Charles Ellicott Commentary 2 Thessalonians 2:17

"comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word." — 2 Thessalonians 2:17 (ASV)

Comfort your hearts... — The word “comfort” refers to the “everlasting comfort” mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 2:16, while “establish” refers to the “good hope through grace.” The heart, as the seat of emotions, needs comfort. The phrase “in every good word and work” (which should be ordered work and word) refers to upholding every good doctrine and performing every good practice. This stands in contrast to the false teaching about the Advent and the lies of the Apostasy, as well as the lawlessness and disorderly conduct addressed in the next chapter. Indeed, this prayer, much like the one in 1 Thessalonians 3:13, serves as an introduction to the subject that follows.

In the original Greek, the verbs “comfort” and “establish” are singular, a detail not apparent in the English translation. This grammatical choice might be explained in the same way as the structure in 1 Thessalonians 3:12 (see note on that verse). However, another explanation is possible. The intervening clauses (which are participial in Greek) shift the focus entirely to the Father, who could then be seen as the sole grammatical subject of the verbs.

Nevertheless, using a plural verb would have been jarring to orthodox believers, even if it were doctrinally justifiable. It is through subtle, incidental details like this, even more than through explicit doctrinal statements, that we discover the apostles’ true belief concerning the Divinity of Christ. The same can be said for many other great doctrines.