Thirdly, the Christian worker is compared to a farmer, with special emphasis on the farmer’s whole-hearted devotion to his task.

Hard-working is literally “to work hard,” “to toil,” which implies going through suffering, a point emphasized in verse 3. This verb is used often in the Pauline letters in relation to pastoral work and is therefore appropriate in the present context, where Timothy is receiving advice for his pastoral ministry. See further on 1 Tim 4.10 (“toil”) and 5.17 (“labor”).

Such a hard-working farmer ought to have the first share of the crops. Ought suggests the idea of compulsion and necessity, which means that the hard-working farmer has a legitimate claim on the crops. What is not clear, though, is the antecedent of first. There are various possibilities: (1) The hard-working farmer has the right to be the first to receive a share of the crops. This is reflected in several translations; for example, Revised English Bible “The farmer who does the work has first claim on the crop”; “And farmers who work hard are the first to eat what grows in their field” (Contemporary English Version; also New Jerusalem Bible, New International Version). (2) A farmer has to work hard first before he can have a share of the crops. No translation follows this option. Besides, it is hard to see that the Greek would support this interpretation. (3) The first share of the crops (a designated portion) should be given to the farmer who works hard. This is the sense that comes out in a literal translation; for example, Revised Standard Version, New Revised Standard Version, New American Bible, Revised. On the whole the first of these options seems to reflect the intention of the verse. The background of this understanding is found in the Old Testament; for example, Deut 20.6 and Pro 27.18; compare 1 Cor 9.7, where a similar figure is used.

Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Paul’s Second Letter to Timothy. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1995. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .