Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ephesians 6:22
Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that ye might know our affairs, and [that] he might comfort your hearts.
22. I have sent ] Lit., “ I did send.” The aorist is “epistolary”; it speaks from the time of the arrival, not the sending, of the messenger. Cp. 2Co 8:18; 2Co 8:22; Php 2:28; Col 4:8 (where see Lightfoot’s note); Phm 1:12, &c.
our affairs ] The circumstances of St Paul and his fellow Christians at Rome. There are passages (see esp. 1Th 3:1-2) where he obviously uses “we” in the sense of “I”; but this is not likely here, in view of the “how I do,” just before (Eph 6:22).
comfort ] The word is rendered “beseech,” Eph 4:1, above, where see note. By derivation and usage it has more in it of exhortation than consolation; though the two ideas run often into one another. “Comfort” by derivation ( confortatio) means rightly, “strengthening.” If this is borne in mind, the A.V. gives a true interpretation.
your hearts ] See, for collocation of the words “heart” and “comfort,” Col 2:2; Col 4:8 ; 2Th 2:17.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Whom I have sent unto you – The churches where Paul had preached, would feel a great interest in his welfare. He was a prisoner at Rome, and it was doubtful what the result would be. In this situation, he felt it proper to despatch a special messenger to give information about his condition; to state what was doing in Rome; to ask the prayers of the churches; and to administer consolation to them in their various trials. The same sentiment in regard to the embassy of Tychicus, is expressed in the Epistle to the Colossians, Col 4:7-8. No small part of the consolation which he would impart to them would be found in these invaluable letters which he bore to them from the apostle.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 22. Whom I have sent – for the same purpose] Namely, that the Ephesians might know his affairs, and those of the Church at Rome: messengers of this kind frequently passed between the Churches in those ancient times.
Comfort your hearts.] By showing you how powerfully he was upheld in all his tribulations, and how God turned his bonds to the furtherance of the Gospel. This must have been great consolation to all the followers of God; and particularly to those in Ephesus or Laodicea, or to whomsoever the epistle was directed. The question, To whom was it sent? is divided between the Ephesians and the Laodiceans. Dr. Lardner has argued strongly in favour of the former; Dr. Paley not less so in favour of the latter.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
That ye might not faint at my tribulations, Eph 3:13. It might be a comfort to them to hear that Paul was well used, (setting aside his bonds), and had liberty to preach to those that came to him.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
22. for the same purposeGreek,“for this very purpose.” Col4:8 is almost word for word the same as this verse.
our affairsGreek,“the things concerning us,” namely, concerning myself.”Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, and Marcus, sister’s son toBarnabas” (Col 4:10).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose,…. Which shows the great concern the apostle had for the churches, being willing to inform them of everything that might be for their use and service:
that ye might know our affairs; temporal and spiritual, and not only the apostle’s affairs, but the affairs of those that were with him, who were concerned in the same common cause:
and [that] he might comfort your hearts; both by such a relation, and by the ministry of the Gospel to them: believers in Christ are sometimes disconsolate, by reason of indwelling sin, Satan’s temptations, the hidings of God’s face, afflictions and persecutions, their own sufferings, and those of others; and it is the business of the ministers of Christ to comfort them; their commission is to speak comfortably to them; and they are qualified for it, by inward comforts in their own souls; the Gospel they preach, and the message they bring, is of a comfortable nature; the Spirit of God acts by them, and with them as a comforter; and sad indeed is the state of Zion, or the church of Christ, when it has no comforters.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
That ye may know ( ). Second aorist active subjunctive of . Just as in Col 4:8 he had not written in verse 21.
Our state ( ). “The things concerning us,” practically the same as ‘ of verse 21. See both phrases in Col 4:7; Col 4:8.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
1) “Whom I have sent” (hon epempsa) “Whom I have sent, with his consent, willingness, or readiness.” Tychicus here is identified as having been sent to the Colossians as well as to the Ephesians and for the specific purpose of exchanging information of or pertaining to the churches and brethren, Col 4:7-9.
2) “Unto you for the same purpose” (pros humas eis auto touto) “To you all for this very or specific purpose.
