1 Thessalonians 5 · Verse 9

1 Thessalonians 5:9

For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
1 Thessalonians 5:9, King James Version

1 Thessalonians 5:9 in other translations

BSBFor God has not appointed us to suffer wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.
WEBFor God didn’t appoint us to wrath, but to the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
ASVFor God appointed us not unto wrath, but unto the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
YLTbecause God did not appoint us to anger, but to the acquiring of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
DARBYbecause God has not set us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
BBEFor God's purpose for us is not wrath, but salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
WebsterFor God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

What does 1 Thessalonians 5:9 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
9. For--assigning the ground of our "hopes" (1Th 5:8). appointed us--Translate, "set" (Ac 13:47), in His everlasting purpose of love (1Th 3:3; 2Ti 1:9). Contrast Ro 9:22; Jude 4. to--that is, unto wrath. to obtain--Greek, "to the acquisition of salvation"; said, according to Bengel, Of One saved out of a general wreck, when all things else have been lost: so of the elect saved out of the multitude of the lost (2Th 2:13, 14). The fact of God's "appointment" of His grace "through Jesus Christ" (Ep 1:5), takes away the notion of our being able to "acquire" salvation of ourselves. Christ "acquired (so the Greek for 'purchased') the Church (and its salvation) with His own blood" (Ac 20:28); each member is said to be appointed by God to the "acquiring of salvation." In the primary sense, God does the work; in the secondary sense, man does it.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 9. For God hath not appointed us to wrath. This is designed as an encouragement to effort to secure our salvation. The wish of God is to save us, and therefore we should watch and be sober; we should take to ourselves the whole of the Christian armour, and strive for victory. If he had appointed us to wrath, effort would have been in vain, for we could do nothing but yield to our inevitable destiny. The hope of a final triumph should animate us in our efforts, and cheer us in our struggles with our foes. How much does the hope of victory animate the soldier in battle! When morally certain of success, how his arm is nerved! When everything conspires to favour him, and when he seems to feel that God fights for him, and intends to give him the victory, how his heart exults, and how strong is he in battle! Hence, it was a great point among the ancients, when about entering into battle, to secure evidence that the gods favoured them, and meant to give them the victory. For this purpose they offered sacrifices, and consulted the flight of birds and the entrails of animals; and for this armies were accompanied by soothsayers and priests, that they might interpret any signs which might occur that would be favourable, or to propitiate the favour of the gods by sacrifice. See Homer, passim; Arrian's Expedition of Alexander, and the classic writers generally. The apostle alludes to something of this kind here. He would excite us to maintain the Christian warfare manfully, by the assurance that God intends that we shall be triumphant. This we are to learn by no conjectures of soothsayers; by no observation of the flight of birds; by no sacrifice which we can make to propitiate his favour; but by the unerring assurance of his holy word. If we are Christians, we know that he intends our salvation, and that victory will be ours; if we are willing to become Christians, we know that the almighty Arm will be stretched out to aid us, and that the "gates of hell" cannot prevent it.

