2 Timothy 4:16 (YLT)

Passage

in my first defence no one stood with me, but all forsook me, (may it not be reckoned to them!)

Nearby Context

2 Timothy 4:14 Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil; may the Lord repay to him according to his works,

2 Timothy 4:15 of whom also do thou beware, for greatly hath he stood against our words;

2 Timothy 4:16 in my first defence no one stood with me, but all forsook me, (may it not be reckoned to them!)

2 Timothy 4:17 and the Lord stood by me, and did strengthen me, that through me the preaching might be fully assured, and all the nations might hear, and I was freed out of the mouth of a lion,

2 Timothy 4:18 and the Lord shall free me from every evil work, and shall save <FI>me<Fi> --to his heavenly kingdom; to whom <FI>is<Fi> the glory to the ages of the ages! Amen.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "first", "defence", "stood", "forsook", and "reckoned". 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 "of whom also do thou beware for..." into verse 17's "and the Lord stood by 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.