1 Timothy 1:4

1 Timothy 1:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.
• New International Version (NIV)or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work—which is by faith.
• New King James Version (NKJV)nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith.
• New Living Translation (NLT)Don’t let them waste their time in endless discussion of myths and spiritual pedigrees. These things only lead to meaningless speculations, which don’t help people live a life of faith in God.

Context of 1 Timothy 1:4

2To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 3As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. 5The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 6Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion,

1 Timothy 1:4 word by word

μηδὲ προσέχειν μύθοις καὶ γενεαλογίαις ἀπεράντοις, αἵτινες ἐκζητήσεις παρέχουσιν μᾶλλον ἢ οἰκονομίαν θεοῦ τὴν ἐν πίστει.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Neitherμηδέmēde · norG3366
• give heed toπροσέχωprosechō · to watch outG4337
• fablesμῦθοςmuthos · mythG3454
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• endlessἀπέραντοςaperantos · endlessG562
• genealogiesγενεαλογίαgenealogia · genealogyG1076
• whichὅστιςhostis hētis ho6ti · who/whichG3748
• ministerπαρέχωparechō · to furnish occasionG3930
• questionsζήτησιςzētēsis · controversyG2214
• ratherμᾶλλονmallon · more: ratherG3123
• thanἤē · orG2228
• godlyθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• edifyingοἰκοδομίαoikodomia · edificationG3620
• which isὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• faithπίστιςpistis · faithG4102

Cross-references for 1 Timothy 1:4

• 1 Timothy 4:7Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness;
• 1 Timothy 6:4he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions,
• 2 Timothy 2:14Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers.
• 2 Timothy 4:4and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.
• 2 Peter 1:16For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
• 2 Timothy 2:22So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.
• 1 Timothy 3:16Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.
• 1 Timothy 6:3If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness,
• 2 Corinthians 1:12For our boast is this, the testimony of our conscience, that we behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God, and supremely so toward you.
• 2 Corinthians 7:9As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us.
• Ephesians 4:12to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,
• Hebrews 13:9Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them.

Commentaries on 1 Timothy 1:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Neither give heed to fables - Idle fancies; things of no moment; doctrines and opinions unauthenticated; silly legends, of which no people ever possessed a greater stock than the Jews. Their Talmud abounds with them; and the English reader may find them in abundance in Stehlin's Jewish Traditions, 2 vols. 8vo. Endless genealogies - I suppose the apostle to mean those genealogies which were uncertain - that never could be made out, either in the ascending…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Neither give heed to fables - That is, that they should not bestow their attention on fables, or regard such trifles as of importance. The “fables” here referred to were probably the idle and puerile superstitions and conceits of the Jewish rabbies. The word rendered “fable” ( ͂ muthos) means properly “speech” or “discourse,” and then fable or fiction, or a mystic discourse. Such things abounded among the Greeks as well as the Jews, but it is probable…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4myths and endless genealogies … speculation: Paul might be dismissing their teachings as not significant, or he might rejecting their interpretations and their justification of bad behavior (1:7; see also 2 Timothy 4:3–4; Titus 1:14; 3:9; 2 Peter 1:16; 1 Timothy 1:8–11; 4:1–2, 7; see also Titus 1:15–16). endless genealogies: In Judaism, a genealogy (list of ancestors) established a person's spiritual heritage. The false teachers might have focused too…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. fables--legends about the origin and propagation of angels, such as the false teachers taught at Colosse (Col 2:18-23). "Jewish fables" (Tit 1:14). "Profane, and old wives' fables" (1Ti 4:7; 2Ti 4:4). genealogies--not merely such civil genealogies as were common among the Jews, whereby they traced their descent from the patriarchs, to which Paul would not object, and which he would not as here class with "fables," but Gnostic genealogies of spirits and…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Timothy 1:4

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

In the dictionaries

• Acceptation
• Blasphemer
• Charity
• Fable
• Heed
• Immortal
• Save
• Titus, Epistle to
• Apostolic Age
• Edification; Edify

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