Artists for Israel International · Online Exhibit

2 Timothy & Yiddishkait Iggeret Sheniyah el Timotheus — הָאִגֶּרֶת הַשְּׁנִיָּה אֶל טִימוֹתִיּוֹס

Shaul's last letter, written in chains awaiting execution to his talmid muvhak — a charge to guard the pikadon tov, to endure as a good chayal of Moshiach Yehoshua, to rightly divide the Devar HaEmet against the ittim kashim of the acharit hayamim, and to preach the word until the milchamah tovah is finished — read through its Tanakh-soaked vocabulary across four chapters, then set beside the Greek NT interlinear itself.

Soaked in Tanakh: Four Threads

Written from a Roman cell in the shadow of Shaul's own petirah, 2 Timothy is a tzavaah — a dying father's last charge to his ben in the emunah: guard the pikadon tov left with him, suffer as a good chayal, stand firm against the ittim kashim of the acharit hayamim armed only with the Kitvei HaKodesh, and preach the Devar until the milchamah tovah is finished and the keter tzedek laid up.

Emunah Lo Ne'ktzam — Unashamed of the Testimony

  • Timotheos remembered for the emunah unfeigned that dwelt first in savta Lois and em Eunice, and now in him — a matanah to be stirred up like a coal (1:3-6).
  • Elohim gave not a ruach of pachad, but of ko'ach, ahavah, and seichel tov; Shaul unashamed of the edut of Adoneinu nor of his own chains (1:7-8).
  • "Yode'a ani b'mi he'emanti" — I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded He is able to keep the pikadon against that Yom (1:9-14).

Chayal, Sport, v'Ikar — Soldier, Athlete & Farmer of Moshiach

  • Ben sheli, be strong in the chen in Moshiach Yehoshua; entrust what was heard to ne'emanim who shall teach others also (2:1-2).
  • Endure hardship as a good chayal, compete as a lawful athlete, labor as a first-partaking farmer — three pictures of a talmid's avodah (2:3-7).
  • "Ne'eman hadavar" — if we die with Him we shall live, if we suffer we shall reign; Timotheos charged to rightly divide the Devar HaEmet, a keli of kavod purged for the Master's use (2:8-21).

Ittim Kashim b'Acharit HaYamim — Perilous Times & the Kitvei HaKodesh

  • In the acharit hayamim, ittim kashim shall come — men holding a tzurat chassidut while denying its ko'ach, from whom Timotheos must turn away (3:1-9).
  • All who live godly in Moshiach Yehoshua shall suffer redifah, even as Shaul was delivered from all his own at Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra (3:10-13).
  • "Kol HaKatuv nishmah min Elohim" — all Scripture given by inspiration, able to make wise unto yeshuah and to thoroughly furnish the ish HaElohim unto every good ma'aseh (3:14-17).

Nilchamti HaMilchamah HaTovah — The Good Fight Finished

  • Charged before Elohim and Adoneinu Yehoshua Moshiach: hachrez et hadavar — preach the Word in season and out of season (4:1-5).
  • "Nilchamti hamilchamah hatovah, hishlamti et ha'merutz, shamarti ha'emunah" — the keter tzedek laid up, not for Shaul alone but for all who love His appearing (4:6-8).
  • Forsaken by Demas, comforted only by Luka; Adonai stood with him at his first defense and delivered him from the lion's mouth — final greetings sealed with "Chen be with thee" (4:9-22).

Reading Key — Testimony, Endurance, Warning & the Finished Fight

This exhibit reads 2 Timothy as Shaul's tzavaah to his talmid: a call to stir up the matanah and hold unashamed to the pikadon tov, to endure hardness as a chayal, sport, and ikar of Moshiach, to withstand the ittim kashim of the acharit hayamim armed with the Kitvei HaKodesh, and, at the very end, to hear a dying shaliach say the milchamah tovah is finished.

➤ Emunah Lo Ne'ktzam (ch. 1) — Unashamed testimony, the matanah stirred up, and the pikadon tov entrusted to a faithful keeper.

➤ Chayal Ne'eman (ch. 2) — The faithful soldier, athlete, and farmer; rightly dividing HaEmet as a keli of kavod.

