Philemon 1:20
“Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord: refresh my bowels in the Lord.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Paul appeals warmly for Philemon to grant him this joy and to refresh his heart in the Lord by receiving Onesimus.
What Does Philemon 1:20 Mean?
With a heartfelt yea, brother, Paul brings his plea to its emotional peak. He asks Philemon to let him have joy, to refresh his bowels, his deep affections, in the Lord. The very word he used earlier for Philemon refreshing the saints now returns as Paul's own request.
Paul, who praised Philemon for refreshing others, now asks to be refreshed himself by the same kindness shown to Onesimus. The appeal is grounded entirely in the Lord; this is not personal favoritism but fellowship in Christ. The verse reveals how intertwined believers' joys are: one act of grace toward the least can gladden the heart of a brother far away, for they are one in Him.