2 Thessalonians 3:3

But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.

2 Thessalonians 3:3, King James Version

2 Thessalonians 3:3 in other translations

BSB	But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.
WEB	But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.
ASV	But the Lord is faithful, who shall establish you, and guard you from the evil one.
YLT	and stedfast is the Lord, who shall establish you, and shall guard you from the evil;
DARBY	But the Lord is faithful, who shall establish you and keep you from evil.
BBE	But the Lord is true, who will give you strength and keep you safe from evil.
Webster	But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you, and keep you from evil.

What does 2 Thessalonians 3:3 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

3. faithful--alluding to "faith" (2Th 3:2): though many will not believe, the Lord (other very old manuscripts read "God") is still to be believed in as faithful to His promises (1Th 5:24; 2Ti 2:13). Faith on the part of man answers to faithfulness on the part of God. stablish you--as he had prayed (2Th 2:17). Though it was on himself that wicked men were making their onset, he turns away from asking the Thessalonians' prayers for HIS deliverance (2Th 3:2: so unselfish was he, even in religion), to express his assurance of THEIR establishment in the faith, and preservation from evil. This assurance thus exactly answers to his prayer for them (2Th 2:17), "Our Lord ... stablish you in every good word and work." He has before his mind the Lord's Prayer, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil"; where, as here, the translation may be, "from the evil one"; the great hinderer of "every good word and work." Compare Mt 13:19, "the wicked one."

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

Barnes' Notes

Verse 3. But the Lord is faithful. Though men cannot be trusted, God is faithful to his promises and his purposes. He may always be confided in; and when men are unbelieving, perverse, unkind, and disposed to do us wrong, we may go to him, and we shall always find in him one in whom we may confide. This is an exceedingly interesting declaration, and is a beautiful illustration of the resource which a truly pious mind will feel that it has. We often have occasion to know, to our sorrow, that "all men have not faith." We witness their infidelity. We see how they turn away from the truth. We see many who once gave some evidence that they had faith, abandon it all; and we see many in the church who seem to have no true faith, and who refuse to lend their aid in promoting the cause of religion. In such circumstances, the heart is disposed to despond, and to ask whether religion can be advanced in the midst of so much indifference and opposition? At such times, how consoling is it to be able to turn, as Paul did, to one who is faithful; who never fails us; and who will certainly accomplish his benevolent purposes. Men may be faithless and false, but God never is. They may refuse to embrace the gospel, and set themselves against it, but God will not abandon his great purposes. Many who are in the church may forget their solemn and sacred vows, and may show no fidelity to the cause of their Saviour, but God himself will never abandon that cause. To a pious mind it affords unspeakably more consolation to reflect that a faithful God is the Friend of the cause which we love, than it would were all men, in and out of the church, its friends.

Who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil. Jn 17:16. Comp. Eph 6:16. The allusion is to the Evil One, or Satan, and the meaning is, that God would keep them from his wiles.

(a) "is faithful" 1Cor 1:9 (b) "keep you from evil" Jn 17:15

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 3 From evil - Απο του πονηρου may be translated, from the devil or from the evil one. They had disorderly men, wicked men, and the evil one or the devil, to contend with; God alone could support and give them the victory; he had promised to do it, and he might ever be confided in as being invariably faithful.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5

Those who are far apart still may meet together at the throne of grace; and those not able to do or receive any other kindness, may in this way do and receive real and very great kindness. Enemies to the preaching of the gospel, and persecutors of its faithful preachers, are unreasonable and wicked men. Many do not believe the gospel; and no wonder if such are restless and show malice in their endeavours to oppose…

Read the full comment on 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5 →

2 Thessalonians 3:3 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.

πιστὸςpistosfaithfulG4103

δέdehoweverG1161

ἐστινestinisG1510

ὁhotheG3588

κύριος,kuriosLord,G2962

ὃςhoswhoG3739

στηρίξειstērixeiwill strengthenG4741

ὑμᾶςhumasyouG4771

καὶkaiandG2532

φυλάξειphulaxeiHe will keep [you]G5442

ἀπὸapofromG575

τοῦtou<the>G3588

πονηροῦ.ponērouevil.G4190

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

Cross references for 2 Thessalonians 3:3

2 Timothy 4:18
And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
1 Thessalonians 5:24
Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.
1 Corinthians 10:13
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
Psalms 121:7
The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
1 Corinthians 1:9
God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
John 17:15
I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
Matthew 6:13
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
Jude 1:24
Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
Psalms 19:13
Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.
2 Thessalonians 2:17
Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.
2 Peter 2:9
The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
Luke 11:4
And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

the Lord.
1Co 1:9; 10:13; 1Th 5:24
stablish.
2:17
and.
Ge 48:16; 1Ch 4:10; Ps 19:13; 121:7; Mt 6:13; Lu 11:4; Joh 17:15
2Ti 4:18; 2Pe 2:9; Jude 1:24

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

Context

2 Thessalonians 3:2
And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith.
2 Thessalonians 3:3
But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.
2 Thessalonians 3:4
And we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command you.

Read all of 2 Thessalonians 3

2 Thessalonians 3:3 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Mas fiel es el Señor, que os confirmará y guardará del mal.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	mais le Seigneur est fidèle, qui vous affermira et vous gardera du méchant.
German Elberfelder 1871	Der Herr aber ist treu, der euch befestigen und vor dem Bösen bewahren wird.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Fidelis autem Deus est, qui confirmabit vos, et custodiet a malo.