➤ Ittim Kashim (ch. 3) — Perilous times foretold, and the Kitvei HaKodesh able to make wise unto yeshuah.

➤ Nilchamti Milchamah Tovah (ch. 4) — The charge to preach the Word, the fight finished, and Shaul's final greetings.

I. Emunah Lo Ne'ktzam Unashamed of the Testimony (ch. 1)

  1. 1Greeting — Shaul, shaliach of Moshiach Yehoshua by ratzon Elohim, according to the havtachah of chayim in Moshiach Yehoshua, to Timotheos, beloved ben 2Ti 1:1-2A dying shaliach's letter opens with the same havtachah of chayim he has preached all along.
  2. 2Thanks to Elohim, whom Shaul serves from his forefathers with pure conscience; night and day remembering Timotheos in his tefillos, longing to see him, filled with simchah at the thought 2Ti 1:3-4Prison does not dull a father's tefillah for his talmid, remembered with tears and simchah alike.
  3. 3Called to remembrance the emunah unfeigned that dwelt first in savta Lois and em Eunice, and Shaul is persuaded dwells also in Timotheos 2Ti 1:5Emunah shel Savta v'EmA three-generation emunah traced through savta, em, and now the ben himself.
  4. 4Stir up the matanah of Elohim given through the semichat yadai of Shaul; for Elohim gave not a ruach of pachad, but of ko'ach, ahavah, and seichel tov 2Ti 1:6-7Ruach Ko'ach v'AhavahThe matanah pictured as a coal needing to be fanned back into flame.
  5. 5Be not ashamed of the edut of Adoneinu, nor of Shaul His prisoner; but be partaker of the afflictions of the besurah according to the ko'ach of Elohim 2Ti 1:8Shame set opposite ko'ach — the two cannot occupy the same heart.
  6. 6Who saved us and called us with a kadosh kriah, not according to our ma'asim but according to His own purpose and chen, given us in Moshiach Yehoshua before olamim began, now manifest through the appearing of Moshiach Yehoshua, who abolished mavet and brought chayim v'lo-kalah to light through the besurah 2Ti 1:9-10Chayim v'Lo-KalahA kadosh kriah planned before olamim, unveiled only now through the besurah.
  7. 7Appointed a maggid, shaliach, and moreh of the Goyim; suffers these things, yet not ashamed, "ki yode'a ani b'mi he'emanti" 2Ti 1:11-12The famous line — yode'a ani b'mi he'emanti, I know whom I have believed.
  8. 8Hold fast the pattern of sound words heard from Shaul, in emunah and ahavah in Moshiach Yehoshua; guard the pikadon tov committed by the Ruach Hakodesh which dwells in us 2Ti 1:13-14Pikadon TovSound doctrine held as a pikadon tov, guarded by the Ruach Hakodesh Himself.
  9. 9All in Asia turned away from Shaul, among them Phygellus and Hermogenes 2Ti 1:15A blunt tally of desertion — even close to the end, not all remain ne'emanim.
  10. 10Chesed to the bais of Onesiphorus, who often refreshed Shaul and was not ashamed of his chain, but sought him out diligently in Rome and found him; may Adonai grant him rachamim in that Yom 2Ti 1:16-18Bais OnesiphorusOne faithful bayit named against the tide of the Asian desertion.