3) “That ye might know our affairs” (hina gnote ta peri hemon) “I order that you all might know about the things concerning us,” concerning Paul, Tychicus, and Luke, Paul’s physician, and other Christians of the church in Rome, their experiences, testimonies, and needs.
4) “And that he might comfort your hearts” (kai parakalese tas kardias hemon) “And in order that he might comfort your hearts.” What a gesture!! What a spirit!! Even in prison Paul was interested in the comfort, hope, assurance, and welfare of the Ephesian brethren, a continent away, See 2Co 1:3-4; 2Co 1:6; 2Co 7:13.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(22) Whom I have sent unto you.This verse corresponds word for word with Col. 4:8, being a quasi-official statement of Tychicus commission. The words that he might comfort (or, encourage) your hearts, although they might apply generally to all messengers from an Apostle, may probably be best explained by reference to the tone of the Epistle to the Philippiansin which St. Paul shows so much affectionate anxiety lest his converts should be disheartened by his continued imprisonmentand to the exhortation in this Epistle not to faint at his tribulations for them (Eph. 3:13).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
22. Comfort your hearts Assuring you that, though in bonds, I am still an undiscouraged ambassador.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
22. Peace The eastern salam imbued with the gospel spirit.
The brethren In an unusual third person.
Love Not merely pagan nor Jewish, but imbued with faith in Christ; such love, therefore, as none but his faithful possess. These, that is, the power for these, must be from God; their exercise must be from us. They are from God the Father, as the primal source; and from Christ, medium and channel.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Eph 6:22 . ] namely, that he should travel from Colossae to you, Col 4:7-9 . See Introd. 2.
] in this very design . See on Eph 6:18 , and Bornemann, ad Xen. Mem. iii. 12. 2; Pflugk, ad Eur. Androm. 41.
] must on account of necessarily convey the same thing as was said by , , Eph 6:21 ; hence the conjecture of Rckert, , is entirely baseless; and at Col 4:8 also we have, in accordance with preponderant evidence, to read .
By Paul means himself and those that are with him (see Col 4:10 ff.; Phm 1:10 f., Phm 1:23 ff.), concerning whom information was likewise reserved for the report of Tychicus.
] might comfort . For Tychicus had to tell of sufferings and afflictions which Paul must needs endure (comp. Eph 6:20 ), and on account of them the readers were called , Eph 3:13 . Amplifications of the notion (Rckert: “to elevate by address to them of every kind;” Baumgarten-Crusius: to strengthen ; comp. Estius, who proposes exhortetur ) are arbitrary.
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
22 Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that ye might know our affairs, and that he might comfort your hearts.
Ver. 22. Comfort your hearts ] It is God that comforts by the creatures, as by conduit pipes. The air yields light as an instrument; the water may heat, but not of itself. When a potion is given in beer, the beer of itself doth not work, but the potion by the beer. So in this case.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Eph 6:22 . : whom I have sent unto you for this very purpose . , in idiomatic English = “I have written,” but literally = “I did write”. If it were certain that the Epistle to the Colossians preceded that to the Ephesians, that the special mission on which Tychicus was sent with Onesimus to Coloss took place before Paul wrote the Epistle to the Ephesians, and that he found some opportunity of forwarding the latter Epistle also in the course of Tychicus’s journey, the would have its usual aorist sense, referring to a past act. Failing this, it must be taken as an instance of the epistolary aor., the mission being coincident with the writing of the letter, but contemplated from the view-point of the recipients of the letter, to whom it was a thing of the past. The epistolary aor. certainly occurs in Latin, in the use of scripsi , etc. ( cf. Madvig, Gr. , 345). How far its use extends in the NT is still a moot question, some finding many cases, e.g. , in Gal 6:11 ; Phm 1:19 ; Phm 1:21 ; 1Pe 5:12 ; 1Jn 2:14 ; 1Jn 2:21 ; 1Jn 2:26 ; 1Jn 5:13 ; , Heb 13:22 ; , in 2Co 8:18 ; 2Co 8:22 ; Eph 6:22 ; Col 4:8 ; Phi 2:28 ; Phm 1:11 , etc.; while others ( e.g. , Blass) restrict it to in Act 23:30 ; Phi 2:28 ; Col 4:8 ; Phm 1:11 , etc. ( cf. Win.-Moult., p. 347; Blass, Gram. of N. T. Greek , p. 194; Lightf. on Gal 4:11 ; Col 4:8 ; Ell. on Gal 4:11 . : that ye may know our state . will naturally have the same sense as the , the including Paul’s companions with himself. It is well rendered “our state” by the RV; “our affairs” by the AV. The information regarding Paul and his friends would not be confined to the letter, but would be given no doubt also by Tychicus by word of mouth. : and that he may comfort your hearts . means most frequently either to exhort or (in later Greek as well as in the NT) to beseech . Rarely in non-biblical Greek has it the sense of comforting or encouraging ; but in the LXX it represents , and in the NT it has these senses, and also once that of instructing (Tit 1:9 ). Here it means to comfort , or to encourage ; probably the former, with respect both to Paul’s troubles already mentioned (Eph 3:13 above) and their own.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
have sent = sent. App-174.
