Passage
The salutation by the hand of me, Paul, which is [the] mark in every letter; so I write.
2 Thessalonians 3:17 (DBY)
Nearby Context
2 Thessalonians 3:15 and do not esteem him as an enemy, but admonish [him] as a brother.
2 Thessalonians 3:16 But the Lord of peace himself give you peace continually in every way. The Lord [be] with you all.
2 Thessalonians 3:17 The salutation by the hand of me, Paul, which is [the] mark in every letter; so I write.
2 Thessalonians 3:18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ [be] with you all.
Study Lenses
The verse centers on "salutation", "hand", "paul", "mark", "letter", and "write". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "salutation" and "hand", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.
The nearby context moves from verse 16's "But the Lord of peace himself give..." into verse 18's "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ...", so "salutation" and "hand" belong inside that flow. In 2 Thessalonians context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.
A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "salutation" and "hand" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.