; figuratively, a simple-minded person, an immature Christian.

among
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

you,
ὑμῶν (hymōn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

like
ὡς (hōs)
Adverb
Strong's 5613: Probably adverb of comparative from hos; which how, i.e. In that manner.

a nursing mother
τροφὸς (trophos)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 5162: A nurse. From trepho; a nourisher, i.e. Nurse.

caring for
θάλπῃ (thalpē)
Verb - Present Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2282: (properly: I warm, then) I cherish, nourish, foster, comfort. Probably akin to thallo; to brood, i.e. to foster.

her
ἑαυτῆς (heautēs)
Reflexive Pronoun - Genitive Feminine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1438: Himself, herself, itself.

children.
τέκνα (tekna)
Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 5043: A child, descendent, inhabitant. From the base of timoria; a child.


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NT Letters: 1 Thessalonians 2:7 But we were gentle among you like (1 Thess. 1 Thes. 1Th iTh i Th)
1 Thessalonians 2:6
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