Artists for Israel International · Online Exhibit

2 Thessalonians & Yiddishkait Iggeret Sheniyah el HaTessalonikim — הָאִגֶּרֶת הַשְּׁנִיָּה אֶל הַתַּסְלוֹנִיקִים

Shaul's follow-up letter — steadying a kehillah unsettled by rumors of the Day already come, unveiling the Ish HaChatah and the mystery of lawlessness now restrained, and closing with a father's plain charge: stand fast in the mesorah, and let no man among you eat bread who will not work.

Soaked in Tanakh: Four Threads

Written soon after the first letter to steady a kehillah shaken by a false report that the Yom Hashem had already come, 2 Thessalonians is Shaul's most apocalyptic and most practical epistle at once — a vision of the Ish HaChatah unveiled, and a plain command that no idle brother eat bread he did not labor for.

Malchut Elohim u'Mishpat Tzedek — Kingdom of G-d & Righteous Judgment

  • Their savlanut (patience) and emunah amid persecution are a manifest token of the righteous mishpat of Elohim, that they be counted worthy of His Malchut (1:4-5).
  • It is a righteous thing with Elohim to repay tribulation to those who trouble them, and rest to the afflicted at the giluy of Adon Yehoshua from Shomayim (1:6-7).
  • Those who know not Elohim and obey not the besurah are punished with everlasting chorban (destruction) from His presence and the glory of His koach (1:8-9).

Ish HaChatah u'Sod HaRishah — The Man of Sin & the Mystery of Lawlessness

  • That Day cannot come until the falling away comes first, and the Ish HaChatah, the Ben HaAvedon, is revealed (2:3).
  • He exalts himself above all called Elohim, sitting in the Beis HaMikdash showing himself as Elohim — yet the sod harishah (mystery of lawlessness) already works while one now restrains (2:4-7).
  • The Lawless One is consumed by the ruach of Adon's mouth and destroyed by the zohar (brightness) of His coming, after working among those who perish through a strong delusion sent because they loved not the emes (2:8-11).

Bechirah u'Chizuk BaEmes — Election & Establishment in Truth

  • Thanksgiving that Elohim chose them from the beginning to yeshuah through kedushat HaRuach and emunah of the emes (2:13).
  • Called by the besurah to obtain the kavod of Adoneinu Yehoshua HaMoshiach; charged to stand fast and hold the mesorot taught, whether by word or epistle (2:14-15).
  • Prayer that Adoneinu Yehoshua and Elohim Avinu, who gave everlasting nechamah and good tikvah through chesed, comfort their hearts and establish them in every good word and work (2:16-17).

Seder Kehillah u'Avodah — Order in the Kehillah & the Dignity of Labor

  • Command in the Shem of Adoneinu Yehoshua HaMoshiach to withdraw from every brother walking b'lo seder (disorderly), not after the mesorah received (3:6).
  • Shaul's own example: labor and travail night and day, not eating bread free of charge, though possessing the right to do otherwise (3:7-9).
  • The plain charge — "if any would not work, neither should he eat" — and the closing word not to be weary in doing good (3:10-13).

Reading Key — Judgment, Revelation, Comfort & Order

This exhibit reads 2 Thessalonians as Shaul's corrective letter: patience under persecution answered by righteous judgment, a false report about the Day answered by the unveiling of the Ish HaChatah, anxious hearts answered by the certainty of their election, and a disorderly few answered by a father's plain command to work.

➤ Giluy Adoneinu b'Aish Lohetet (ch. 1) — The revelation of Adon Yehoshua in flaming fire, repaying the afflicted and the afflicters alike.

➤ Ish HaChatah v'Sod HaRishah (ch. 2) — The man of sin unveiled, the restrainer removed, and the certainty of their election in the emes.

➤ Seder, Avodah v'Savlanut (ch. 3) — Prayer for deliverance, confidence in the Adon, and the command to work quietly and not grow weary.

