Philemon 1:19 (YLT)

Passage

I, Paul did write with my hand, I--I will repay; that I may not say that also thyself, besides, to me thou dost owe.

Nearby Context

Philemon 1:17 If, then, with me thou hast fellowship, receive him as me,

Philemon 1:18 and if he did hurt to thee, or doth owe anything, this to me be reckoning;

Philemon 1:19 I, Paul did write with my hand, I--I will repay; that I may not say that also thyself, besides, to me thou dost owe.

Philemon 1:20 Yes, brother, may I have profit of thee in the Lord; refresh my bowels in the Lord;

Philemon 1:21 having been confident in thy obedience I did write to thee, having known that also above what I may say thou wilt do;

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "paul", "write", "hand", "i--i", "repay", "thyself", "besides", and "thou". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "paul" and "write", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 18's "and if he did hurt to thee..." into verse 20's "Yes brother may I have profit of...", so "paul" and "write" 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 "paul" and "write" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.