1 Thessalonians 2:17
Being bereaved of you (aporfanisqentev af umwn). First aorist passive participle of the rare compound verb (aporfanizw, in Aeschylus, but nowhere else in N.T.). Literally,
being orphaned from you (af umwn, ablative case). Paul changes the figure again (trofov or mother nurse in verse I Thessalonians 2:7, nhpiov or babe in verse I Thessalonians 2:7, pathr or father in verse I Thessalonians 2:11) to
orphan (orfanov). He refers to the period of separation from them,
for a short season (prov kairon wrav) for a season of an hour. This idiom only here in N.T., but prov kairon in Luke 8:13 and prov wran in II Corinthians 7:8. But it has seemed long to Paul. Precisely how long he had been gone we do not know, some months at any rate.
In presence, not in heart (proswpw ou kardiai). Locative case. Proswpon, old word (pros, oy, in front of the eye, face) for face, look, person. Literally,
in face or person. His heart was with them, though they no longer saw his face. Heart, originally kardia, is the inner man, the seat of the affections and purposes, not always in contrast with intellect (nouv). "Out of sight, not out of mind" (Rutherford).
Endeavoured the more exceedingly (perissoterwv espoudasamen). Ingressive aorist active indicative of spoudazw, old word to hasten (from spoudh, speudw).
We became zealous. Comparative adverb perissoterwv from perisson, more abundantly than before being orphaned from you.
Your face (to proswpon umwn). Cf. his
face above.
With great desire (en pollh epiqumiai).
In much longing (epiqumia from epi and qumov, epiqumew, to run after, to yearn after, whether good or bad).
