2 Thessalonians 3:16 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace: the apostle is now taking his leave, and closing up his Epistle; and this he doth with prayer; and what he prays for is peace: and though the word peace hath various acceptations, and is of comprehensive signification, yet here it is to understood of brotherly peace and unity. Whether it was occasioned by any dissensions that were actually among them, or his fears of such to arise upon the practice of their duties to the disorderly among them, that he thus prays, is uncertain. And it is that which he much presseth and prays for in his several Epistles to the churches, as being that wherein the honour of the gospel, and their own comfort and edification, were so much concerned. And the person he prays to he styles the Lord of peace, whereby I suppose he means Jesus Christ, who is sometimes called the Prince of Peace, Isaiah 9:6; as God is called the God of peace, 1 Thessalonians 5:23. It is he that hath made peace between God and us, between the Jew and Gentile, and it is one of the fruits of his Spirit in the hearts of Christians, Galatians 5:22. True Christian peace is the gift of Christ, and therefore the apostle prays the Lord to give it, and saith, the Lord himself, as intimating none but he can give it, and that it is a singular blessing to enjoy it, as we must so interpret the phrase when at any other time we find it, as 1 Thessalonians 5:23. Always by all means: he shows both the desirableness and difficulty of peace. It is worth the using all endeavours for it, and without such we shall hardly attain it, as Romans 12:18: If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men; quite contrary to the temper and practice of some men, who will live peaceably with no man: and elsewhere we read of following peace; Hebrews 12:14, and seeking peace and pursuing it, 1 Peter 3:11, and endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, Ephesians 4:3. And the apostle prays for it in the text with much earnestness, and that they might enjoy it without interruption, always; that there might be no schism rise up among them at any time. And if we read the next words, in every thing, he prays that their peace might be universal with respect to opinions, words, and actions. And as a final farewell he addeth: The Lord be with you all; which shows his affection to them all, though he had reproved sharply the disorders that some were guilty of. And a greater thing he could not desire for them, it comprehends all blessings in it, and the very blessedness of heaven itself; as a usual farewell word, Adieu, is a recommending a person to God.