SEV Biblia, Chapter 4:17
Mas el Seor me ayud, y me esforz para que por mí fuese cumplida la predicacin, y todos los gentiles oyesen; y fui librado de la boca del len.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 2 Timothy 4:17
Verse 17. The Lord stood with me] When all human help failed, God, in a more remarkable manner, interposed; and thus the excellency plainly appeared to be of God, and not of man. That by me the preaching might be fully known] When called on to make his defense he took occasion to preach the Gospel, and to show that the great God of heaven and earth had designed to illuminate the Gentile world with the rays of his light and glory. This must have endeared him to some, while others might consider him an opposer of their gods, and be the more incensed against him.
I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.] I escaped the imminent danger at that time. Probably he was seized in a tumultuous manner, and expected to be torn to pieces. The words ek stomatov or ek qrugmou leontov ruesqai, to be rescued from the mouth or jaws of the lion, are a proverbial form of speech for deliverance from the most imminent danger.
Several writers think Nero to be intended by the lion, because of his rage and oppressive cruelty. But Helius Caesarinus was at this time prefect of the city; Nero being in Greece. He was a bloody tyrant, and Nero had given him the power of life and death in his absence. The apostle may mean him, if the words be not proverbial.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 17. Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me , etc.] Either personally appearing to him, as in ( Acts 23:11) or by the ministry of an angel, ( Acts 27:23,24) or else by granting him his gracious presence, which was what Christ had not when he was forsaken by his disciples: the presence of God or Christ is more than all friends whatever, and is often enjoyed by the believer, when they drop him; and is a bulwark against all enemies and fears of them; if God is with him, and on his side, though friends fail, and enemies rage, he has nothing to fear: and strengthened me ; inwardly with strength in his soul, with might in his inward man, unto all longsuffering with joyfulness: he was weak in himself, and could do nothing without Christ; Christ was his strength, in him it lay, and to him he looked for it; of which he often had experience, and now afresh; he strengthened him to plead his own cause, to make his defence without fear; he gave him presence of mind, boldness, courage, and intrepidity, freedom of thought and expression; and put it into his heart what he should say, and gave him a mouth and wisdom, which his adversaries could not resist. All which he takes notice of with thankfulness, admiring the divine goodness to him, and taking nothing to himself: and the end of this was, that by me the preaching might be fully known ; that is, that the doctrine of the Gospel, preached by him, might be made fully known by him; as to the author and original of it, to be of God, and not of men; and as to the matter of it, to be spiritual, and not concerning the things of the world; and as to the effects and consequences of it, to have no tendency to raise sedition and disturbances in commonwealths, but, on the contrary, promote peace and love: and that all the Gentiles might hear ; in Caesar's palace, or in the courts of judicature at Rome, and all over Rome, and from thence in other parts of the empire, what a Gospel it was that was preached by the apostle; and if not by his personal ministry, at least by his epistles he afterwards wrote in prison: however, the effect of his defence, the Lord being with him, and strengthening him, was his deliverance: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion ; from death he was threatened with, which, like a lion, gaped upon him to devour him; or from Satan the roaring lion, who desired to have had him, and sought to have intimidated him, and brought him to have denied his Lord, to have deserted his cause, and blasphemed his name; or else from Nero the Roman emperor, so called from his power and fierceness. So Tiberius is called by Marsyas, Agrippa's freeman, when he brought the news of his death to his master f32 ; and Ahasuerus by Esther f33 ; and Nero himself is called a civil beast by Apollonius Tyanaeus f34 ; though some think that not Nero, but Helius, whom he had appointed governor in his room, he being at this time in Greece, is here meant, before whom Paul was tried, and out of whose hands he was delivered. Give me eloquent speech in my mouth before the lion: turn his heart to hate him that fighteth against us, that there may be an end of him, and of all that are likeminded to him: (Esther 14:13) Ver. 18. And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work , etc.] From wicked and unreasonable men, and all their attempts upon him, and from all afflictions by them; not but that he expected