1 Thessalonians 2:18

Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us.

Wherefore. ['Aleph (') A B Delta G f g, Vulgate read, dioti (G1360) for dio (G1352); Ellicott, "Wherefore;" but Vulgate 'quoniam,' seeing that.]

We would, [ etheleesamen (G2309)] - 'we wished' to come.

Even I Paul. My fellow-missionaries as well as myself intended it. I can answer for myself that I intended it more than once. His distinguishing himself here from his fellow-missionaries, whom throughout he associates with himself in the plural, accords with the fact that Silvanus and Timothy stayed at Berea when Paul went on to Athens, where subsequently Timothy joined him, and was thence sent by Paul alone to Thessalonica (1 Thessalonians 3:1).

Satan hindered us. On a different occasion 'the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus' (so the oldest manuscripts), Acts 16:6, forbad them in a missionary design; here it is Satan, acting by wicked men, some of whom had already driven him out of Thessalonica (Acts 17:13; cf. John 13:27), or else by some more direct 'messenger of Satan-a thorn in the flesh' (2 Corinthians 12:7: cf. 2 Corinthians 11:14). The Holy Spirit and the providence of God overruled Satan's opposition to further His own purpose. We cannot, in each case, define whence hindrances in good undertakings arise, Paul, by inspiration, could say the hindrance was from Satan. [ Enekopsen (G1465), "hindered" - literally, 'to cut a trench, or break up a road, between one's self and an advancing foe, to prevent his progress;'] so Satan opposing the progress of the missionaries.