English Standard Version
1 Timothy 5:4
4But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God.
1 Timothy 5:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)But if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to shew piety at home, and to requite their parents: for that is good and acceptable before God.
- New International Version (NIV)But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God.
- New King James Version (NKJV)But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show piety at home and to repay their parents; for this is good and acceptable before God.
- New Living Translation (NLT)But if she has children or grandchildren, their first responsibility is to show godliness at home and repay their parents by taking care of them. This is something that pleases God.
Context of 1 Timothy 5:4
2older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity. 3Honor widows who are truly widows. But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God. 5She who is truly a widow, left all alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day, 6but she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives.
Read all of 1 Timothy 51 Timothy 5:4 word by word
εἰ δέ τις χήρα τέκνα ἢ ἔκγονα ἔχει, μανθανέτωσαν πρῶτον τὸν ἴδιον οἶκον εὐσεβεῖν καὶ ἀμοιβὰς ἀποδιδόναι τοῖς προγόνοις· τοῦτο γάρ ἐστιν ἀπόδεκτον ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Butδέde · thenG1161
- ifεἰei · ifG1487
- anyτιςtis · oneG5100
- widowχήραchēra · widowG5503
- haveἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
- childrenτέκνονteknon · childG5043
- orἤē · orG2228
- nephewsἔκγονοςekgonon · descendantG1549
- let them learnμανθάνωmanthanō · to learnG3129
- firstπρῶτονprōton · firstG4412
- to shew pietyεὐσεβέωeusebeō · to show pietyG2151
- at homeὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- at homeοἶκοςoikos · house: householdG3624
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- to requiteἀποδίδωμιapodidōmi · to payG591
- their parentsπρόγονοςprogonos · parent/ancestorG4269
- forγάρgar · forG1063
- thatοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
- isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- goodκαλόςkalos · goodG2570
- acceptableἀπόδεκτοςapodektos · pleasingG587
- beforeἐνώπιονenōpion · beforeG1799
- Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- ·ἴδιοςidios · one's own/privateG2398
- ·ἀμοιβήamoibē · repaymentG287
Cross-references for 1 Timothy 5:4
- Judges 12:14He had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy donkeys, and he judged Israel eight years.
- Job 18:19He has no posterity or progeny among his people, and no survivor where he used to live.
- Isaiah 14:22"I will rise up against them," declares the Lord of hosts, "and will cut off from Babylon name and remnant, descendants and posterity," declares the Lord.
- 1 Samuel 22:3And David went from there to Mizpeh of Moab. And he said to the king of Moab, "Please let my father and my mother stay with you, till I know what God will do for me."
- Proverbs 31:28Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:
- Luke 2:51And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.
- John 19:26When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son!"
- Matthew 15:4For God commanded, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.'
- Mark 7:11But you say, 'If a man tells his father or his mother, "Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban"' (that is, given to God)—
- Genesis 45:10You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children's children, and your flocks, your herds, and all that you have.
- Genesis 47:12And Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all his father's household with food, according to the number of their dependents.
- Ruth 2:2And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, "Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I shall find favor." And she said to her, "Go, my daughter."
- Ephesians 6:1Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
- 1 Timothy 2:3This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior,
Commentaries on 1 Timothy 5:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4But if any widow have children or nephews - This shows that widows indeed are those that have neither children nor nephews, i.e. no relatives that either will or can help them, or no near relatives alive. Let them learn first to show piety at home - Let these children and nephews provide for their aged or helpless parents or relatives, and not burden the Church with them while they are able to support them. And to requite their parents - · Let them learn…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4But if any widow have children - Who would be dependent on her care, and who might themselves contribute to her support. Or nephews - The word nephew now commonly means the son of a brother or sister. Formerly the English word also meant grandchildren, or descendants of any description. Webster. The Greek word here - ̓́ ekgona- has the latter meaning. It denotes those “sprung from or born of;” and then descendants of any kind - sons, daughters…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 3-8Verses 3-8 Honour widows that are widows indeed, relieve them, and maintain them. It is the duty of children, if their parents are in need, and they are able to relieve them, to do it to the utmost of their power. Widowhood is a desolate state; but let widows trust in the Lord, and continue in prayer. All who live in pleasure, are dead while they live, spiritually dead, dead in trespasses and sins. Alas, what numbers there are of this description among…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-16A widow without wealth or family was alone in a world that did not support her. The Christian community was expected to care for such widows among its members (see Deuteronomy 10:17–19; Isaiah 1:17; compare Acts 6:1–6; James 1:27). Some suggest this passage implies a religious order of widows in the first-century AD church at Ephesus. However, there is no obvious evidence of such an order, only of a ministry to help community members without financial…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. if any widow have children--not "a widow indeed," as having children who ought to support her. nephews--rather, as Greek, "descendants," or "grandchildren" [Hesychius]. "Nephews" in old English meant "grandchildren" [Hooker, Ecclesiastical Polity, 5.20]. let them--the children and descendants. learn first--ere it falls to the Church to support them. to show piety at home--filial piety towards their widowed mother or grandmother, by giving her…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Timothy 5:4
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 Timothy 5
- 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
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