1 THESSALONIANS 4:17

KING JAMES VERSION (KJV)

TRANSLATION, MEANING, CONTEXT

To get what 1 Thessalonians 4:17 means based on its source text, scroll down or follow these links for the original scriptural meaning , biblical context and relative popularity.

“Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”

High popularity: 480 searches a month
Popularity relative to other verses in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 using average monthly Google searches.

1 Thessalonians 4:17 Translation & Meaning

What does this verse really mean? Use this table to get a word-for-word translation of the original Greek Scripture. This shows the English words related to the source biblical texts along with brief definitions. Follow the buttons in the right-hand column for detailed definitions and verses that use the same root words. Use this reference information to gain deeper insight into the Bible and enrich your understanding. Information based on Strong's Exhaustive Concordance[1].

KJV Verse Original Greek Meaning/ Definition
This is a simplified translation of the original Greek word. Follow the buttons on the right to get more detail.
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Use the buttons below to get details on the Greek word and view related Bible verses that use the same root word.
Then ἔπειτα Thereafter Then
we ἡμεῖς We (only used when emphatic) we
which are alive ζῶντες To live (literally or figuratively) are alive
and (No Greek definition. English implied.)
remain περιλειπόμενοι To leave all around, i.e., (passively) survive remain
shall be caught up ἁρπαγησόμεθα To seize (in various applications) caught up
together ἅμα Properly, at the "same" time, but freely used as a preposition or adverb denoting close association together
with σὺν With or together (but much closer than G3326 or G3844), i.e., by association, companionship, process, resemblance, possession, instrumentality, addition, etc with
them αὐτοῖς The reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438) of the third person, and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons them
in ἐν "in," at, (up-)on, by, etc in
the clouds, νεφέλαις Properly, cloudiness, i.e., (concretely) a cloud clouds
to εἰς To or into (indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time, or (figuratively) purpose (result, etc.); also in adverbial phrases to
meet ἀπάντησιν A (friendly) encounter meet
the τοῦ The (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom) the
Lord κυρίου Supreme in authority, i.e., (as noun) controller; by implication, Master (as a respectful title) Lord
in εἰς To or into (indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time, or (figuratively) purpose (result, etc.); also in adverbial phrases in
the air: ἀέρα· "air" (as naturally circumambient) air
and καὶ And, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words and
so οὕτως In this way (referring to what precedes or follows) so
shall we ἐσόμεθα Will be shall we
ever πάντοτε Every when, i.e., at all times ever
be ἐσόμεθα Will be be
with σὺν With or together (but much closer than G3326 or G3844), i.e., by association, companionship, process, resemblance, possession, instrumentality, addition, etc with
the Lord. κυρίῳ Supreme in authority, i.e., (as noun) controller; by implication, Master (as a respectful title) Lord

Verse Context

See 1 Thessalonians 4:17 with its adjacent verses in bold below. Follow either of the two large buttons below to see these verses in their broader context of the King James Bible or a Bible concordance.

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  • 15  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

  • 16  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

  • 17  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

  • 18  Wherefore comfort one another with these words.




Sources:

The King James Bible (1611) and Strong's Concordance (1890) with Hebrew and Greek dictionaries are sourced from the BibleForgeDB database (https://github.com/bibleforge) within the BibleForge project (http://bibleforge.com). Popularity rankings are based on search volume data from the Google AdWords Keyword Planner tool.


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