1 Thessalonians 5 3

1 Thessalonians 5:3 kjv

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.

1 Thessalonians 5:3 nkjv

For when they say, "Peace and safety!" then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.

1 Thessalonians 5:3 niv

While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

1 Thessalonians 5:3 esv

While people are saying, "There is peace and security," then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

1 Thessalonians 5:3 nlt

When people are saying, "Everything is peaceful and secure," then disaster will fall on them as suddenly as a pregnant woman's labor pains begin. And there will be no escape.

1 Thessalonians 5 verses

1 Thessalonians 5 3 Meaning

When people say, "There is peace and security," sudden destruction will come upon them, like labor pains upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

1 Thessalonians 5 3 Context

First Thessalonians 5 is a pivotal chapter addressing the believers' understanding of the Day of the Lord. Paul instructs them about spiritual alertness and ethical living in anticipation of Christ's return. This specific verse, the third in the chapter, directly describes the state of the world and the unsuspecting response when the final judgment arrives. It contrasts the false sense of stability that apostate humanity will embrace with the sudden, inescapable reality of God's wrath. The Thessalonian believers were to be distinct from this complacent world.

1 Thessalonians 5 3 Word Analysis

• δὲ (de): "But" or "and." A conjunction often used to connect or contrast clauses. Here, it serves to introduce a significant counterpoint to the previous exhortation to watchfulness.
• ὅταν (hotan): "When" or "whenever." A temporal conjunction introducing a specific future circumstance.
• λέγωσιν (legōsin): "they say" or "they will say." The present active subjunctive of λέγω (legō), "to say." Used here to indicate the confident, pronouncement-like utterance of a coming state.
• εἰρήνη (eirēnē): "peace." Hebrew: שָׁלוֹם (shalom). Refers to a state of tranquility, harmony, and security. In this context, it denotes a false and superficial sense of calm and order.
• ἀσφάλεια (asphaleia): "security" or "safety." Refers to a state of being free from danger or risk. Here, it emphasizes a humanly devised and believed assurance, devoid of true divine backing.
• εἰρήνη καὶ ἀσφάλεια (eirēnē kai asphaleia): "peace and security." This phrase carries a significant weight in its prophetic pronouncement. It points to a state of human-created stability and self-sufficiency that masks an underlying spiritual bankruptcy.
• τότε (tote): "then" or "at that time." An adverb of time, indicating the moment when the predicted event occurs.
• αἰφνίδιος (aiphnidios): "sudden," "unexpected." This adverb modifies the coming destruction, highlighting its abrupt and unanticipated nature for those in the state described.
• ὄλεθρος (olethros): "destruction," "ruin," "perdition." A strong word denoting utter ruin and a state of loss from which recovery is impossible. It signifies the catastrophic end that awaits the unwatchful.
• ὡς (hōs): "as" or "like." A comparative particle used to draw a parallel.
• ὠδὶν (ōdin): "pain," "travail," "labor pains." Greek: ὠδῖνας (ōdinas) - plural in some manuscripts. Refers to the sharp, intense, and often unpredictable pains of childbirth.
• ἐν γαστρὶ (en gastri): "in the womb" or "in child." In the context of childbirth, referring to the unborn child.
• ἐχομένῃ (echomenē): "holding" or "pregnant." The present active participle of ἔχω (echō), "to have" or "to hold." Modifies γυναικί (gynaiki).
• κυοφορούσῃ (kyophorousē): "pregnant." The present active participle of κυοφορέω (kyophoreō), "to carry in the womb," "to be pregnant." Used here specifically to denote pregnancy.
• καὶ οὐ μὴ ἐκφύγωσιν (kai ou mē ekphygōsin): "and they will not escape." A strong negative construction using the future perfect subjunctive with "kai ou mē," indicating an absolute certainty of impossibility regarding escape.
• καὶ οὐ μὴ (kai ou mē): A double negative creating a strong prohibition or declaration of impossibility. Here, it emphasizes the absolute certainty of their inability to escape.
• ἐκφύγωσιν (ekphygōsin): "they escape," "they flee from." The aorist active subjunctive of ἐκφεύγω (ekpheugō), "to flee out," "to escape."

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Peace and security": This phrase captures a global atmosphere of false prosperity and perceived safety, often built on humanistic principles rather than God's truth. It echoes prophecies against nations and leaders who claim stability when God's judgment is imminent.
• "Sudden destruction": This points to the abrupt onset of divine judgment. It is "sudden" for those who are not watching or are misled by the deceptive claims of "peace and security."
• "Like labor pains upon a pregnant woman": This simile vividly illustrates the intensifying and inevitable nature of the coming distress. Unlike a thief (mentioned in v. 2), these pains grow progressively, signaling a coming birth or, in this context, a calamitous birth of judgment. The Greek term here specifies carrying in the womb, making the analogy about the progression within.
• "They will not escape": This emphatic negative underscores the ultimate futility of opposing or ignoring God's appointed judgment.

1 Thessalonians 5 3 Bonus Section

This verse serves as a profound warning against relying on worldly assurances. The phrase "peace and security" resonates with the aspirations of many societies throughout history that seek a utopia without divine intervention or acknowledgement. The prophet Isaiah also speaks of similar pronouncements of false peace: "For they say, ‘Peace,’ when there is no peace" (Isa 26:3). The judgment described is not only sudden in its commencement but inescapable, a concept reinforced throughout Scripture, particularly in the judgment against Sodom and Gomorrah and the flood of Noah's day, both marked by a lack of readiness and a resultant inescapable doom. The Christian understanding, however, offers a counterpoint: for believers, the Day of the Lord is not a day of wrath but of redemption and glorification, as they will have been kept from this specific hour of trial through Christ's prior return for His church (1 Thess 4:16-17, Rev 3:10). This verse primarily addresses those left behind for the Great Tribulation.

1 Thessalonians 5 3 Commentary

The verse paints a stark contrast between the ungodly world's deceptive state of apparent stability and the swift, unavoidable reality of divine judgment. Humanity's self-made pronouncements of "peace and security" will be brutally shattered. This state of false calm is characteristic of those who have rejected God and His word, relying instead on their own power and wisdom. The analogy of labor pains effectively conveys the progressive, inevitable, and ultimately unavoidable nature of the coming tribulation. The specific mention of "labor pains upon a pregnant woman" emphasizes the natural, sequential progression of events leading to a certain outcome—the arrival of the judgment. The absolute declaration, "they will not escape," leaves no room for doubt about the ultimate fate of those caught unprepared in their complacency.