Neither did we eat any man's bread for nothing; but worked with labor and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you:
Neither did we eat any man's bread for nothing; but worked with labor and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you:
neither did we eat bread for nought at any man's hand, but in labor and travail, working night and day, that we might not burden any of you:
And we did not take food from any man for nothing, but were working hard night and day not to be a trouble to any of you:
Neither did we eat any man's bread for naught; but wrought with labor and toil night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you:
neither did we eat bread from anyone's hand without paying for it, but in labor and travail worked night and day, that we might not burden any of you;
neither did we eat bread for nought at any man's hand, but in labour and travail, working night and day, that we might not burden any of you:
Neither did we eat any man's bread for naught - We paid for what we bought, and worked with our hands that we might have money to buy what was necessary.
Labour and travail night and day - We were incessantly employed, either in preaching the Gospel, visiting from house to house, or working at our calling. As it is very evident that the Church at Thessalonica was very pious, and most affectionately attached to the apostle, they must have been very poor, seeing he was obliged to work hard to gain himself the necessaries of life. Had they been able to support him he would not have worked with labor and travail night and day, that he might not be burdensome to them; and, as we may presume that they were very poor, he could not have got his support among them without adding to their burdens. To this his generous mind could not submit; it is no wonder, therefore, that he is so severe against those who would not labor, but were a burden to the poor followers of God.
Neither did we eat any man's bread for nought - We were not supported in idleness at the expense of others. We gave a fair equivalent for all that we received, and, in fact, labored for our own support; see the notes on 1 Thessalonians 2:9.