2 Timothy 1:16

16 May the Lord grant mercy to ¹the household of Onesiphorus, for he often ²refreshed me and was not ashamed of ³my chains,

2 Timothy 1:16 Meaning and Commentary

2 Timothy 1:16

The Lord give mercy to the house of Onesiphorus
Who seems to have been one of Asia, and of Ephesus, and is an exception from the general apostasy, or from those that turned away from the apostle; and therefore he prays that the Lord would show mercy to his family; that he would give regenerating grace and mercy to such of them as were without it, or pardoning grace and mercy, or the great mercy of eternal life and salvation by Christ; and this doubtless was a prayer in faith, upon the promises of God, and upon instances and examples, in which God has remarkably shown mercy to the families of good men, who have faithfully served him, and abode in his interest in times of trouble; thus the house of Obed Edom was blessed for the sake of the ark, that was taken care of by them; the reasons of this prayer and good wishes follow:

for he oft refreshed me;
both with his Christian visits, and spiritual conversation, which to the apostle, in the heat of his affliction and persecution, were like a fan in hot weather, cooling and reviving, as the word signifies; and also by supplying him with the necessaries of life, as food and raiment, or money to purchase them with. He answered to his name, which signifies, "one that brings profit": he is said to be one of the seventy disciples; (See Gill on Luke 10:1) and afterwards to be bishop of Corone:

and was not ashamed of my chain;
the Syriac version adds, "with which I am bound"; in which he lay, or by which he was held, and led by a soldier; see ( Acts 28:16 Acts 28:20 ) . Onesiphorus was not ashamed of the apostle, though he was bound with a chain; nor was he ashamed of the cause for which he suffered: and the apostle proposes him to Timothy, as an example worthy of imitation, in those times of defection. See ( 2 Timothy 1:8 ) .

2 Timothy 1:16 In-Context

14 By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.

15 You are aware that all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes.

16 May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains,

17 but when he arrived in Rome he searched for me earnestly and found me--

18 may the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that Day!--and you well know all the service he rendered at Ephesus.

Cross References

• 1. 2 Timothy 4:19
• 2. Philem. 7, 20
• 3. [ver. 8]; See Acts 28:20