1 Thessalonians Chapter 5, Verse 3
From BibleWiki
3: For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden
destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with
child; and they shall not escape.
3: For when they shall say: Peace and security; then shall sudden
destruction come upon them, as the pains upon her that is with child,
and they shall not escape.
For when they shall say, Peace and safety. That is, when the wicked shall say this, for the apostle here refers only to those on whom "sudden destruction" will come. Compare "Mt 24:36"
and following; "2 Pet 3:3, 2 Pet 3:4.
Sudden destruction. Destruction that was unforeseen (aifnidiov) or unexpected. The word here rendered sudden, occurs nowhere else in the New Testament, except in Lk 21:34, "Lest that day come upon you unawares." The word rendered destruction oleyrov -- occurs in the New Testament only here and in 1Cor 5:5 2 Thes 1:9; 1 Tim 6:9, in all of which places it is correctly translated destruction. The word destruction is familiar to us. It means, properly, demolition; pulling down; the annihilation of the form of any thing, or that form of parts which constitutes it what it is; as the destruction of grass by eating; of a forest by cutting down the trees; of life by murder; of the soul by consigning it to misery. It does not necessarily mean annihilation -- for a house or city is not annihilated which is pulled down or burned; a forest is not annihilated which is cut down; and a man is not annihilated whose character and happiness are destroyed.
As travail upon a woman with child. This expression is sometimes used to denote great consternation, as in Ps 486 Jer 6:24 Mic 4:9, Mic 4:10; great pain, as Isa 53:11 Jer 4:31 Jn 16:21; or the suddenness with which anything occurs, Jer 13:21. It seems here to be used to denote two things: first, that the coming of the Lord to a wicked world will be sudden; and, secondly, that it will be an event of the most distressing and overwhelming nature.
And they shall not escape. That is, the destruction, or punishment. They calculated on impunity, but now the time will have come when none of these refuges will avail them, and no rocks will cover them from the "wrath to come."