I. Giluy Adoneinu b'Aish Lohetet The Revelation of Our Lord in Flaming Fire (ch. 1)

  1. 1Greeting — Shaul, Sylvanus and Timotheos to the kehillah of the Thessalonians in Elohim Avinu and Adon Yehoshua HaMoshiach; grace and shalom 2Th 1:1-2Chen v'shalom sent again to the same young kehillah, now unsettled and in need of a steadying word.
  2. 2Bound to thank Elohim always for you, for your emunah grows exceedingly and the ahavah of every one of you toward each other abounds 2Th 1:3Growing Faith & LoveEmunah and ahavah not stagnant but abounding — growth as its own testimony.
  3. 3Shaul boasts of them among the kehillot of Elohim for their savlanut and emunah in all persecutions and tribulations endured 2Th 1:4Their savlanut (patience) becomes a testimony carried to other kehillot.
  4. 4A manifest token of the righteous mishpat of Elohim, that they be counted worthy of the Malchut Elohim for which they also suffer 2Th 1:5Suffering itself read as evidence they are counted worthy of the Malchut (Kingdom).
  5. 5A righteous thing with Elohim to repay tribulation to those who trouble them 2Th 1:6The mishpat tzedek (righteous judgment) of Elohim answers affliction with affliction.
  6. 6Rest with us at the giluy of Adon Yehoshua from Shomayim with His mighty angels, in flaming fire 2Th 1:7Giluy in Flaming FireThe giluy (revelation) of Adon pictured as fire — rest for the afflicted, reckoning for the rest.
  7. 7Taking vengeance on those who know not Elohim and obey not the besurah of Adoneinu Yehoshua 2Th 1:8Nekamah (vengeance) reserved for those who never received the besurah at all.
  8. 8Punished with everlasting chorban from the presence of the Adon and from the glory of His koach 2Th 1:9Everlasting ChorbanA chorban (destruction) defined precisely as exile from His presence, not mere annihilation.
  9. 9When He comes to be glorified in His kedoshim and admired in all who believe, because our testimony among you was believed, in that Day 2Th 1:10Adon's kavod reflected in His kedoshim (holy ones) — them included, in that Day.
  10. 10Prayer: our Elohim would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of emunah with power, that the Shem of Adoneinu Yehoshua be glorified in you 2Th 1:11-12Prayer for WorthinessA tefillah that their ma'aseh emunah glorify the Shem of Adoneinu, and them in Him.

II. Ish HaChatah v'Sod HaRishah The Man of Sin & the Mystery of Lawlessness (ch. 2)

  1. 11Beseech them concerning the coming of Adoneinu Yehoshua HaMoshiach and our gathering to Him: be not soon shaken in mind or troubled by ruach, word, or letter as from us, saying the Yom Hashem is at hand 2Th 2:1-2Not Soon ShakenA false report claiming the Yom Hashem already come — countered before it can spread further.
  2. 12Let no man deceive you; that Day comes not except the falling away come first, and the Ish HaChatah be revealed, the Ben HaAvedon 2Th 2:3Ish HaChatah RevealedThe Ish HaChatah (man of sin) and Ben HaAvedon (son of perdition) named as prerequisites, not present realities.
  3. 13He opposes and exalts himself above all called Elohim or worshipped, sitting in the Beis HaMikdash of Elohim, showing himself to be Elohim 2Th 2:4Blasphemy enthroned in the very Beis HaMikdash itself.
  4. 14Reminds them he told them these things when with them; they know what withholds, that he be revealed in his own season 2Th 2:5-6A restraint already known to them, taught in person and now recalled by letter.
  5. 15The sod harishah already works; only he who now restrains will restrain until taken out of the way 2Th 2:7The sod harishah (mystery of lawlessness) at work even now, held back by an unnamed restrainer.
  6. 16Then the Lawless One revealed, whom the Adon consumes with the ruach of His mouth and destroys with the zohar of His coming 2Th 2:8Consumed by His BreathDestroyed not by armies but by the mere ruach (breath) of Adon's mouth.
  7. 17The coming of the Lawless One is after the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and deception of unrighteousness in those who perish, because they received not the ahavah of the emes to be saved 2Th 2:9-10Otot sheker (lying wonders) that succeed only where ahavat emes was never received.
  8. 18Elohim sends them strong delusion to believe the sheker, that all be judged who believed not the emes but had pleasure in unrighteousness 2Th 2:11-12Strong DelusionA mesiah (delusion) permitted by Elohim as judgment on a prior refusal of the emes.
  9. 19Bound to give thanks always for you, beloved of the Adon, because Elohim chose you from the beginning to yeshuah through kedushat HaRuach and emunah of the emes 2Th 2:13Chosen from the BeginningBechirah (election) set deliberately against the delusion just described — the answer to their fear.
  10. 20Called by our besurah, to obtain the kavod of Adoneinu Yehoshua HaMoshiach 2Th 2:14The same besurah that called them now aims them toward kavod (glory) shared with Adon.
  11. 21Stand fast, and hold the mesorot taught, whether by word or by our epistle 2Th 2:15The mesorah (tradition) received in person carries the same weight as the written word.
  12. 22Prayer: Adoneinu Yehoshua HaMoshiach Himself, and Elohim Avinu who loved us and gave everlasting nechamah and good tikvah through chesed, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work 2Th 2:16-17Established in Every Good WorkNechamah and chizuk sought not for comfort's own sake but to establish ma'aseh tov (good work).

