2 Timothy 4:16 (DBY)

Passage

At my first defence no man stood with me, but all deserted me. May it not be imputed to them.

Nearby Context

2 Timothy 4:14 Alexander the smith did many evil things against me. The Lord will render to him according to his works.

2 Timothy 4:15 Against whom be *thou* also on thy guard, for he has greatly withstood our words.

2 Timothy 4:16 At my first defence no man stood with me, but all deserted me. May it not be imputed to them.

2 Timothy 4:17 But the Lord stood with [me], and gave me power, that through me the proclamation might be fully made, and all [those of] the nations should hear; and I was delivered out of the lion's mouth.

2 Timothy 4:18 The Lord shall deliver me from every wicked work, and shall preserve [me] for his heavenly kingdom; to whom [be] glory for the ages of ages. Amen.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "first", "defence", "stood", "deserted", and "imputed". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "first" and "defence", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "Against whom be thou also on thy..." into verse 17's "But the Lord stood with me and...", so "first" and "defence" 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 "first" and "defence" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.