7. διὰτοῦτοπαρεκλήθημενκτλ.] ‘ On this account’— the sing. τοῦτο gathering up as a unity the faith and the love and the kindly remembrance just spoken of—‘ we were comforted over you,’ as the basis on which our παράκλησις rested (cf. 2 Corinthians 7:7). Nor was this all, but the comfort which the Apostles experienced on the Thessalonians’ account bore also ἐπὶπάσῃτ. ἀνάγκῃκτλ., from which at the time they themselves were suffering (2 Corinthians 6:4; 2 Corinthians 12:10)—ἐπί having again a slightly local force, which can, however, hardly be brought out in English. For ἀνάγκη in its derived sense in Hellenistic Gk. of outward calamity or distress cf. Luke 21:23, 1 Corinthians 7:26, Pss. Son 5:8, Dittenberger Sylloge2 255, 23 f. ἐνἀνάγκαιςκαὶκακοπαθίαιςγένηται, and for the combination with θλίψις (1:6 note) cf. Job 15:24, Psalms 106. (107.) 6, 118. (119.) 143, Zephaniah 1:15. How little the Apostles were disturbed by this ‘ distress and affliction’ is proved by the emphatic διὰτ. ὑμ. πίστεως with which they return to the ground of comfort they have just received, and in so doing prepare the way for the striking declaration of the next verse.