What Does 1 Timothy 2:1 Mean in the King James?
I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The verse’s hinge is “intercessions”: prayer for everyone takes the form of entering an appeal on another person’s behalf.
THE MEANING
This verse places concern for every person at the beginning of the reader’s prayer. Need, prayer, appeal, and thanksgiving are distinct ways of bringing another person’s life before God. No one is outside the circle named here.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The lie it undoes is that prayer belongs only to personal needs or to people already within one’s circle.
THE ROOT
ἐντεύξεις
enteuxeis
GROWS FROM
ἐντυγχάνω
entygchanō
To meet or come before; by extension, to appeal or intercede.
The word translated “intercessions” belongs to a family built around meeting or coming before someone, and by extension making an appeal. That gives this prayer a relational shape: another person’s need is carried into an encounter.
ALSO GROWS
tynchanō: To meet, encounter, or happen upon.
τυγχάνω
This base verb contributes the sense of meeting or encounter to the word family.
entygchanō: To approach, appeal to, or intercede.
ἐντυγχάνω
This verb form appears in Romans 8:27, linking the “intercessions” here to the act of interceding there.
εὐχαριστίας
eucharistias
GROWS FROM
χάρις
charis
Favor; in this word family, gratitude or thanks.
“giving of thanks” in this verse is eucharistias. Εὐχαριστία (eucharistia, thanksgiving) carries χάρις (charis, favor) in its word family. A related verb means to grant freely, so thanksgiving resonates with favor received and extended to the people named here.
ALSO GROWS
eucharisteō: To give thanks.
εὐχαριστέω
This verb names the act described by the noun here, making thanksgiving a practice within the same word family.
charizomai: To grant freely or show favor.
χαρίζομαι
This related verb keeps favor connected with free giving, illuminating thanksgiving as a response to what is received.
THE PATTERN
Prayer moves concern beyond the self and across the boundaries of belonging.
And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.THE THREAD
And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.Romans uses ἐντυγχάνει (entygchanei, intercedes), the verb from the same word family as ἔντευξις (enteuxis, intercession) here. The shared language of encounter opens this verse’s prayer for everyone into a wider picture of intercession moving on behalf of people.
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