(d) "appointed us to wrath" Rom 9:8,9, 2co 5:15

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath - So then it appears that some were appointed to wrath, εις οργην, to punishment; on this subject there can be no dispute. But who are they? When did this appointment take place? And for what cause? These are supposed to be "very difficult questions, and such as cannot receive a satisfactory answer; and the whole must be referred to the sovereignty of God." If we look carefully at the apostle's words, we shall find all these difficulties vanish. It is very obvious that, in the preceding verses, the apostle refers simply to the destruction of the Jewish polity, and to the terrible judgments which were about to fall on the Jews as a nation; therefore, they are the people who were appointed to wrath; and they were thus appointed, not from eternity, nor from any indefinite or remote time, but from that time in which they utterly rejected the offers of salvation made to them by Jesus Christ and his apostles; the privileges of their election were still continued to them, even after they had crucified the Lord of glory; for, when he gave commandment to his disciples to go into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature, he bade them begin at Jerusalem. They did so, and continued to offer salvation to them, till at last, being everywhere persecuted, and the whole nation appearing with one consent to reject the Gospel, the kingdom of God was wholly taken away from them, and the apostles turned to the Gentiles. Then God appointed them to wrath; and the cause of that appointment was their final and determined rejection of Christ and his Gospel. But even this appointment to wrath does not signify eternal damnation; nothing of the kind is intended in the word. Though we are sure that those who die in their sins can never see God, yet it is possible that many of those wretched Jews, during their calamities, and especially during the siege of their city, did turn unto the Lord who smote them, and found that salvation which he never denies to the sincere penitent. When the Jews were rejected, and appointed to wrath, then the Gentiles were elected, and appointed to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, whose Gospel they gladly received, and continue to prize; while the remnant of the Jews continue, in all places of their dispersion, the same irreconcilable and blasphemous opponents of the Gospel of Christ. On these accounts the election of the Gentiles and the reprobation of the Jews still continue.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Thessalonians 5:6-11

Most of mankind do not consider the things of another world at all, because they are asleep; or they do not consider them aright, because they sleep and dream. Our moderation as to all earthly things should be known to all men. Shall Christians, who have the light of the blessed gospel shining in their faces, be careless about their souls, and unmindful of another world? We need the spiritual armour, or the three…

Read the full comment on 1 Thessalonians 5:6-11 →

1 Thessalonians 5:9 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ὅτιhotibecauseG3754
οὐκouknotG3756
ἔθετοethetohas destinedG5087
ἡμᾶςhēmasusG3165
ὁho<the>G3588
θεὸςtheosGodG2316
εἰςeisforG1519
ὀργὴνorgēnwrathG3709
ἀλλ᾽all᾽butG235
εἰςeisforG1519
περιποίησινperipoiēsinobtainingG4047
σωτηρίαςsōtēriassalvationG4991
διὰdiathroughG1223
τοῦtoutheG3588
κυρίουkuriouLordG2962
ἡμῶνhēmōnof usG3165
ἸησοῦIēsouJesusG2424
ΧριστοῦChristouChristG5547

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 1 Thessalonians 5:9

  • 1 Thessalonians 1:10

    And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

  • 1 Peter 2:10

    Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

  • 2 Timothy 2:10

    Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.

  • Acts 13:48

    And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

  • Proverbs 16:4

    The Lord hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

  • 1 Thessalonians 3:3

    That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto.

  • Romans 9:11-23

    (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. …

  • 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14

    But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

  • 1 Peter 2:8

    And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

  • 1 Timothy 1:16

    Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

  • Exodus 9:16

    And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.

  • 1 Timothy 1:13

    Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
not.
1:10; 3:3; Ex 9:16; Pr 16:4; Eze 38:10-17; Mt 26:24; Ac 1:20,25
Ac 13:48; Ro 9:11-23; 2Ti 2:19,20; 1Pe 2:8; 2Pe 2:3; Jude 1:4
obtain.
Ro 11:7,30; 2Th 2:13,14; 1Ti 1:13,16; 2Ti 2:10; 1Pe 2:10; 2Pe 1:1

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 1 Thessalonians 5:8

    But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.

  • 1 Thessalonians 5:9

    For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

  • 1 Thessalonians 5:10

    Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.

Read all of 1 Thessalonians 5

1 Thessalonians 5:9 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Porque no nos ha puesto Dios para ira, sino para alcanzar salud por nuestro Señor Jesucristo;
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		car Dieu ne nous a pas destinés à la colère, mais à l’acquisition du salut par notre seigneur Jésus Christ,
German
Elberfelder 1871		Denn Gott hat uns nicht zum Zorn gesetzt, sondern zur Erlangung der Seligkeit durch unseren Herrn Jesus Christus,
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		quoniam non posuit nos Deus in iram, sed in acquisitionem salutis per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum,