2 Timothy 2:4 (DBY)

Passage

No one going as a soldier entangles himself with the affairs of life, that he may please him who has enlisted him as a soldier.

Nearby Context

2 Timothy 2:2 And the things thou hast heard of me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men, such as shall be competent to instruct others also.

2 Timothy 2:3 Take thy share in suffering as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

2 Timothy 2:4 No one going as a soldier entangles himself with the affairs of life, that he may please him who has enlisted him as a soldier.

2 Timothy 2:5 And if also any one contend [in the games], he is not crowned unless he contend lawfully.

2 Timothy 2:6 The husbandman must labour before partaking of the fruits.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "going", "soldier", "entangles", "himself", "affairs", "life", "please", and "enlisted". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "going" and "soldier", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 3's "Take thy share in suffering as a..." into verse 5's "And if also any one contend in...", so "going" and "soldier" belong inside that flow. In 2 Timothy context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "going" and "soldier" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.