American Standard Version
1 Timothy 4:8
8for bodily exercise is profitable for a little; but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life which now is, and of that which is to come.
1 Timothy 4:8 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.
- New International Version (NIV)For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.
- English Standard Version (ESV)for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.
- New King James Version (NKJV)For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.
Context of 1 Timothy 4:8
6If thou put the brethren in mind of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished in the words of the faith, and of the good doctrine which thou hast followed until now: 7but refuse profane and old wives’ fables. And exercise thyself unto godliness: for bodily exercise is profitable for a little; but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life which now is, and of that which is to come. 9Faithful is the saying, and worthy of all acceptation. 10For to this end we labor and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of them that believe.
Read all of 1 Timothy 41 Timothy 4:8 word by word
ἡ γὰρ σωματικὴ γυμνασία πρὸς ὀλίγον ἐστὶν ὠφέλιμος, ἡ δὲ εὐσέβεια πρὸς πάντα ὠφέλιμός ἐστιν ἐπαγγελίαν ἔχουσα ζωῆς τῆς νῦν καὶ τῆς μελλούσης.Read the interlinear
- bodilyσωματικόςsōmatikos · bodilyG4984
- isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- profitableὠφέλιμοςōphelimos · valuableG5624
- littleὀλίγοςoligos · little/fewG3641
- godlinessεὐσέβειαeusebeia · pietyG2150
- thingsπᾶςpas · allG3956
- promiseἐπαγγελίαepaggelia · promiseG1860
- lifeζωήzōē · lifeG2222
- nowδέde · thenG1161
- comeμέλλωmellō · to ensueG3195
Cross-references for 1 Timothy 4:8
- 1 Samuel 15:22And Samuel said, Hath Jehovah as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of Jehovah? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
- Psalms 50:7Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify unto thee: I am God, even thy God.
- Isaiah 1:11What unto me is the multitude of your sacrifices? saith Jehovah: I have had enough of the burnt-offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he-goats.
- Isaiah 58:3Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find your own pleasure, and exact all your labors.
- Jeremiah 6:20To what purpose cometh there to me frankincense from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a far country? your burnt-offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices pleasing unto me.
- Amos 5:21I hate, I despise your feasts, and I will take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
- 1 Corinthians 8:8But food will not commend us to God: neither, if we eat not, are we the worse; nor, if we eat, are we the better.
- Colossians 2:21Handle not, nor taste, nor touch
- Hebrews 13:9Be not carried away by divers and strange teachings: for it is good that the heart be established by grace; not by meats, wherein they that occupied themselves were not profited.
- Hebrews 9:9which is a figure for the time present; according to which are offered both gifts and sacrifices that cannot, as touching the conscience, make the worshipper perfect,
- 1 Timothy 6:6But godliness with contentment is great gain:
- Job 22:2Can a man be profitable unto God? Surely he that is wise is profitable unto himself.
- Deuteronomy 28:1And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of Jehovah thy God, to observe to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that Jehovah thy God will set thee on high above all the nations of the earth:
- Job 5:19He will deliver thee in six troubles; Yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee.
- Psalms 37:3Trust in Jehovah, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed onhisfaithfulness.
- Psalms 84:11For Jehovah God is a sun and a shield: Jehovah will give grace and glory; No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
Commentaries on 1 Timothy 4:8
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8For bodily exercise profiteth little - . Those gymnastic exercises, so highly esteemed among the Greeks, are but little worth; they are but of short duration; they refer only to this life, and to the applause of men: but godliness has the promise of this life, and the life to come; it is profitable for all things; and for both time and eternity. But godliness is profitable unto all things - By godliness we are to understand every thing that the Christian…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8For bodily exercise profiteth little - Margin, “for a little time.” The Greek will admit of either interpretation, and what is here affirmed is true in either sense. The bodily exercise to which the apostle refers is of little advantage compared with that piety which he recommended Timothy to cultivate, and whatever advantage could be derived from it, would be but of short duration. “Bodily exercise” here refers, doubtless, to the mortifications of the…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 6-10Verses 6-10 Outward acts of self-denial profit little. What will it avail us to mortify the body, if we do not mortify sin? No diligence in mere outward things could be of much use. The gain of godliness lies much in the promise; and the promises to godly people relate partly to the life that now is, but especially to the life which is to come: though we lose for Christ, we shall not lose by him. If Christ be thus the Saviour of all men, then much more…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8-9physical exercise … godliness: Compare with 1 Corinthians 9:24–27 and Colossians 2:23. holding promise for the present life and for the one to come: Compare with 1 Timothy 4:16, 6:6–8, Mark 10:29–30, and Ephesians 6:2–3. trustworthy saying: See study note on 1 Timothy 1:15.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. profiteth little--Greek, "profiteth to (but) a small extent." Paul does not deny that fasting and abstinence from conjugal intercourse for a time, with a view to reaching the inward man through the outward, do profit somewhat, Ac 13:3; 1Co 7:5, 7; 9:26, 27 (though in its degenerate form, asceticism, dwelling solely on what is outward, 1Ti 4:3, is not only not profitable but injurious). Timothy seems to have had a leaning to such outward self-discipline…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Timothy 4:8
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 Timothy 4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain
Commentaries