1 Timothy 2:4

1 Timothy 2:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
• New International Version (NIV)who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
• English Standard Version (ESV)who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
• New King James Version (NKJV)who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Context of 1 Timothy 2:4

2for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. 3This is good, and it pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6who gave himself as a ransom for all, a testimony at the proper time.

1 Timothy 2:4 word by word

ὃς πάντας ἀνθρώπους θέλει σωθῆναι καὶ εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν ἀληθείας ἐλθεῖν.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Whoὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• will haveθέλωthelō ethelō · to will/desireG2309
• allπᾶςpas · allG3956
• menἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
• to be savedσῴζωsōzō · to saveG4982
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• to comeἔρχομαιerchomai · to come/goG2064
• untoεἰςeis · towardG1519
• the knowledgeἐπίγνωσιςepignōsis · knowledgeG1922
• of the truthἀλήθειαalētheia · truthG225

Cross-references for 1 Timothy 2:4

• Isaiah 45:22Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth. For I am God, and there is no other.
• Isaiah 49:6he says, “It is not enough for you to be my servant raising up the tribes of Jacob and restoring the protected ones of Israel. I will also make you a light for the nations, to be my salvation to the ends of the earth.”
• Isaiah 55:1“Come, everyone who is thirsty, come to the water; and you without silver, come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without silver and without cost!
• Ezekiel 18:23Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked?” This is the declaration of the Lord God. “Instead, don’t I take pleasure when he turns from his ways and lives?
• Ezekiel 33:11Tell them, ‘As I live — this is the declaration of the Lord God — I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked person should turn from his way and live. Repent, repent of your evil ways! Why will you die, house of Israel?’
• Luke 14:23“Then the master told the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges and make them come in, so that my house may be filled.
• John 3:15so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
• John 6:37Everyone the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will never cast out.
• Romans 3:29Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too,
• 2 Corinthians 5:17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!
• 1 Thessalonians 2:15who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and persecuted us. They displease God and are hostile to everyone,
• 2 Peter 3:9The Lord does not delay his promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.
• Matthew 28:19Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
• Mark 16:15Then he said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.
• Luke 24:47and repentance for forgiveness of sins will be proclaimed in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
• Romans 10:12since there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, because the same Lord of all richly blesses all who call on him.

Commentaries on 1 Timothy 2:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Who will have all men to be saved - Because he wills the salvation of all men; therefore, he wills that all men should be prayed for. In the face of such a declaration, how can any Christian soul suppose that God ever unconditionally and eternally reprobated any man? Those who can believe so, one would suppose, can have little acquaintance either with the nature of God, or the bowels of Christ. And to come unto the knowledge of the truth - The truth - the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Who will have all men to be saved - That is, it is in accordance with his nature, his feelings, his desires. The word “will” cannot be taken here in the absolute sense, denoting a decree like that by which he willed the creation of the world, for then it would certainly be done. But the word is often used to denote a desire, wish, or what is in accordance with the nature of anyone. Thus it may be said of God that he “wills” that his creatures may be happy…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-7Here, prayer focuses on the church’s mission. This suggests that false teachers damaged the church's reputation in society and hindered its mission to non-Jewish people (see 3:6–7; 6:1; Titus 2:5).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. "Imitate God." Since He wishes that all should be saved, do you also wish it; and if you wish it, pray for it. For prayer is the instrument of effecting such things [Chrysostom]. Paul does not say, "He wishes to save all"; for then he would have saved all in matter of fact; but "will have all men to be saved," implies the possibility of man's accepting it (through God's prevenient grace) or rejecting it (through man's own perversity). Our prayers ought…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Timothy 2:4

• Gospel
• Minister, Christian
• Salvation
• Wisdom

In the dictionaries

• Lead
• Verity
• Love
• Mystery
• Regeneration
• Repentance
• Restoration
• Timothy, Epistles of Paul to

Commentaries on 1 Timothy 2

• 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