III. Seder, Avodah v'Savlanut Order, Labor & Patient Endurance (ch. 3)

  1. 23Finally, pray for us, that the word of the Adon have free course and be glorified, even as with you, and that we be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men, for all men have not emunah 2Th 3:1-2A request for tefillah that names plainly that not all who hear have emunah.
  2. 24The Adon is ne'eman, who will establish you and guard you from the Rah 2Th 3:3Adon Is FaithfulWhere men prove unreliable, the Adon Himself is ne'eman (faithful).
  3. 25Confidence in the Adon that you both do and will do the things we command; Adon direct your hearts into the ahavah of Elohim and the savlanut of Moshiach 2Th 3:4-5A blessing that binds ahavah and savlanut together as the pair to be formed in them.
  4. 26Command in the Shem of Adoneinu Yehoshua HaMoshiach to withdraw from every brother walking b'lo seder, not after the mesorah received 2Th 3:6Withdraw from DisorderA formal charge to distance the kehillah from those walking b'lo seder (disorderly).
  5. 27They know how to imitate us; we behaved not disorderly among you, nor ate bread free of charge, but worked with labor and travail night and day, not to be chargeable to any of you, though possessing the right otherwise 2Th 3:7-9Shaul's own avodah (labor) offered as the pattern, not merely the command.
  6. 28Even when with you, we commanded this: if any would not work, neither should he eat 2Th 3:10If Any Won't WorkA plain rule already given in person, now repeated in writing so none can claim ignorance.
  7. 29Hear that some walk disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies; such we command and exhort to work in quietness and eat their own bread 2Th 3:11-12Idleness named specifically as revachim (busybodying), not innocent leisure.
  8. 30Brothers, be not weary in doing good 2Th 3:13A short word — lo tityaish la'asot tov — set beside the harder command just given, lest correction curdle into coldness.
  9. 31If any obey not our word by this epistle, note that man and keep no company with him, that he be ashamed; yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish as a brother 2Th 3:14-15Admonish as a BrotherDiscipline aimed at boshet (shame that restores), never at severing him from the family.
  10. 32The Adon of shalom Himself give you shalom always by all means; the Adon be with you all 2Th 3:16Shalom invoked as the closing word over a letter that has named real conflict in the kehillah.
  11. 33The salutation of Shaul with his own hand, the token in every epistle; so I write. Grace of Adoneinu Yehoshua HaMoshiach be with you all 2Th 3:17-18Shaul's Own HandA personal siman (mark) in Shaul's own handwriting, guarding the kehillah against any future forged letter.

Read the Greek Text Itself

All three chapters of 2 Thessalonians, word for word, at the AFII Greek NT interlinear.

2Th chp 1 chp 2 chp 3