“And sent Timotheus our brother, etc.]” In a spiritual relation, having the same heavenly Father, and belonging to the same Jerusalem, which is free, and the mother of us all; of the same household and in the same relation to Christ, the firstborn among many brethren; or their brother in the ministry, who was employed in the same business, and did the same work they did; or he is so called, on account of that strict and intimate friendship which subsisted between them, by virtue of which they stuck as close as brethren, or closer to one another than brethren usually do: “and minister of God;” Of his making, and not man's; of his calling and sending, and of his blessing and succeeding; and who…

“Wherefore when we could no longer forbear, etc.]” Or “bear”, as the word properly signifies; or “bear that”, as the Ethiopic version reads; that is, “that desire”, as the Arabic version renders it; that ardent and longing desire of seeing them again, expressed in the latter part of the preceding chapter; which was as fire in their bones, and was retained with great pain and uneasiness; but now they could hold it no longer, and like Jeremiah, (Jeremiah 20:9) were weary with forbearing, and could not stay; or it was like a burden, which they stood up under as long as they could, even Paul, Silas, and Timothy, but now it became insupportable: “we thought it good to be left at Athens alone:” That is,…

“For ye are our glory and joy.]” Or “our joy”, as the Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions read; this is a repetition, and a confirmation of what is before said; and signifies that these saints were then the glory of the apostles, being the seals of their ministry; and whom they gloried of and rejoiced in, and hoped and believed they would be such, as would be their joy and crown in time to come, and for ever.

“For what is our hope, or joy, etc.]” The apostle here gives a reason why they were so concerned at parting with the Thessalonians, and were so desirous of seeing them again, and attempted it so often, cause they were their “hope”; not the foundation of it, which was Christ; nor the thing hoped for, which was eternal life; nor the ground of their hope, which was the blood, righteousness, and sacrifice of Christ; but they were persons whom they hoped well of, and of whom their hope was steadfast; as of their election of God, of their redemption by Christ, of their effectual calling, of their perseverance in faith and holiness, notwithstanding all reproach and persecution; and of meeting the Lord, and being together…

“Wherefore we would have come unto you, etc.]” They not only had a will, and purposed in themselves, and entered into some resolutions to come unto them, but endeavoured to put them into execution: “even I Paul:” As well as Silas and Timothy; the latter of which had been with them, and the others had as good a will, and especially Paul: and that “once and again:” Or “once and twice” so the Jews used to speak jyynçw hnwçar μ[p, “one time and a second”; that is, several times: “but Satan hindered us.” The Syriac and Ethiopic versions read, “hindered me”; by moving the mob which rose at Thessalonica, to go to Berea, and disturb the apostle there; which obliged him, contrary to his will,…