Albert Barnes Commentary 2 Timothy 1:16

"The Lord grant mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus: for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain;" — 2 Timothy 1:16 (ASV)

The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus. This refers to the family of Onesiphorus—for the word "house" is often used this way. He himself was still living (2 Timothy 1:18), but was probably absent from his home at that time. (Compare to 2 Timothy 4:19.) He was evidently from Asia and is the only one mentioned from that region who had shown the apostle kindness during his trials.

He is mentioned only in this epistle, and nothing more is known of him. The record is entirely honourable to him, and the apostle felt a warm interest in his family because of the kindness that he had shown to him in prison. Ecclesiastical traditions also state that he was one of the seventy disciples and was ultimately bishop of Corone.

But there is no evidence of this. There is much force in the remark of the editor of the Pictorial Bible, that "the pretended lists of the seventy disciples seem to have been compiled on the principle of including all the names incidentally mentioned in the sacred books, and not otherwise appropriated."

For he oft refreshed me. That is, he showed me kindness and ministered to my needs.

And was not ashamed of my chain. He was not ashamed to be known as a friend of one who was a prisoner because of his religion. Paul was bound with a chain when a prisoner at Rome (Philippians 1:13, 14, 16; Colossians 4:3, 18; Philemon 1:10; see also Barnes on Acts 28:20).