For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.

For also when we were with you, this we declared to you: that, if any man will not work, neither let him eat.

For also when we were with you we enjoined you this, that if any man does not like to work, neither let him eat.

for even when we were with you, this we did command you, that if any one is not willing to work, neither let him eat,

For even when we were with you, we laid down this rule for you: "If a man does not choose to work, neither shall he eat."

For even when we were with you we gave you orders, saying, If any man does no work, let him not have food.

Then, too, while we were with you, we insisted on this to you: that if anyone was not willing to work, neither should he eat.

Indeed, when we were with you, the rule we laid down was – 'Whoever does not choose to work will not get to eat.'

He that will not labor. From its being written in Psalm 128:2 -- Thou art blessed, eating of the labor of thy hands, also in Proverbs 10:4, The blessing of the Lord is upon the hands of him that laboreth, it is certain that indolence and idleness are accursed of God. Besides, we know that man was created with this view, that he might do something. Not only does Scripture testify this to us, but nature itself taught it to the heathen. Hence it is reasonable, that those, who wish to exempt themselves from the common law, [1] should also be deprived of food, the reward of labor. When, however, the Apostle commanded that such persons should not eat, he does not mean that he gave commandment to those persons, but forbade that the Thessalonians should encourage their indolence by supplying them with food. It is also to be observed, that there are different ways of laboring. For whoever aids [2] the society of men by his industry, either by ruling his family, or by administering public or private affairs, or by counseling, or by teaching, [3] or in any other way, is not to be reckoned among the idle. For Paul censures those lazy drones who lived by the sweat of others, while they contribute no service in common for aiding the human race. Of this sort are our monks and priests who are largely pampered by doing nothing, excepting that they chant in the temples, for the sake of preventing weariness. This truly is, (as Plautus speaks,) [4] to "live musically." [5]

Footnotes

1 - "De la loy et regle commune;" -- "From the common law and rule."

2 - "Aide et porte proufit;" -- "Aids and brings advantage."

3 - "En enseignant les autres;" -- "By instructing others."

4 - The passage alluded to is as follows: "Musice, Hercle, agitis aetatem" --("By Hercules, you pass life musically") Plaut. Mostellariae, Act in. Sc. 2, 40. -- Ed.

5 - "Plaute poete Latin ancien, quand il vent parler de gens qui viuent a leur aise, il dit qu'ils viuent musicalement, c'est a dire, en chantres. Mais a la verite on pent bien dire de ceux-ci, en tout sens qu'on le voudra prendre, qu'ils viuent musicalement;" -- "Plautus, the ancient Latin poet, when he has it in view to speak of persons who live at their ease, says that they live musically, that is to say, like singers. But truly it may be well said of those persons, in every sense in which one might choose to take it, that they live musically."

For even when we were with you, this we commanded you - It would seem from this that the evil of which the apostle here complains had begun to operate even when he was with them. There were those who were disposed to be idle, and who needed the solemn command of an apostle to induce them to labor.
That if any would not work, neither should he eat - That is, at the public expense. They should not be supported by the church. This was a maxim among the Jews (see Wetstein, in loc.), and the same sentiment may be found in Homer, Demosthenes, and Pythagoras; see Grotius, in loc. The maxim is founded in obvious justice, and is in accordance with the great law under which our Creator has placed us; Genesis 3:19. That law, in the circumstances, was benevolent, and it should be our aim to carry it out in reference to ourselves and to others. The law here laid down by the apostle extends to all who are able to work for a living, and who will not do it, and binds us not to contribute to their support if they will not labor for it. It should be regarded as extending:
(1) to the members of a church - who, though poor, should not be supported by their brethren, unless they are willing to work in any way they can for their own maintenance.
(2) to those who beg from door to door, who should never be assisted unless they are willing to do all they can do for their own support. No one can be justified in assisting a lazy man. In no possible circumstances are we to contribute to foster indolence. A man might as properly help to maintain open vice.

If any would not work, neither should he eat - This is a just maxim, and universal nature inculcates it to man. If man will work, he may eat; if he do not work, he neither can eat, nor should he eat. The maxim is founded on these words of the Lord: In the sweat of thy brow thou shall eat bread. Industry is crowned with God's blessing; idleness is loaded with his curse. This maxim was a proverb among the Jews. Men who can work, and will rather support themselves by begging, should not get one morsel of bread. It is a sin to minister to necessities that are merely artificial.

For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, (c) neither should he eat.
(c) What will we do then with those fat lazy monks, and sacrificing priests? A monk (says Socrates, book eight, of his Tripartite History) who does not work with hands, is like a thief.

For even when we were with you,.... At Thessalonica in person, and first preached the Gospel to them,
we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat; the Ethiopic version reads in the singular number, "when I was with you, I commanded you"; using the above words, which were a sort of a proverb with the Jews, and is frequently used by them, , or , "that if a man would not work, he should not eat" (q). And again (r),
"he that labours on the evening of the sabbath (or on weekdays), he shall eat on the sabbath day; and he who does not labour on the evening of the sabbath, from whence shall he eat (or what right and authority has he to eat) on the sabbath day?''
Not he that could not work through weakness, bodily diseases, or old age, the necessities of such are to be distributed to, and they are to be taken care of, and provided with the necessaries of life by the officers of the church; but those that can work, and will not, ought to starve, for any assistance that should be given them by the members of the church, or the officers of it.
(q) Bereshit Rabba, sect. 14. fol. 13. 1. Echa Rabbati, fol. 48. 4. & Midrash Koholet, fol. 65. 4. (r) T. Bab. Avoda Zara, fol. 3. 1.

For even--Translate, "For also." We not only set you the example, but gave a positive "command."
commanded--Greek imperfect, "We were commanding"; we kept charge of you.
would not work--Greek, "is unwilling to work." BENGEL makes this to be the argument: not that such a one is to have his food withdrawn from him by others; but he proves from the necessity of eating the necessity of working; using this pleasantry, Let him who will not work show himself an angel, that is, do without food as the angels do (but since he cannot do without food, then he ought to be not unwilling to work). It seems to me simpler to take it as a punishment of the idle. Paul often quotes good adages current among the people, stamping them with inspired approval. In the Hebrew, "Bereshith Rabba," the same saying is found; and in the book Zeror, "He who will not work before the sabbath, must not eat on the sabbath."

Neither let him eat - Do not maintain him in idleness.