2 Thessalonians 3:8

neither did we eat anyman's bread for nought This clause follows up and makes application of the last, showing by contrast in what lay the chief complaint against the "brethren walking disorderly." They would not work for their bread, and seemingly expected the Church to support them. The Church officers very properly resisted this demand, telling them to return to their occupations; so the Apostle himself had directed in 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12. This some of them refused to do; and they went up and down (2 Thessalonians 3:11) retailing their supposed grievances, allying themselves with the false prophets of the Parousia, and making all kinds of mischief. Such is the picture of this unruly faction that we draw from the two Epistles. The fraternal spirit of the Primitive Church and the readiness of its members to put their goods at the common service (see Acts 2:44-45; Acts 4:32-35) were thus abused by idlers and fanatics qualities not unfrequently united by men impatient of the monotony of daily toil, and who found in spiritual excitement at once a diversion from irksome duty and an excuse for its neglect.

To correct this morbid tendency was one reason of many for which the Apostle practised manual labour. He tries to make these ill-conducted men feel by his own example the disgrace of living, without an effort, at the cost of others: neither did we eat bread for nought at any man's hand (R.V.) There was a manly pride about St Paul in this matter. Comp. 2 Corinthians 11:9-10, and 1 Corinthians 9:15: "No man shall stop me of this glorying." "To eat bread" is a Hebraistic synonym for receive maintenance; comp. 2 Samuel 9:7.

but wrought with labour and travail night and day Rather, but in labour and travail, night and day working (R.V.). Here are two clauses, the former standing in opposition to the foregoing sentence: "It was not for nought that we ate our bread, but in labour and travail;" then he continues, "working night and day." Dearly, and with hard labour did St Paul and his comrades earn their daily bread. The Thessalonians had seen him at his task. For the particular words of this clause see 1 Thessalonians 2:9, which it repeats almost identically.

thatwe might not be chargeable to any of you More lit., that we might not put a burden on any of you. Comp. again 1 Thessalonians 2:9.

"The disorderly," without any right, were leaning heavily on their brethren and taxing their charity; the orderly apostles, with every right to do so, had never charged them anything.