Philemon 1:20 (DRB)

Passage

Yea, brother. May I enjoy thee in the Lord! Refresh my bowels in the Lord.

Nearby Context

Philemon 1:18 And if he hath wronged thee in any thing or is in thy debt, put that to my account.

Philemon 1:19 I Paul have written it with my own hand: I will repay it: not to say to thee that thou owest me thy own self also.

Philemon 1:20 Yea, brother. May I enjoy thee in the Lord! Refresh my bowels in the Lord.

Philemon 1:21 Trusting in thy obedience, I have written to thee: knowing that thou wilt also do more than I say.

Philemon 1:22 But withal prepare me also a lodging. For I hope that through your prayers I shall be given unto you.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "brother", "enjoy", "thee", "lord", "refresh", and "bowels". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "brother" and "enjoy", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 19's "I Paul have written it with my..." into verse 21's "Trusting in thy obedience I have written...", so "brother" and "enjoy" belong inside that flow. In Philemon context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

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