The Meaning of 1 Thessalonians 5:17 Explained

1 Thessalonians 5:17

KJV: Pray without ceasing.

YLT: continually pray ye;

Darby: pray unceasingly;

ASV: pray without ceasing;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Pray  without ceasing. 

What does 1 Thessalonians 5:17 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Greek writers used the adverb translated "without ceasing" to describe a hacking cough. Paul did not expect his readers to be in prayer every minute but to continue praying frequently.
"Not surprisingly Paul wished his converts to be people of prayer. He himself was devoted to prayer as a fundamental activity in his life (cf. 1 Thessalonians 1:2 b; 2 Thessalonians 1:11; Romans 1:10; Colossians 1:3; Colossians 1:9). In several of his letters he instructs his readers to devote themselves to prayer (cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:25; 2 Thessalonians 3:1; Romans 12:12; Philippians 4:6; Colossians 4:2-3)." [1]
"If we live in this way, conscious continually of our dependence on God, conscious of His presence with us always, conscious of His will to bless, then our general spirit of prayerfulness will in the most natural way overflow into uttered prayer. It is instructive to read again and again in Paul"s letters the many prayers that he interjects. Prayer was as natural to Paul as breathing. At any time he was likely to break off his argument or to sum it up by some prayer of greater or less length. In the same way our lives can be lived in such an attitude of dependence on God that we will easily and naturally move into the words of prayer on all sorts of occasions, great and small, grave and gay. Prayer is to be constant." [2]

Context Summary

1 Thessalonians 5:12-28 - "without Blame" At His Coming
The remainder of the chapter is filled with brief sentences of exhortation, like cablegrams from our Heavenly Captain to his soldiers, who, in the previous section, are described as wearing the breastplate of faith and love. As we endeavor to put them into practice, we become conscious of a new and divine energy entering and quickening our nature. It is the God of peace who is at work, co-operating with our poor endeavors and sanctifying us wholly.
Each soul has a ministry to others, 1 Thessalonians 5:14. A sketch is here given of the ideal believer, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22; full of joy, constant in prayer, giving thanks in everything, loving with the unquenched fire of the Holy Spirit, willing to listen to any voice that may bear a divine message, testing all events and utterances with a celestial solvent, steadfast in good, and persistent against evil. This is a high standard, and impossible of realization apart from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. But when the inner shrine is truly surrendered to Him, He will possess the whole temple, even to our physical well-being. God is faithful and will never fail the soul that dares to be all that He wills [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Thessalonians 5

1  He proceeds in the description of Christ's coming to judgment;
16  and gives various instructions;
23  and so concludes the epistle