the same = this very.
might = may.
know. App-132.
our affairs = the things concerning (App-104.) us.
comfort. Greek. parakaleo. App-134.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Eph 6:22. , to you) afar off.-, might comfort) lest ye should take offence at my bonds.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Eph 6:22
Eph 6:22
whom I have sent unto you for this very purpose, that ye may know our state, and that he may comfort your hearts.-[This serves to explain the absence of personal remembrances, allusions, and messages in this epistle. Tychicus, in whom Paul had full confidence, would deliver them all by word of mouth. The concluding words show that it was not to gratify any personal feeling that Paul directed Tychicus to make this communication; but knowing how much they felt for him, he believed it would be a comfort to hear how he fared. To pagans, imprisonment was always dreadful; it was well for them to know how Christians could glory in tribulations. (Rom 5:3). Tychicus, the beloved brother, was well fitted to apply this comforting view of his state.]
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Phi 2:19, Phi 2:25, Col 4:7, Col 4:8, 1Th 3:2, 2Th 2:17
Reciprocal: Act 20:12 – were 1Co 14:3 – comfort 1Co 14:31 – all may be
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
(Eph 6:22.) , , -Whom I have sent unto you for this very reason, that ye might know our affairs, and that he might comfort your hearts. The verb might bear the translation, I send. Php 2:28; Winer, 40, 5, 2. The phrase is a common idiom, and the apostle includes himself among others who were identified with him and his position in Rome. There is plain reference in the last clause to Eph 3:13. The different readings in these two verses principally refer to the position and order of some of the words. Now comes the farewell-
Fuente: Commentary on the Greek Text of Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians and Phillipians
Eph 6:22. Tychicus was near Paul much of the time and was acquainted with the state of affairs concerning the apostle. He could comfort the hearts of the brethren by the information that Paul was standing firm in his faith.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Eph 6:22. Whom I sent. The sending would be a past act, when the letter was received. Meyer says, sent from Colosse, but the same phrase occurs in Col 4:8, so that nothing can be inferred as to the priority of writing, or in delivering the letters.
For this very purpose, namely, that ye may know the things respecting us. This phrase merely extends the circle: the situation, not merely of the Apostle, but of his companions also (Col 4:10-14; Phm 1:10; Phm 1:23-24). Paul does not send these merely in his own interest (Braune). Comp. Col 4:9, where the reading is in doubt.
And that he may comfort your hearts. This may refer to their need of consolation in view of the imprisonment of the Apostle; it is better, however, owing to our ignorance of the exact state of the Church, to leave the precise reference undefined, and to extend it generally to all particulars in which they needed it (Ellicott). It is evident that the Apostle sought to maintain fellowship among the churches by sending such messengers, to give such intelligence as would strengthen the hearts of the distant brethren. The press in these days does much of this duty, but communication through beloved brethren will always remain an essential part of wider Christian fellowship.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that ye might know our affairs, and [that] he might comfort your hearts.
This is the purpose of his visit, but while he is there he will comfort your hearts. This may have been a comfort from the information from Paul, or from his own ministry to the people. Just hearing his report of Paul would have been a comfort, but it seems that a person’s presence can be a further comfort – one that has recently been with Paul.
When people die in war it always seems to be a real comfort to meet and talk with someone that was with the loved one that has died. I am sure that Tychicus was a comfort as well as his message.