Commentaries:
Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)
Onesimus (Onhsimon). A common name among slaves and made like Chresimus, Chrestus. The word is from onhsiv (profit) and that from oninhmi, to profit, to help.
Who was aforetime unprofitable to thee (ton pote soi axrhston). "The once to thee useless one." Play (pun) on the meaning of the name Onesimus (onhsimov, useful) as once "useless" (axrhstov, verbal adjective, a privative and xraomai, to use).
But now is profitable to thee and to me (nuni de soi kai emoi euxrhston). "But now to thee and to me useful." Still further play on the name Onesimus by euxrhston (verbal adjective from eu and xraomai, to use). Ethical dative here (soi, emoi).
Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing Philemon 1:11:
2 Timothy 2:21
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