1 Timothy 1:7

1 Timothy 1:7 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.
• New International Version (NIV)They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.
• English Standard Version (ESV)desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.
• New King James Version (NKJV)desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm.

Context of 1 Timothy 1:7

5Now the goal of our instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith. 6Some have departed from these and turned aside to fruitless discussion. They want to be teachers of the law, although they don’t understand what they are saying or what they are insisting on. 8But we know that the law is good, provided one uses it legitimately. 9We know that the law is not meant for a righteous person, but for the lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinful, for the unholy and irreverent, for those who kill their fathers and mothers, for murderers,

1 Timothy 1:7 word by word

θέλοντες εἶναι νομοδιδάσκαλοι, μὴ νοοῦντες μήτε ἃ λέγουσιν μήτε περὶ τίνων διαβεβαιοῦνται.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·μήmē · notG3361
• ·τίςtis · which?G5101
• Desiringθέλωthelō ethelō · to will/desireG2309
• to beεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• teachers of the lawνομοδιδάσκαλοςnomodidaskalos · teacher of the lawG3547
• understandingνοέωnoieō · to understandG3539
• neitherμήτεmēte · neitherG3383
• whatὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• they sayλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• whereofπερίperi · aboutG4012
• they affirmδιαβεβαιόωdiabebaioomai · to insistG1226

Cross-references for 1 Timothy 1:7

• Acts 15:1Some men came down from Judea and began to teach the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom prescribed by Moses, you cannot be saved.”
• Romans 2:19and if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light to those in darkness,
• Galatians 3:2I only want to learn this from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by believing what you heard?
• Galatians 4:21Tell me, you who want to be under the law, don’t you hear the law?
• Galatians 5:3Again I testify to every man who gets himself circumcised that he is obligated to do the entire law.
• 1 Timothy 6:4he is conceited and understands nothing, but has an unhealthy interest in disputes and arguments over words. From these come envy, quarreling, slander, evil suspicions,
• Isaiah 29:13The Lord said: These people approach me with their speeches to honor me with lip-service, yet their hearts are far from me, and human rules direct their worship of me.
• Jeremiah 8:8“How can you claim, ‘We are wise; the law of the Lord is with us’? In fact, the lying pen of scribes has produced falsehood.
• Matthew 15:14Leave them alone! They are blind guides. And if the blind guide the blind, both will fall into a pit.”
• Matthew 21:27So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.
• Matthew 23:16“Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever takes an oath by the temple, it means nothing. But whoever takes an oath by the gold of the temple is bound by his oath.’
• John 3:9“How can these things be?” asked Nicodemus.
• John 9:40Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard these things and asked him, “We aren’t blind too, are we?”
• Romans 1:22Claiming to be wise, they became fools
• 2 Timothy 3:7always learning and never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.
• 2 Peter 2:12But these people, like irrational animals — creatures of instinct born to be caught and destroyed — slander what they do not understand, and in their destruction they too will be destroyed.

Commentaries on 1 Timothy 1:7

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7Teachers of the law - To be esteemed or celebrated as rabbins; to be reputed cunning in solving knotty questions and enigmas, which answered no end to true religion. Of such the rabbinical teaching was full. Understanding neither what they say - This is evident from almost all the Jewish comments which yet remain. Things are asserted which are either false or dubious; words, the import of which they did not understand, were brought to illustrate them: so…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7Desiring to be teachers of the law - That is, to have the credit and reputation of being well versed in the law of Moses, and qualified to explain it to others. This was a high honor among the Jews, and these teachers laid claim to the same distinction. Understanding neither what they say - That is, they do not understand the true nature and design of that law which they attempt to explain to others. This was true of the Jewish teachers, and equally so of…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 5-11Verses 5-11 Whatever tends to weaken love to God, or love to the brethren, tends to defeat the end of the commandment. The design of the gospel is answered, when sinners, through repentance towards God and faith in Jesus Christ, are brought to exercise Christian love. And as believers were righteous persons in God's appointed way, the law was not against them. But unless we are made righteous by faith in Christ, really repenting and forsaking sin, we are…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7They wanted to teach the law of Moses, but this desire showed the irony of their thoughts in contrast to their actions. They did not interpret the law very well according to the good news about Jesus. They neither understood nor followed the law (see 1:8–11).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 77. Sample of their "vain talk" (1Ti 1:6). Desiring--They are would-be teachers, not really so. the law--the Jewish law (Tit 1:14; 3:9). The Judaizers here meant seem to be distinct from those impugned in the Epistles to the Galatians and Romans, who made the works of the law necessary to justification in opposition to Gospel grace. The Judaizers here meant corrupted the law with "fables," which they pretended to found on it, subversive of morals as well…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Timothy 1:7

• Doctor
• Doctrines
• Minister, Christian
• Strife
• Vanity

In the dictionaries

• Acceptation
• Blasphemer
• Charity
• Heed
• Immortal
• Save
• Confidence
• Zenas

Commentaries on 1 Timothy 1

• 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