II. Chayal Ne'eman The Faithful Soldier & Rightly Dividing HaEmet (ch. 2)

  1. 11"Ben sheli, be strong in the chen that is in Moshiach Yehoshua"; the things heard from Shaul among many edim, commit to ne'emanim men able to teach others also 2Ti 2:1-2Chen b'Moshiach YehoshuaA chain of transmission — Shaul, edim, ne'emanim, and yet others still.
  2. 12Endure hardship as a good chayal of Yehoshua Moshiach; no chayal entangles himself with the affairs of this chayim, that he may please the one who chose him 2Ti 2:3-4The picture of the chayal — undivided loyalty to the one who enlisted him.
  3. 13If a man competes as an athlete, he is not crowned unless he competes lawfully; the ikar who labors must be first partaker of the fruits 2Ti 2:5-6Two more figures joining the chayal — the sport and the ikar, each bound by its own halachah.
  4. 14Consider what is said, and Adonai give thee binah in all things; remember Yehoshua Moshiach of the zera of David, raised from the mesim, according to Shaul's besurah 2Ti 2:7-8Zera DavidEvery figure of speech grounded again in the zera David, raised from the mesim.
  5. 15Suffers trouble as an evildoer, even unto bonds, but the dvar Elohim is not bound; endures all things for the elect's sake, that they too obtain the geulah in Moshiach Yehoshua with kavod olam 2Ti 2:9-10Shaul's own chains cannot bind the dvar Elohim itself.
  6. 16"Ne'eman hadavar" — if we died with Him we shall also live with Him; if we suffer we shall also reign with Him; if we deny Him He also will deny us; if we are unfaithful He remains ne'eman, for He cannot deny Himself 2Ti 2:11-13Ne'eman HadavarA four-line creedal hymn resting on Elohim's own ne'emanut, even beyond ours.
  7. 17Charge them before Adonai not to strive about words to no profit; be diligent to present thyself approved unto Elohim, an oved unashamed, rightly dividing the Devar HaEmet 2Ti 2:14-15The task named plainly — rightly dividing the Devar HaEmet, not merely arguing over it.
  8. 18Shun profane and vain babblings, which increase unto more resha — Hymenaeus and Philetus, erring, saying the tekumah is past already, overthrowing the emunah of some 2Ti 2:16-18A named torah zarah — claiming the tekumah already come and gone.
  9. 19Nevertheless the yesod of Elohim stands sure, having this chotam: "Adonai yode'a et asher lo," and, "let everyone who names the Shem Moshiach depart from avon" 2Ti 2:19Yesod ElohimA double chotam on the yesod — Adonai's own knowledge, and man's own separation from avon.
  10. 20In a great bayit are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and of clay, some to kavod, some to bizayon; a man purging himself becomes a keli of kavod, set apart, meet for the Master's use 2Ti 2:20-21Every keli in the bayit answers not to its material but to its purging.
  11. 21Flee also the ta'avot of ne'urim; follow tzedek, emunah, ahavah, shalom with those who call on Adonai out of a pure heart; avoid foolish and unlearned questions, which gender machloket 2Ti 2:22-23To flee and to follow named again as a single motion, not two separate tasks.
  12. 22The eved Adonai must not strive but be gentle to all, apt to teach, savlan, in anvah correcting those who oppose, if peradventure Elohim will grant them teshuvah unto the da'as ha'emet, and they recover themselves from the snare of HaSatan 2Ti 2:24-26Eved AdonaiCorrection itself reframed as an act of hoping for the opponent's own teshuvah.

III. Ittim Kashim Perilous Times in the Acharit HaYamim (ch. 3)

  1. 23Know this — in the acharit hayamim, ittim kashim shall come; men shall be lovers of themselves, lovers of kesef, boasters, ge'im, blasphemers, disobedient to horim, unthankful, unholy 2Ti 3:1-2Ittim KashimA catalog of decay opened with a single warning word — ittim kashim.
  2. 24Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, without self-control, fierce, despisers of tovim, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of ta'anugim more than lovers of Elohim 2Ti 3:3-4The list closes on a telling contrast — ta'anugim preferred over Elohim Himself.
  3. 25Having a tzurat chassidut, but denying the ko'ach thereof; from such turn away 2Ti 3:5Tzurat ChassidutThe whole list distilled into one line — a tzurah without ko'ach.
  4. 26Of this sort creep into houses, leading captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers ta'avot, ever learning and never able to come to the da'as ha'emet 2Ti 3:6-7Learning without arrival — endless limud that never reaches da'as ha'emet.
  5. 27As Yannes and Yambres withstood Moshe, so do these resist HaEmet, men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the emunah; but they shall proceed no further, their folly manifest to all 2Ti 3:8-9A Tanakh pair, Yannes v'Yambres, summoned as the ancient pattern of this resistance.
  6. 28Timotheos has fully known Shaul's doctrine, manner of chayim, purpose, emunah, savlanut, ahavah, endurance, persecutions, and afflictions at Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra — out of them all Adonai delivered him 2Ti 3:10-11Eidut ChayimShaul offers his own life as eidut — not only doctrine taught but chayim watched.
  7. 29All who will live godly in Moshiach Yehoshua shall suffer redifah; but evil men and seducers wax worse, deceiving and being deceived 2Ti 3:12-13Redifah named not as an exception but as the expected portion of a godly chayim.
  8. 30Continue in the things learned and been assured of, knowing from whom; from a child known the Kitvei HaKodesh, able to make wise unto yeshuah through emunah in Moshiach Yehoshua 2Ti 3:14-15Kitvei HaKodeshA childhood raised on the Kitvei HaKodesh named as the very root of Timotheos's emunah.
  9. 31"Kol HaKatuv nishmah min Elohim v'yo'il" — all Scripture given by inspiration of Elohim, profitable for limud, tochachah, correction, instruction in tzedek, that the ish HaElohim be shalem, thoroughly furnished unto every good ma'aseh 2Ti 3:16-17Kol HaKatuvThe chapter's summit — Kol HaKatuv given not to inform only but to furnish unto ma'asim.

