Philemon 1:20

“Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord, &c.] Through the apostle was his spiritual father, having been the instrument of his conversion, yet he calls him his brother, as being a partaker of the same grace, and a minister of the same Gospel; and intimates to him, that should he grant his request, and receive his servant again, it would give him great joy and pleasure, and that not of a carnal, but of a spiritual kind, even joy in the Lord; he should rejoice in the presence of the Lord, and before him, concerning him; he should rejoice in his faith in the Lord, and love for him, and obedience to him; all which would be discovered in such a conduct: the Syriac version renders it, as…”

“let me--"me" is emphatic: "Let me have profit (so Greek 'for joy,' onainen, referring to the name Onesimus, 'profitable') from thee, as thou shouldst have had from Onesimus"; for "thou owest thine ownself to me." in the Lord--not in worldly gain, but in thine increase in the graces of the Lord's Spirit [ALFORD]. my bowels--my heart. Gratify my feelings by granting this request. in the Lord--The oldest manuscripts read, "in Christ," the element or sphere in which this act of Christian love naturally ought to have place.”

“Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord - “By showing me this favor in receiving my friend and brother as I request.” The phrase “in the Lord,” here seems to mean that, if this request was granted, he would recognize the hand of the Lord in it, and would receive it as a favor from him. Refresh my bowels in the Lord - The “bowels,” in the Scriptures, are uniformly spoken of as the seat of the affections - meaning commonly the upper viscera, embracing the heart and the lungs; compare the notes at Isaiah 16:11. The reason is, that in any deep emotion this part of our frame is peculiarly affected, or we feel it there. Compare Robinson’s Lex. on the word σπλάγχνον splangchnon See this…”

“Refresh my bowels in Christ - Give me the most exquisite and Christian pleasure. Philemon 1:22”

“1:20 do me this favor: Or let me have this benefit; Greek onaimēn (“favor, benefit”) might be a play on the name Onesimus, which can mean “beneficial” (cp. 1:11).”

“let me: Co2 2:2, Co2 7:4-7, Co2 7:13; Phi 2:2, Phi 4:1; Th1 2:19, Th1 2:20, Th1 3:7-9; Heb 13:17; Jo3 1:4 refresh: Plm 1:7, Plm 1:12; Phi 1:8, Phi 2:1; Jo1 3:17 Philemon 1:21”