Philemon
Philemon 1:12–16
12I am sending back to you him who is my very heart.
13I would have liked to keep him with me, so that on your behalf he could minister to me in my chains for the gospel. 14But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that your goodness will not be out of compulsion, but by your own free will. 15For perhaps this is why he was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him back for good — 16no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a beloved brother. He is especially beloved to me, but even more so to you, both in person and in the Lord.
Word by word
Each English word or phrase beside the Greek it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.
Philemon 1:12
| English | Greek | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I am sending back | ἀνέπεμψά | anepempsa | Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular | G375 I send up to a higher tribunal, I send back |
| to you | σοι | soi | Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person Singular | G4771 you |
| him | αὐτόν | auton | Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular | G846 he, she, it, they, them, same |
| who | τοῦτ’ | tout’ | Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Neuter Singular | G3778 this, he, she, it |
| is | ἔστιν | estin | Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular | G1510 I am, exist |
| my | ἐμὰ | ema | Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative Neuter 1st Person Plural | G1699 mine |
| very heart | σπλάγχνα | splanchna | Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural | G4698 bowels, compassion, pity |
Philemon 1:13
| English | Greek | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | ἐγὼ | egō | Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person Singular | G1473 I |
| would have liked | ἐβουλόμην | eboulomēn | Verb - Imperfect Indicative Middle or Passive - 1st Person Singular | G1014 I will, intend, desire |
| to keep | κατέχειν | katechein | Verb - Present Infinitive Active | G2722 I hold fast, bind, restrain |
| with | πρὸς | pros | Preposition | G4314 to, towards, with |
| me | ἐμαυτὸν | emauton | Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 1st Person Singular | G1683 of myself |
| so that | ἵνα | hina | Conjunction | G2443 in order that, so that |
| on your behalf | σοῦ | sou | Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Singular | G4771 you |
| he could minister to | διακονῇ | diakonē | Verb - Present Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular | G1247 I wait at table, serve |
| me | μοι | moi | Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 1st Person Singular | G1473 I |
| in | ἐν | en | Preposition | G1722 in, on, among |
| chains | δεσμοῖς | desmois | Noun - Dative Masculine Plural | G1199 a bond, chain |
| for the | τοῦ | tou | Article - Genitive Neuter Singular | G3588 the |
| gospel | εὐαγγελίου | euangeliou | Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular | G2098 the good news, the gospel |
Philemon 1:14
| English | Greek | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| But | δὲ | de | Conjunction | G1161 but, on the other hand, and |
| I did | ἠθέλησα | ēthelēsa | Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular | G2309 I will, wish, desire |
| to do | ποιῆσαι | poiēsai | Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active | G4160 I do, make |
| without | Χωρὶς | Chōris | Preposition | G5565 apart from, without |
| your | σῆς | sēs | Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Feminine 2nd Person Singular | G4674 yours, thy, thine |
| consent | γνώμης | gnōmēs | Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular | G1106 opinion, counsel, judgment, intention |
| so that | ἵνα | hina | Conjunction | G2443 in order that, so that |
| your | σου | sou | Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Singular | G4771 you |
| goodness | ἀγαθόν | agathon | Adjective - Nominative Neuter Singular | G18 good |
| will not be | ᾖ | ē | Verb - Present Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular | G1510 I am, exist |
| out of | κατὰ | kata | Preposition | G2596 down from, against, according to, throughout, during |
| compulsion | ἀνάγκην | anankēn | Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular | G318 necessity, constraint, compulsion |
| but | ἀλλὰ | alla | Conjunction | G235 but, except |
| by | κατὰ | kata | Preposition | G2596 down from, against, according to, throughout, during |
| your own free will | ἑκούσιον | hekousion | Adjective - Accusative Neuter Singular | G1595 willing, voluntary, spontaneous |
Philemon 1:15
| English | Greek | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| For | γὰρ | gar | Conjunction | G1063 for |
| perhaps | τάχα | tacha | Adverb | G5029 quickly, perhaps |
| this is why | διὰ | dia | Preposition | G1223 through, on account of |
| he was separated | ἐχωρίσθη | echōristhē | Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular | G5563 I separate, depart |
| for | πρὸς | pros | Preposition | G4314 to, towards, with |
| a while | ὥραν | hōran | Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular | G5610 an hour, season |
| so that | ἵνα | hina | Conjunction | G2443 in order that, so that |
| you might have him back | ἀπέχῃς | apechēs | Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 2nd Person Singular | G568 I have in full, am far, it is enough |
| for good | αἰώνιον | aiōnion | Adjective - Accusative Masculine Singular | G166 eternal, unending |
Philemon 1:16
| English | Greek | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| no longer | οὐκέτι | ouketi | Adverb | G3765 no longer, no more |
| as | ὡς | hōs | Adverb | G5613 as, like as, how, while, so that |
| a slave | δοῦλον | doulon | Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular | G1401 a male slave |
| but | ἀλλὰ | alla | Conjunction | G235 but, except |
| better than | ὑπὲρ | hyper | Preposition | G5228 in behalf of, above |
| a slave | δοῦλον | doulon | Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular | G1401 a male slave |
| a beloved | ἀγαπητόν | agapēton | Adjective - Accusative Masculine Singular | G27 loved, beloved |
| brother | ἀδελφὸν | adelphon | Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular | G80 a brother |
| especially | μάλιστα | malista | Adverb | G3122 most of all, especially |
| to me | ἐμοί | emoi | Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 1st Person Singular | G1473 I |
| but | δὲ | de | Conjunction | G1161 but, on the other hand, and |
| even more so | πόσῳ | posō | Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Dative Neuter Singular | G4214 how much, how great, how many |
| to you | σοὶ | soi | Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person Singular | G4771 you |
| both | καὶ | kai | Conjunction | G2532 and, even, also, namely |
| in | ἐν | en | Preposition | G1722 in, on, among |
| person | σαρκὶ | sarki | Noun - Dative Feminine Singular | G4561 flesh, body |
| and | καὶ | kai | Conjunction | G2532 and, even, also, namely |
| in | ἐν | en | Preposition | G1722 in, on, among |
| Lord | Κυρίῳ | Kyriō | Noun - Dative Masculine Singular | G2962 lord, Lord, master, sir |
Cross-references
Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.
Philemon 1:12 Matthew 6:14–15 · Ephesians 4:32 · Mark 11:25 · Luke 15:20 · Jeremiah 31:20 · Matthew 18:21–35
Philemon 1:13 Ephesians 3:1 · Philippians 1:7 · 1 Corinthians 16:17
Philemon 1:14 2 Corinthians 9:7 · 1 Peter 5:2–3 · 1 Chronicles 29:17
Philemon 1:15 Genesis 50:20 · Genesis 45:5–8
Philemon 1:16 Matthew 23:8 · Colossians 3:22 · 1 Corinthians 7:22 · 1 Timothy 6:2 · Ephesians 6:5–7 · 1 Peter 1:22–23
Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.
Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.