For we have great joy and consolation in thy love, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother.

For I have had great joy and consolation in thy charity, because the bowels of the saints have been refreshed by thee, brother.

For we have great thankfulness and encouragement through thy love, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother.

for we have much joy and comfort in thy love, because the bowels of the saints have been refreshed through thee, brother.

For I have found great joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of God's people have been, and are, refreshed through you, my brother.

For I had great joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been made strong again through you, brother.

For I have found great joy and consolation in your charity, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother.

I have indeed found great joy and encouragement in your love, knowing, as I do, how the hearts of Christ's People have been cheered, friend, by you.

Gratiam enim habemus multam et consolationem super dilectione tua, quia viscera sanctorum per to refocillata sunt, frater.

We have much grace and consolation. Although this reading is found in the majority of Greek copies, yet I think that it ought to be translated joy; for, since there is little difference between charin and charan, it would be easy to mistake a single letter. Besides, Paul elsewhere employs the word charin to mean "joy;" at least, if we believe Chrysostom on this matter. What has "grace" to do with "consolation?" For thy love. It is plain enough what he means, that he has great joy and consolation, because Philemon administered relief to the necessities of the godly. This was singular love, to feel so much joy on account of the benefit received by others. Besides, the Apostle does not only speak of his personal joy, but says that many rejoiced on account of the kindness and benevolence with which Philemon had aided religious men. Because the bowels of the saints have been refreshed by thee, brother. "To refresh the bowels" is an expression used by Paul to mean, to give relief from distresses, or to aid the wretched in such a manner that, having their minds composed, and being free from all uneasiness and grief, they may find repose. "The bowels" mean the affections, and anapausis denotes tranquillity; and therefore they are greatly mistaken who torture this passage so as to make it refer to the belly and the nourishment of the body.

For we have great joy and consolation in thy love - In thy love toward Christians. The word here rendered "joy" (χάριν charin), properly means grace. A large number of manuscripts, however, instead of this word, have χαρὰν charan, Charan, joy. See Wetstein. This reading has been adopted by Griesbach, Tittman, and Hahn.
Because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother - For your kindness to them. The word "bowels" here probably means minds, hearts, for it is used in the Scriptures to denote the affections. The sense is, that the kindness which he had shown to Christians had done much to make them happy. On the word refreshed, see 2-Corinthians 7:13; 2-Timothy 1:16.

For we have great joy - This verse does not read harmoniously. The Greek authorizes the following arrangement: For we have great joy and consolation in thy love, O brother, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee. The apostle speaks here of the works of charity in which Philemon abounded towards poor Christians.

For we have great joy and consolation in thy love, because
the (c) bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother.
(c) Because you did so dutifully and cheerfully refresh the saints, that they conceived inwardly a marvellous joy: for by this word
(bowels) is meant not only the inward feeling of wants and miseries that men have of one another's state, but also that joy and comfort which enters into the very bowels, as though the heart were refreshed and comforted.

For we have great joy and consolation in thy love,.... In the expressions and acts of it to the poor saints; for which reason the apostle gives thanks for it before; and it is a pleasure and comfort to an ingenuous mind, though it is not in his power to do good to the poor saints himself, to see that others have both abilities, and a heart to relieve them:
because the bowels of the saints are, refreshed by thee, brother; meaning, not only that their bellies were filled with food, for the phrase is used in Plm 1:20 where that cannot be intended; but their hearts were filled with gladness, the load upon their spirits, the pressures upon their minds were removed, and they had an inward pleasure in their souls, and rest, refreshment, and comfort, through the liberal communications of Philemon to them; who did what he did cheerfully, that so it did their souls good, as well as their bodies; and in doing which, he acted the part of a brother in Christ.

For--a reason for the prayer, Plm 1:4-6.
we have--Greek, "we had."
joy and consolation--joined in 2-Corinthians 7:4.
saints are refreshed by thee--His house was open to them.
brother--put last, to conciliate his favorable attention to the request which follows.

The saints - To whom Philemon's house was open, Plm 1:2.