12. ὑμᾶςδὲὁκύριος ... ] Ὑμᾶς emphatic, marking the Apostles’ desire that whatever the Lord may be proposing as regards themselves (‘ sive nos veniemus, sire minus’ Beng.), the Thessalonians at least will not come short in any good gift. Ὁκύριος may apply to God, but in view of the general Pauline usage, and the application of the title to Jesus in the preceding clause, it is best understood of Him again: cf. Add. Note D, and for prayer addressed to the Lord Jesus see Intr. p. 64. It is not easy to distinguish between πλεονάσαι and περισσεύσαι (for forms, WSchm. p. 114), but the latter verb is the stronger of the two, implying an overplus of love, and hence is often used by St Paul in referring to the Divine grace: cf. Romans 5:15; Romans 5:20 (ὑπερπερισσεύειν), 2 Corinthians 9:8, Ephesians 1:8, and see Fritzsche Röm. 1. p. 351. For its use here in connexion with ἀγάπῃ (for dat. cf. Acts 16:5, 2 Corinthians 3:9) cf. Philippians 1:9 ἵναἡἀγάπηὑμῶνἔτιμᾶλλονκαὶμᾶλλονπερισσεύῃἐνἐπιγνώσεικτλ., and Bacon’ s fine saying ‘ Sola charitas non admittit excessum’ (de augm. Scient. 7:3) cited by Gwynn ad loc. Chrys.: ὁρᾷςτὴνμανίαντῆςἀγάπηςτὴνἀκάθεκτον, τὴνδιὰτῶνῥημάτωνδεικνυμένην; ‘Πλεονάσαι, φησί, καὶπερισσεύσαι’, ἀντὶτοῦ, αὐξήσαι. This is one of the few passages in the N.T. where περισσεύειν is used transitively (Luke 15:17, 2 Corinthians 4:15(?), 9:8, Ephesians 1:8): the transitive use of πλεονάζειν (contrast 2 Thessalonians 1:3) can be paralleled only from the LXX. (Numb. 26:54, Psalms 70. (71.) 21). As regards the objects of this abounding love on the Thessalonians’ part, they are in the first instance their fellow-believers at Thessalonica (εἰςἀλλήλους), and then all men without distinction (εἰςπάντας), and not merely those of the same faith elsewhere (τ. ὁμοπίστους, Thdt.): cf. 5:15, and for the thought see Romans 12:16 f., Galatians 6:10, 1 Peter 2:17. καθάπερκ. ἡμεῖςκτλ.] a clause added to strengthen the Apostles’ prayer by an appeal to their own example. Thpht.: ἔχετεγὰρμέτρονκαὶπαράδειγματῆςἀγάπηςἡμᾶς. For καθάπερ see 2:11 note.