Hebrews 13:19

But I beseech you the rather to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(19) But I beseech you.—Rather, And I exhort you the more (literally, the more abundantly) to do this. All that we can certainly infer from this verse (see Introduction) is that the writer had formerly been associated with those whom he now addresses, and that he is at present hindered from returning to them.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

13:16-21 We must, according to our power, give to the necessities of the souls and bodies of men: God will accept these offerings with pleasure, and will accept and bless the offerers through Christ. The apostle then states what is their duty to living ministers; to obey and submit to them, so far as is agreeable to the mind and will of God, made known in his word. Christians must not think themselves too wise, too good, or too great, to learn. The people must search the Scriptures, and so far as the ministers teach according to that rule, they ought to receive their instructions as the word of God, which works in those that believe. It is the interest of hearers, that the account their ministers give of them may be with joy, and not with grief. Faithful ministers deliver their own souls, but the ruin of a fruitless and faithless people will be upon their own heads. The more earnestly the people pray for their ministers, the more benefit they may expect from their ministry. A good conscience has respect to all God's commands, and all our duty. Those who have this good conscience, yet need the prayers of others. When ministers come to a people who pray for them, they come with greater satisfaction to themselves, and success to the people. We should seek all our mercies by prayer. God is the God of peace, fully reconciled to believers; who has made a way for peace and reconciliation between himself and sinners, and who loves peace on earth, especially in his churches. He is the Author of spiritual peace in the hearts and consciences of his people. How firm a covenant is that which has its foundation in the blood of the Son of God! The perfecting of the saints in every good work, is the great thing desired by them, and for them; and that they may at length be fitted for the employment and happiness of heaven. There is no good thing wrought in us, but it is the work of God. And no good thing is wrought in us by God, but through Christ, for his sake and by his Spirit.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

That I may be restored to you the sooner - It is here clearly implied that the writer was deterred from visiting them by some adverse circumstances over which he had no control. This might be either by imprisonment, or sickness, or the want of a convenient opportunity of reaching them. The probability is, judging particularly from the statement in Hebrews 13:23, that he was then a prisoner, and that his detention was on that account; see Introduction, section 4 (6). The language here is such as Paul would use on the supposition that he was then a prisoner at Rome, and this is a slight circumstance going to show the probability that the Epistle was composed by him.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

19. the rather—Greek, "I the more abundantly beseech you."

to do this—to pray for me.

that I may be restored to you—(Phm 22). It is here first in the letter he mentions himself, in a way so unobtrusive, as not to prejudice his Hebrew readers against him, which would have been the result had he commenced this as his other Epistles, with authoritatively announcing his name and apostolic commission.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

He is the more urging and pressing them to the exercise of this duty more fervently, instantly, and abundantly, at this time, that they might prevail with God to remove hinderances by his enemies, freeing him from his chain and restraint at Rome, and to speed his liberty for a return to them, that it might be in the fulness of the blessing of the gospel. So the church prayed for Peter, and prevailed, Acts 12:12, and he had hopes that God would hear them for him also, Philemon 1:22.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

But I beseech you the rather to do this,.... To pray earnestly; to strive together in their prayers for them, Romans 15:30

that I may be restored to you the sooner: Christ's ministers are sometimes hindered from being with their people, through Satan, or his emissaries, creating troubles, or casting them into prison; which might be the apostle's case now; but God can make their way through all; and for this he should be prayed unto.

Geneva Study Bible

But I beseech you the rather to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Meyer's NT Commentary

Hebrews 13:19. Περισσοτέρως] is on account of its position more naturally referred to παρακαλῶ than, with Seb. Schmidt, Rambach, Bengel, and Hofmann, to ποιῆσαι.

ἵνα τάχιον ἀποκατασταθῶ ὑμῖν] that I may the sooner be restored to you, may be in a position to return to you. There is to be inferred from these words, neither that the author, at the time of the composition of the epistle, was a prisoner (Euthalius, Calov, Braun, Bisping, and others), nor yet that he belonged, as member, to the congregation of those to whom he was writing (R. Köstlin in the Theol. Jahrb. of Baur and Zeller, 1853, H. 3, pp. 423, 427, and 1854, H. 3, pp. 369, 406). The former not, because the notice, Hebrews 13:23 : μεθʼ οὗ, ἐὰν τάχιον ἔρχηται, ὄψομαι ὑμᾶς, shows beyond refutation that the writer at the time of the composition of the epistle was able to dispose freely of his own person. The latter not, because it is illogical to place the general notion of a “being restored” to a community upon a level with the special notion of the “return of one who has been torn from his home.” Only two things follow from the words, namely (1) from the τάχιον, that the author was still prevented, in some way or other which had nothing to do with his personal freedom, from quitting his temporary place of residence so quickly as he could wish; (2) from ἀποκατασταθῶ, that he had already, before this time, been personally present in the midst of his readers.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

19. that I may be restored to you the sooner] So St Paul in Philemon 1:22. We are unable to conjecture the circumstances which for the present prevented the writer from visiting them. It is clear from the word “restored” that he must once have lived among them.

Bengel's Gnomen

Hebrews 13:19. Περισστέρως, more abundantly [the rather]) Construed with ποιῆσαι, to do.—παρακαλῶ, I entreat) Paul for the first time writes something of himself alone, in this passage of this epistle.—τάχιον) the sooner.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 19. - And I beseech you the more abundantly (the Pauline word, περισσοτέρως) to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner. The author of the Epistle proceeds here for the first time to speak of himself individually; and what he thus says shows that the Epistle was addressed to some definite circle of Hebrew Christians, and one which he had been among before. What circumstances, whether of imprisonment or other hindrances, were in the way of his revisiting them does not appear. We remark that this verse again reminds us strongly of St. Paul (cf. Philemon 1:22). The possibility may be here noted (see Introduction, p. 12.) that, if the Epistle was composed by one of St. Paul's friends, and sent under his authority, he may have himself dictated this concluding portion (beginning possibly at ver. 17) which is in a more epistolary style than the rest, and contains personal allusions. Hebrews 13:19