afflictions as long as he was in the world, but he knew that God would support him under them; and in his own time and way deliver out of them; and at last entirely by death, when he should be no more attended with them; and from all the temptations of Satan, and his evil designs upon him, and from sin and iniquity; not that he expected to live free of Satan's temptations, or without sin, but he believed that he should be kept from sinking under the former, and from being under the dominion of the latter; and should not be left to deny his Lord, desert his cause, blaspheme his name, and apostatize from him: and will preserve [me] unto his heavenly kingdom , the ultimate glory and happiness of the saints in heaven; so called, both because of its nature and place, and to distinguish it from the church, which is Christ's kingdom in this world, though it is not of it; and from his personal reign with his saints on earth, for the space of a thousand years; whereas this will be for ever: and unto this the apostle believed he should be preserved, as all the saints will be, notwithstanding the persecutions of the world, the temptations of Satan, and their own corruptions; for they are secured in an everlasting covenant, and in the hands of Christ; and have not only angels to encamp about them, and salvation, as walls and bulwarks to them, but God himself is a wall of fire around them, and they are kept by his power unto salvation: and besides, this heavenly kingdom is prepared for them, and given to them; they are chosen to be heirs and possessors of it; they are called unto it, and Christ is gone to receive it in their name, to prepare it for them, and will come again and introduce them into it: to whom be glory for ever and ever, Amen : of the present deliverance, and of all others he had, or should receive, as well as of the provision of the heavenly kingdom for him, and of his preservation to it.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 14-18 - There is as much danger from false brethren, as from open enemies. It is dangerous having to do with those who would be enemies to such a ma as Paul. The Christians at Rome were forward to meet him, Ac 28, but when there seemed to be a danger of suffering with him, then all forsook him. God might justly be angry with them, but he prays God to forgive them. The apostle was delivered out of the mouth of the lion that is, of Nero, or some of his judges. If the Lord stands by us, he will strengthen us in difficulties and dangers, and his presence wil more than supply every one's absence.
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 CONJ ρυσεται 4506 5695 V-FDI-3S με 3165 P-1AS ο 3588 T-NSM κυριος 2962 N-NSM απο 575 PREP παντος 3956 A-GSN εργου 2041 N-GSN πονηρου 4190 A-GSN και 2532 CONJ σωσει 4982 5692 V-FAI-3S εις 1519 PREP την 3588 T-ASF βασιλειαν 932 N-ASF αυτου 846 P-GSM την 3588 T-ASF επουρανιον 2032 A-ASF ω 3739 R-DSM η 3588 T-NSF δοξα 1391 N-NSF εις 1519 PREP τους 3588 T-APM αιωνας 165 N-APM των 3588 T-GPM αιωνων 165 N-GPM αμην 281 HEB
Vincent's NT Word Studies
17. Strengthened (enedunamwsen). See on 1 Tim. i. 12.The preaching (to khrugma). Better, the message (par excellence), the gospel message. Usually with a defining word, as of Jonah; of Jesus Christ; my preaching; our preaching. Absolutely, as here, 1 Corinthians i. 21; Tit. i. 3.
Might be fully known (plhroforhqh). See on verse 5. Lit. might be fulfilled; fully carried out by being proclaimed before rulers in the capital of the world. Comp. Rom. xv. 19; Acts xxiii. 11; xxviii. 31; Philippians i. 12-14.
Out of the mouth of the lion (ek stomatov leontov). Figurative expression for danger of death. Comp. 1 Cor. xv. 32. As usual, all manner of special references have been imagined: the lions of the amphitheatre; Nero; the chief accuser; the Jews; the Devil.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
4:17 {But the Lord stood by me} (ho de kurios moi pareste). Second aorist active of paristemi (intransitive use), "took his stand by my side." See #Ro 16:2. Clearly Jesus appeared to Paul now at this crisis and climax as he had done so many times before. {Strengthened me} (enedunamwsen me). "Poured power into me." See #Php 4:13. {That through me the message might be fully proclaimed} (hina di' emou to kerugma pleroforeqei). Final clause with hina and first aorist passive subjunctive of pleroforew (see verse #5). Either to the rulers in Rome now or, if the first imprisonment, by his release and going to Spain. {And that all the Gentiles might hear} (kai akouswsin panta ta eqne). Continuation of the purpose with the aorist active subjunctive of akouw. {I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion} (erusqen ek stomatos leontos). First aorist passive indicative of ruomai (#1Th 1:10). A proverb, but not certain what the application is whether to Nero or to Satan (#1Th 2:18) or to the lion in the arena where Paul could not be sent because a Roman citizen.
