2 Timothy 2:4
“No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →A soldier stays free of civilian entanglements so he can please the one who enlisted him; so must Timothy stay focused.
What Does 2 Timothy 2:4 Mean?
Paul develops the soldier image. An enlisted soldier keeps clear of the tangling affairs of ordinary life so that his full attention belongs to the one who called him to serve, aiming above all to please his commander.
The point is focus, not withdrawal from the world. The danger is entanglement, letting lesser concerns wrap around us until we lose sight of our true allegiance. Pleasing the One who enlisted us becomes the organizing aim of life. For the reader, this is a call to wholehearted devotion, untangling ourselves from whatever quietly competes for the loyalty owed to Christ. A focused life is a free life, unburdened by divided aims, fixed on serving and pleasing the Lord who chose us for His own.
In the Original Language
empleko (ἐμπλέκω), 'entangle' -- to weave or braid in, to get tangled up so that one cannot move freely.