English Standard Version
1 Timothy 3:5
5for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church?
1 Timothy 3:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)(For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)
- New International Version (NIV)(If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?)
- New King James Version (NKJV)(for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?);
- New Living Translation (NLT)For if a man cannot manage his own household, how can he take care of God’s church?
Context of 1 Timothy 3:5
3not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church? 6He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.
Read all of 1 Timothy 31 Timothy 3:5 word by word
Εἰ δέ τις τοῦ ἰδίου οἴκου προστῆναι οὐκ οἶδεν, πῶς ἐκκλησίας θεοῦ ἐπιμελήσεται;Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Forδέde · thenG1161
- ifεἰei · ifG1487
- a manτιςtis · oneG5100
- knowεἴδωeidō · to perceive: understandG1492
- notοὐou · noG3756
- to ruleπροΐστημιproistēmi · to set beforeG4291
- his ownἴδιοςidios · one's own/privateG2398
- houseοἶκοςoikos · house: householdG3624
- howπῶςpōs · how?!G4459
- shall he take careἐπιμελέομαιepimeleomai · to careG1959
- of the churchἐκκλησίαekklēsia · assemblyG1577
- of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
Cross-references for 1 Timothy 3:5
- 1 Samuel 2:29Why then do you scorn my sacrifices and my offerings that I commanded for my dwelling, and honor your sons above me by fattening yourselves on the choicest parts of every offering of my people Israel?'
- 1 Samuel 3:13And I declare to him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them.
- 1 Timothy 3:15if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.
- Acts 20:28Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.
- Ephesians 1:22And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church,
- Ephesians 5:24Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.
Commentaries on 1 Timothy 3:5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5For if a man know not - Method is a matter of great importance in all the affairs of life. It is a true saying, He that does little with his head must do much with his hands; and even then the business is not half done for want of method. Now, he who has a proper method of doing business will show it in every affair of life, even the least. He who has a disorderly family has no government of that family; he probably has none because he has no method, no…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5For if a man know not how to rule - This is a beautiful and striking argument. A church resembles a family. It is, indeed, larger, and there is a greater variety of dispositions in it than there is in a family. The authority of a minister of the gospel in a church is also less absolute than that of a father. But still there is a striking resemblance. The church is made up of an assemblage of brothers and sisters. They are banded together for the same…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4-5The church, seen as a household, shared similarities with a family household (3:15). An overseer's ability to manage one area showed his skill in the other (see also 3:12; 5:17; Romans 12:8; 1 Thessalonians 5:12). Greek and Roman households were united by family bonds with shared responsibilities, roles, and management. The household included relatives by blood living together and other dependents, such as household servants.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. For--Greek, "But." the church--rather, "a church" or congregation. How shall he who cannot perform the lesser function, perform the greater and more difficult?Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Timothy 3:5
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 Timothy 3
- 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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries