1 Timothy 4:7

1 Timothy 4:7 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.
• New International Version (NIV)Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness;
• New King James Version (NKJV)But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness.

Context of 1 Timothy 4:7

5God has said that it is good. We should pray that he will bless it. Because of that, it becomes good and clean for us to eat. 6You must explain these things to the believers and teach them God's true message. If you do that, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus. Continue to study the message about Jesus that you have already learned. That will help you to be strong. But you must refuse to listen to false stories. Stories like that are not from God and only silly people believe them. Instead, learn to live well in a way that makes God happy. 8People say this: ‘If a person works to make his body strong and healthy, that will help him a little. But if a person works to live in a way that makes God happy, that will help him much more. It will help that person in his life now on earth. It will also help him in his future life with God in heaven.’ 9We know that those words are true. Everyone should agree with them.

1 Timothy 4:7 word by word

τοὺς δὲ βεβήλους καὶ γραώδεις μύθους παραιτοῦ· γύμναζε δὲ σεαυτὸν πρὸς εὐσέβειαν.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Butδέde · thenG1161
• refuseπαραιτέομαιparaiteomai · to refuse/excuseG3868
• profaneβέβηλοςbebēlos · profaneG952
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• old wives’γραώδηςgraōdēs · old wives’ taleG1126
• fablesμῦθοςmuthos · mythG3454
• exerciseγυμνάζωgumnazō · to trainG1128
• thyselfσεαυτοῦseautou seautō seauton sautou sautō sauton · yourselfG4572
• untoπρόςpros · to/withG4314
• godlinessεὐσέβειαeusebeia · pietyG2150

Cross-references for 1 Timothy 4:7

• 1 Timothy 1:4Tell people not to listen to false stories. They should not always be studying long lists of their families' names from years ago. Those things do not help people. They only cause them to argue. Instead, they need to understand God's purpose for us. To do that, people must trust him.
• 1 Timothy 6:20Timothy, God has given you his true message to tell people. You must keep that message safe. Do not listen to people who say a lot of silly things that are not important to God. Those people think that they have special knowledge. But their ideas are against God's true message.
• 2 Timothy 2:16But stay away from people who talk about silly things that are not important to God. A message like that causes people to live more and more in a way that does not please God.
• 2 Timothy 4:4People will refuse to listen to God's true message. Instead, they will want to listen to silly stories that are false.
• 1 Timothy 2:10Christian women should not dress themselves like that. Instead, their lives should show that they do good things. They say that they want to please God, so that is the proper way for them to live.
• 1 Timothy 3:16Yes, the message that God has shown us about Jesus Christ is very great. We all agree to this: God showed him to us as a man. God's Spirit showed that he always did what was right. Angels saw him. People taught his message in many countries of the world. People in the world believed in him. God took him up to be with himself in heaven.
• 1 Timothy 6:11But you, Timothy, are a servant of God. So keep away from all bad things like that. Instead, always try to do what is right. Serve God in a way that pleases him. Choose to trust God and to love other people. Continue to be strong when you have trouble. Be kind to people.
• Acts 24:16Because of that, I always try to do what is right. I do not want to do anything bad against God or against other people.
• 2 Timothy 3:12It is not only me. Every Christian who wants to live in a way that pleases God will have trouble from other people.
• Hebrews 5:14People who have grown up eat proper food. In the same way, people who have been believers for a long time should understand more about God's message. They should have learned about what is good and about what is bad. They should know the difference between those.
• 2 Peter 1:5God has done all this to help you. So now that you believe in Christ, you must grow as believers. Try very much to do always what is good. Then you should grow to know God more and more.

Commentaries on 1 Timothy 4:7

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7But refuse profane and old wives' fables - This seems to refer particularly to the Jews, whose Talmudical writings are stuffed with the most ridiculous and profane fables that ever disgraced the human intellect. It may with equal propriety be applied to the legends of the Romish Church. Let any man read the Aurea Legenda, and he will find of profane and old wives' fables what may stand, with considerable propriety, column for column with the Talmud. See…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7But refuse - That is, refuse to pay attention to them, or reject them. Do not consider them of sufficient importance to occupy your time. Profane - The word here used does not mean that the fables here referred to were blasphemous or impious in their character, but that they had not the character of true religion; 2 Timothy 2:16. d And old wives‘ - Old women‘s stories; or such as old women held to be important. The word is used here, as it is often with…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. 6-16Timothy needs to address the false teachers (see 2 Timothy 3:1–4:5).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 77. refuse--reject, avoid, have nothing to do with (2Ti 2:23; Tit 3:10). old wives' fables--anile myths (1Ti 1:4, 9; Tit 1:14). They are "profane," because leading away from "godliness" or "piety" (1Ti 1:4-7; 6:20; 2Ti 2:16; Tit 1:1, 2). exercise thyself--literally, "exercise thyself" as one undergoing training in a gymnasium. Let thy self-discipline be not in ascetical exercises as the false teachers (1Ti 4:3, 8; compare 2Ti 2:22, 23; He 5:14; 12:11), but…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Timothy 4:7

• Commandments
• Doctrines
• Fable
• Minister, Christian
• Sarcasm
• Tradition

In the dictionaries

• Attendance
• Charge
• Example
• Fable
• Godliness
• Nourish
• Presbytery
• Profane
• Profiting
• Thanksgiving

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