Greek Commentary for 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Without ceasing [ἀδιαλείπτως]
Comp. Romans href="/desk/?q=ro+12:12&sr=1">Romans 12:12; Ephesians 6:18; Colossians 4:2. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Romans 1:9 Unceasingly [αδιαλειπτως]
Late adverb for which see note on 1 Thessalonians 1:3. Also see 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:17, only other N.T. examples. Always (παντοτε — pantote). One might think that Paul prayed for no others, but he uses both adverbs in 1 Thessalonians 1:2. He seems to have had prayer lists. He never omitted the Romans. [source]
Galatians 6:6 That is taught [ο κατηχουμενος]
For this late and rare verb κατηχεω — katēcheō see note on Luke 1:4; note on Acts 18:25; and note on 1 Corinthians 14:19. It occurs in the papyri for legal instruction. Here the present passive participle retains the accusative of the thing. The active There was a teaching class thus early (1 Thessalonians 5:12; 1 Corinthians 12:28; Ephesians 4:11; 1 Thessalonians 5:17). [source]
Colossians 4:2 Continue [προσκαρτερεῖτε]
See on Acts 1:14. Compare Acts 2:42, Acts 2:46; Acts 6:4; Romans 12:12; Romans 13:6; 1 Thessalonians 5:17. Rev., correctly, continue steadfastly. [source]
1 Thessalonians 5:10 Around us []
. So Westcott and Hort, but υπερ — huper (over, in behalf of) as in many MSS. These prepositions often interchanged in N.T. MSS. Whether we wake or sleep (ειτε γρηγορωμεν ειτε κατευδωμεν — eite grēgorōmen eite katheudōmen). Alternative condition of third class with present subjunctive, though εαντεεαντε — eantė̇eante more usual conjunction (Robertson, Grammar, P. 1017). Used here of life and death, not as metaphor. That we should live together with him First aorist active subjunctive constative aorist covering all life (now and hereafter) together with (αμα συν — hama sun as in 1 Thessalonians 5:17) Jesus. [source]
1 Thessalonians 5:10 That we should live together with him [ινα αμα συν αυτωι ζησωμεν]
First aorist active subjunctive constative aorist covering all life (now and hereafter) together with (αμα συν — hama sun as in 1 Thessalonians 5:17) Jesus. [source]
2 Timothy 1:3 That without ceasing [ὡς ἀδιάλειπτον]
The passage is much involved. Note (1) that χάριν ἔχω τῷ θεῷ Ithank God must have an object. (2) That object cannot be that he unceasingly remembers Timothy in his prayers. (3) That object, though remote, is ὑπόμνησιν λαβὼν whenI received reminder (2 Timothy 1:5). He thanks God as he is reminded of the faith of Timothy's ancestors and of Timothy himself. Rend. freely, “I thank God whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, as there goes along with my prayers an unceasing remembrance of thee, and a daily and nightly longing, as I recall thy tears, to see thee, that I may be filled with joy - I thank God, I say, for that I have been reminded of the unfeigned faith that is in thee,” etc. Ἀδιάλειπτον unceasingonly here and Romans 9:2. Ἁδιαλείπτως , Romans 1:9; 1 Thessalonians 1:3; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:17. [source]
2 Timothy 1:3 Whom I serve from my forefathers [ωι λατρευω απο προγονων]
The relative ωι — hōi is the dative case with λατρευω — latreuō (see note on Romans 1:9 for this verb), progressive present (I have been serving). For προγονων — progonōn (forefathers) see note on 1 Timothy 5:4. Paul claims a pious ancestry as in Acts 24:14; Acts 26:5; Galatians 2:14; Philemon 3:4-7. In a pure conscience (εν καταραι συνειδησει — en katharāi suneidēsei). See note on 1 Timothy 1:5; note on Acts 23:1. Unceasing (αδιαλειπτον — adialeipton). Late and rare compound, in N.T. only here and Romans 9:2 which see. The adverb αδιαλειπτως — adialeiptōs is more frequent (in the papyri, literary Koiné, 1 Thessalonians 1:2; Romans 1:9). The adjective here is the predicate accusative, “how I hold the memory concerning thee unceasing.” The use of αδιαλειπτως — adialeiptōs (adverb) is a sort of epistolary formula (papyri, 1 Thessalonians 1:3; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; Romans 1:9). -DIVIDER-
Remembrance (μνειαν — mneian). Old word, in N.T. only Pauline (seven times, 1 Thessalonians 1:2; Romans 1:9; Philemon 1:3). [source]

2 Timothy 1:3 In a pure conscience [εν καταραι συνειδησει]
See note on 1 Timothy 1:5; note on Acts 23:1. Unceasing (αδιαλειπτον — adialeipton). Late and rare compound, in N.T. only here and Romans 9:2 which see. The adverb αδιαλειπτως — adialeiptōs is more frequent (in the papyri, literary Koiné, 1 Thessalonians 1:2; Romans 1:9). The adjective here is the predicate accusative, “how I hold the memory concerning thee unceasing.” The use of αδιαλειπτως — adialeiptōs (adverb) is a sort of epistolary formula (papyri, 1 Thessalonians 1:3; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; Romans 1:9). Remembrance Old word, in N.T. only Pauline (seven times, 1 Thessalonians 1:2; Romans 1:9; Philemon 1:3). [source]

What do the individual words in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 mean?

Unceasingly pray
ἀδιαλείπτως προσεύχεσθε

ἀδιαλείπτως  Unceasingly 
Parse: Adverb
Root: ἀδιαλείπτως  
Sense: without intermission, incessantly, without ceasing.
προσεύχεσθε  pray 
Parse: Verb, Present Imperative Middle or Passive, 2nd Person Plural
Root: προσεύχομαι  
Sense: to offer prayers, to pray.