Philemon 1:9 (YLT)

Passage

because of the love I rather entreat, being such an one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ;

Nearby Context

Philemon 1:7 for we have much joy and comfort in thy love, because the bowels of the saints have been refreshed through thee, brother.

Philemon 1:8 Wherefore, having in Christ much boldness to command thee that which is fit--

Philemon 1:9 because of the love I rather entreat, being such an one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ;

Philemon 1:10 I entreat thee concerning my child--whom I did beget in my bonds--Onesimus,

Philemon 1:11 who once was to thee unprofitable, and now is profitable to me and to thee,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "love", "rather", "entreat", "such", "paul", "aged", "prisoner", and "jesus". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "love" and "rather", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "Wherefore having in Christ much boldness to..." into verse 10's "I entreat thee concerning my child--whom I...", so "love" and "rather" 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 "love" and "rather" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.