2 Timothy 1:17

17 On the contrary, when he was in Rome, he searched hard for me until he found me.

2 Timothy 1:17 in Other Translations

KJV
17 But, when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently, and found me.
ESV
17 but when he arrived in Rome he searched for me earnestly and found me--
NLT
17 When he came to Rome, he searched everywhere until he found me.
MSG
17 The first thing he did when he got to Rome was look me up.
CSB
17 On the contrary, when he was in Rome, he diligently searched for me and found me.

2 Timothy 1:17 Meaning and Commentary

2 Timothy 1:17

But when he was in Rome
Upon some business or another, where the apostle was a prisoner:

he sought me out very diligently,
and found me; as there might be many prisons in Rome, he went from one to another, till he found him; and was one of those to whom Christ will say hereafter, "I was in prison and ye came unto me", ( Matthew 25:36 ) or the reason of his going from place to place in quest of him was this; the apostle was not in any particular place of confinement, but had a lodging where he was kept by a soldier, and which with some difficulty Onesiphorus found out: the manner of his bonds was this; he had a long chain fastened at one end to his right arm, and at the other to the left arm of the soldier that kept him, who constantly attended him in this form, wherever he went; and it is possible that in this way he might have liberty to go about and visit his friends; and this might still make it more difficult for Onesiphorus to find him.

2 Timothy 1:17 In-Context

15 You know that everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes.
16 May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains.
17 On the contrary, when he was in Rome, he searched hard for me until he found me.
18 May the Lord grant that he will find mercy from the Lord on that day! You know very well in how many ways he helped me in Ephesus.
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