Vincent Word Studies - 1 Thessalonians 5:2 - 5:2

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Vincent Word Studies - 1 Thessalonians 5:2 - 5:2


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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:

Perfectly (ἀκριβῶς)

See on Luk 1:3.

The day of the Lord (ἡμέρα κυρίου)

The day of Christ's second coming. In Paul's Epistles this is expressed by ἡ ἡμέρα the day, absolutely, 1Th 5:4; 1Co 3:13; Rom 13:12 : ἡ ἡμέρα ἐκείνη that day, 2Th 1:10 : ἡμέρα χριστοῦ the day of Christ, Phi 1:10; Phi 2:16 : ἡμέρα κυρίου or τοῦ κυρίου day of the Lord, 1Co 5:5; 1Th 5:2; 2Th 2:2 : ἡμέρα τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἱησοῦ (Χριστοῦ), 1Co 1:8; 2Co 1:14. These expressions refer to a definite time when the Lord is expected to appear, and Paul expects this appearance soon. Attempts to evade this by referring such expressions to the day of death, or to the advance toward perfection after death until the final judgment, are forced, and are shaped by dogmatic conceptions of the nature of Biblical inspiration. In the O.T. the phrase day of the Lord denotes a time in which God will conspicuously manifest his power and goodness or his penal justice. See Isa 2:12; Eze 13:5; Joe 1:15; Joe 2:11; and comp. Rom 2:5. The whole class of phrases is rare in N.T. outside of Paul's Epistles.

As a thief (ὡς κλέπτης)

Comp. Mat 24:43; Luk 12:39; 2Pe 3:10; Rev 16:15, and see on Rev 3:3.

In the night (ἐν νυκιτί)

The ancient church held that the advent was to be expected at night, on an Easter eve. This gave rise to the custom of vigils. Jerome, on Mat 25:6, says: “It is a tradition of the Jews that Messiah will come at midnight, after the likeness of that season in Egypt when the Passover was celebrated, and the Destroyer came, and the Lord passed over the dwellings. I think that this idea was perpetuated in the apostolic custom, that, on the day of vigils, at the Pascha, it was not allowed to dismiss the people before midnight, since they expected the advent of Christ.” It is noteworthy how many of the gospel lessons on watchfulness are associated with the night and a visit by night. See Mat 24:43; Mat 25:1-13; Mar 13:35; Luk 12:35, Luk 12:38; Luk 17:34; Luk 12:20.