IV. Nilchamti Milchamah Tovah The Good Fight Finished (ch. 4)

  1. 32Charge before Elohim and Adoneinu Yehoshua Moshiach, who shall judge the living and the dead at His appearing and malchut: hachrez et hadavar — be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all savlanut and doctrine 2Ti 4:1-2Hachrez Et HaDavarThe final charge opens with the shortest command of the letter — hachrez et hadavar, preach the word.
  2. 33A time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but heap to themselves morim after their own ta'avot, having itching ears, turning away from HaEmet unto fables 2Ti 4:3-4Itching ears seek not morim who teach but morim who agree.
  3. 34Watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of a maggid, make full proof of thy sherut 2Ti 4:5Malei SherutFour short commands, each demanding the fullness of a sherut nearly complete.
  4. 35"For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the emunah" — nilchamti hamilchamah hatovah; henceforth laid up a keter tzedek, which Adonai the righteous Shofet shall give at that Yom, and not to Shaul only but to all who love His appearing 2Ti 4:6-8Milchamah Tovah NishlemahThe most quoted lines of the letter: nilchamti hamilchamah hatovah, spoken by a man already counting himself as good as gone.
  5. 36Do thy diligence to come shortly; Demas forsook Shaul, having loved this olam, and departed to Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia; only Luka remains with him; bring Mark, for he is profitable to Shaul for the sherut 2Ti 4:9-11Names of departure and names of chesed listed side by side, without softening either.
  6. 37Tychicus sent to Ephesus; the cloak left at Troas with Carpus, bring when thou come, and the sefarim, especially the parchments 2Ti 4:12-13Even near petirah, a very human request — a cloak against the cold, and the sefarim he still wants to read.
  7. 38Alexander the coppersmith did Shaul much evil; Adonai reward him according to his ma'asim; beware of him also, for he greatly withstood Shaul's words 2Ti 4:14-15Judgment left in Adonai's hand rather than taken up by Shaul himself.
  8. 39At Shaul's first defense no man stood with him, all forsook him — may it not be laid to their account; but Adonai stood with him and strengthened him, that through him the hachrazah be fully known, and all the Goyim hear; delivered out of the mouth of the lion 2Ti 4:16-17Adonai Amad ImiHuman desertion answered plainly — Adonai amad imi, the Lord stood with me.
  9. 40"Adonai will deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto His heavenly malchut" — to Him be kavod l'olmei olamim, Amen 2Ti 4:18Malchut ShomayimA prisoner's confidence resting not on release from Rome but on entry into the malchut Shomayim.
  10. 41Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the bais of Onesiphorus; Erastus stayed at Corinth, Trophimus left sick at Miletum; greetings from Eubulus, Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the achim — "Chen be with thee. Amen." 2Ti 4:19-22The letter closes as it began — ordinary names, ordinary shalom, sealed once more with chen.

Read the Greek Text Itself

All four chapters of 2 Timothy, word for word, at the AFII Greek NT interlinear.

2Ti chp 1 chp 2 chp 3 chp 4