Philippians 2:27

He was sick indeed, nearly unto death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The apostle Paul writes to the Philippian believers while arranging for Epaphroditus to return home after a severe illness. He explains this logistical decision to relieve his own anxiety and preserve the church's joy.

The words — The Greek ἠσθένησεν (ēsthenēsen) means "he was sick," modified by παραπλὴσιον (paraplēsion) for "nearly" and θανάτῳ (thanatō) for "death," directly rendering the phrase "sick indeed, nearly unto death."

The thread — The text explicitly records God's mercy sparing Epaphroditus and preventing cascading grief for Paul, which aligns with the deliverance motif in Psalms 34:19 and the near-fatal service noted in Philippians 2:30.

Why it lands — It demands the reader acknowledge that divine mercy operates through historical intervention to halt compounded sorrow, requiring reliance on God's action rather than human endurance.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Greek words

King James Version

For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.

Cross-references

Psalms 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him from them all.
Philippians 2:30 because he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for your deficit of service to me.
Job 5:19 He will rescue you from six calamities; no harm will touch you in seven.
Psalms 103:3 He who forgives all your iniquities and heals all your diseases,
John 11:3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one You love is sick.”
Acts 9:37 At that time, however, she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upper room.
1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide an escape, so that you can stand up under it.
2 Corinthians 2:7 So instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.
Isaiah 43:2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you go through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched; the flames will not set you ablaze.
2 Kings 20:1 In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came to him and said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Put your house in order, for you are about to die; you will not recover.’”