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InterlinearVerse GEN EXO LEV NUM DEU JOB JOS JDG RUTH 1 SAM 2 SAM PSA AMOS HOS 1 KI 2 KI 1 CHR 2 CHR PROV ECC SNG JOEL MIC ISA ZEP HAB JER LAM YNA (JNA) NAH OBA DAN EZE EZRA EST NEH HAG ZEC MAL LAO GES LES ESG DNG 2 PS TOB JDT WIS SIR BAR LJE PAZ SUS BEL MAN 1 MAC 2 MAC 3 MAC 4 MAC YHN (JHN) MARK MAT LUKE ACTs YAC (JAM) GAL 1 TH 2 TH 1 COR 2 COR ROM COL PHM EPH PHP 1 TIM TIT 1 PET 2 PET 2 TIM HEB YUD (JUD) 1 YHN (1 JHN) 2 YHN (2 JHN) 3 YHN (3 JHN) REV
Phm C1
Phm 1 V1 V2 V3 V4 V5 V6 V7 V8 V9 V10 V11 V12 V13 V14 V15 V16 V17 V18 V19 V20 V21 V23 V24 V25
OET (OET-LV) And together also be_preparing for_me a_lodging, because/for I_am_hoping that through the prayers of_you_all, I_will_be_being_granted to_you_all.
OET (OET-RV) Go ahead and prepare somewhere for me to stay, because I’m hoping that I’ll be able to visit, thanks to you all praying for me.
In verses 22–25 Paul wrote to the group of Christians who were with Philemon. So he used “you (plur)” in these verses as he did in verse 3. But in the main Sections of the letter (verses 4–21) he used “you (singular)” rather than “you (plur).” This is one thing that shows that verses 1–3 and verses 22–25 are separate from the other Sections of the letter. So verses 22–25, as a unit, are also a Section that is separate from the other parts of the letter.
After making his main point in the letter in verses 8–21, Paul finished the letter with a few final words in verses 22–25. He asked Philemon to prepare a guest room for him (verse 22), because he hoped that God would answer the prayers of the Christians at Colosse by allowing him to visit them again. Then Paul sent greetings to Philemon from five Christian friends who were there with Paul (verses 23–24). These peoples’ names are also in Colossians 4:10–14. Finally, Paul ended the letter with a Christian blessing (verse 25).
Read verses 22–25 carefully in the BSB and the GNT.
In this verse, Paul asked Philemon to get things ready for Paul to come and visit Philemon.
Read verse 22 again.
In the meantime, prepare a guest room for me,
¶ And another thing: Please get a room ready in your house for me to stay in,
¶ While I am asking you to do something kind for Onesimus, I ask you to do something else for me. Please prepare a room in your house for me so that I can stay with you as a guest,
In the meantime: You could translate the Greek words here: “At the same time.” For example:
At the same time that I am asking this favor for Onesimus, I will ask another favor for myself.
prepare a guest room for me: Paul was asking Philemon to prepare a place for him to stay at Colosse. This would be a place in Philemon’s house where Paul could sleep and where Philemon’s servants could cook food for him. Paul apparently thought that the people who had put him in prison would soon free him from prison.
because I hope that through your prayers I will be restored to you.
because I hope that God will answer your(plur) prayers and cause people to release me from prison and let me come and see you(plur) again.
I hope that through your prayers I will be restored to you: Paul was not simply saying that he wanted to go and see Philemon and the Colossian Christians. He was saying that someone else—probably God—would need to cause this to happen.
Here are two examples of a free translation of this part of verse 22:
I hope that God will make a way for me to become free so I can see you again.
I hope that God will cause those who imprisoned me to free me so I can see you again.
I hope: Paul did not say that he was sure the Roman leaders would free him, but he wanted and expected this to happen. Bible scholars do not know whether Paul ever went to Colosse again or if he ever saw Philemon again.
through your prayers: Paul knew that the Christians in Colosse were praying that he would be able to leave prison. So he was saying that, if he became free, it would be because God had answered their prayers.
restored to you: Paul hoped that the people who had put him in prison would release him, and that as a result, he would be able to visit the Colossians.
to you: Paul used you (plur) two times in this verse. So here again he was writing not only to Philemon but also to the Christians at Colosse who worshipped God in Philemon’s house.
Note 1 topic: headings
δὲ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἅμα Δέ καί ἑτοίμαζε μοί ξενίαν ἐλπίζω γάρ ὅτι διά τῶν προσευχῶν ὑμῶν χαρισθήσομαι ὑμῖν)
Here Paul closes his letter and gives final instruction to Philemon and a blessing on Philemon and on the believers that met for church in Philemon’s house. If you are using section headings, you could put one here before verse 22. Suggested heading: “Final Instruction and Blessing”
Note 2 topic: grammar-connect-time-simultaneous
ἅμα
together
The word translated at the same time indicates that Paul wants Philemon to do something else for him while he does the first thing. You can make this clear in your translation with an appropriate connecting word or phrase. Alternate translation: [while doing that] or [in addition to that]
χαρισθήσομαι ὑμῖν
˱I˲_˓will_be_being˒_granted ˱to˲_you_all
Alternate translation: [those who are keeping me in prison will set me free so that I can go to you.]
ἑτοίμαζέ μοι ξενίαν
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἅμα Δέ καί ἑτοίμαζε μοί ξενίαν ἐλπίζω γάρ ὅτι διά τῶν προσευχῶν ὑμῶν χαρισθήσομαι ὑμῖν)
The word translated guest room refers to any hospitality that is provided for a guest. So the kind of space is unspecified. Alternate translation: [also prepare a place in your house for me.]
διὰ τῶν προσευχῶν ὑμῶν
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἅμα Δέ καί ἑτοίμαζε μοί ξενίαν ἐλπίζω γάρ ὅτι διά τῶν προσευχῶν ὑμῶν χαρισθήσομαι ὑμῖν)
Alternate translation: [God will answer your prayers so]
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive
χαρισθήσομαι ὑμῖν.
˱I˲_˓will_be_being˒_granted ˱to˲_you_all
If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this explicitly with an active form. Alternate translation: [God will bring me back to you] or [those who are keeping me in prison will set me free so that I can come to you.]
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / you
ὑμῶν & ὑμῖν
˱of˲_you_all & ˱to˲_you_all
The words your and you here are plural, referring to Philemon and all the believers who met in his house.
1:22 Paul’s request for a guest room in anticipation of his visit reinforces his request that Philemon treat Onesimus kindly. At his coming, he would see how Onesimus had been treated.
OET (OET-LV) And together also be_preparing for_me a_lodging, because/for I_am_hoping that through the prayers of_you_all, I_will_be_being_granted to_you_all.
OET (OET-RV) Go ahead and prepare somewhere for me to stay, because I’m hoping that I’ll be able to visit, thanks to you all praying for me.
Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.
Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.
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