2 Timothy 4:14

‘Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord will render to him according to his works,’

Alexander was such a common name (which is why he is described as ‘the coppersmith’), that identification with other Alexanders mentioned elsewhere must be seen as uncertain. The evil that he did to Paul would seem to be connected in some way with his trial, for the description of that follows immediately. The Greek for ‘did me much evil’ is endeiknumi. It literally means ‘to show or demonstrate’, and was in fact often used to indicate the laying of information against a man by an informer. Informers were common in Rome at this time, being encouraged by the authorities, and those who bore a grudge would often inform on their neighbours, not necessarily honestly. It may well be that Alexander was a renegade co-worker of Paul, (a Judas), who went to the magistrates and laid false information against him, seeking to bring about his downfall because he had offended him in some way. Paul commits judgment on him to the Lord, for he is one who has denied the Lord (2 Timothy 2:12 b). Compare Psalms 62:12 which was probably in Paul’s mind.