God’s Word Translation
1 Timothy 1:7
7They want to be experts in Moses’ Teachings. However, they don’t understand what they’re talking about or the things about which they speak so confidently.
1 Timothy 1:7 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.
- New International Version (NIV)They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.
- English Standard Version (ESV)desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.
- New King James Version (NKJV)desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm.
Context of 1 Timothy 1:7
5My goal in giving you this order is for love to flow from a pure heart, from a clear conscience, and from a sincere faith. 6Some people have left these qualities behind and have turned to useless discussions. They want to be experts in Moses’ Teachings. However, they don’t understand what they’re talking about or the things about which they speak so confidently. 8We know that the laws in Moses’ Teachings are good if they are used as they were intended to be used. 9For example, a person must realize that those laws are not intended for people who have God’s approval. Laws are intended for lawbreakers and rebels, for ungodly people and sinners, for those who think nothing is holy or sacred, for those who kill their fathers, their mothers, or other people.
Read all of 1 Timothy 11 Timothy 1:7 word by word
θέλοντες εἶναι νομοδιδάσκαλοι, μὴ νοοῦντες μήτε ἃ λέγουσιν μήτε περὶ τίνων διαβεβαιοῦνται.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·μήmē · notG3361
- ·τίςtis · which?G5101
- Desiringθέλωthelō ethelō · to will/desireG2309
- to beεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- teachers of the lawνομοδιδάσκαλοςnomodidaskalos · teacher of the lawG3547
- understandingνοέωnoieō · to understandG3539
- neitherμήτεmēte · neitherG3383
- whatὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
- they sayλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- whereofπερίperi · aboutG4012
- they affirmδιαβεβαιόωdiabebaioomai · to insistG1226
Cross-references for 1 Timothy 1:7
- Acts 15:1Some men came from Judea and started to teach believers that people can’t be saved unless they are circumcised as Moses’ Teachings require.
- Romans 2:19You are confident that you are a guide for the blind, a light to those in the dark,
- Galatians 3:2I want to learn only one thing from you. Did you receive the Spirit by your own efforts to follow the laws in the Scriptures or by believing what you heard?
- Galatians 4:21Those who want to be controlled by Moses’ laws should tell me something. Are you really listening to what Moses’ Teachings say?
- Galatians 5:3Again, I insist that everyone who allows himself to be circumcised must realize that he obligates himself to do everything Moses’ Teachings demand.
- 1 Timothy 6:4is a conceited person. He shows that he doesn’t understand anything. Rather, he has an unhealthy desire to argue and quarrel about words. This produces jealousy, rivalry, cursing, suspicion,
- Isaiah 29:13The Lord says, “These people worship me with their mouths and honor me with their lips. But their hearts are far from me, and their worship of me is ⌞based on⌟ rules made by humans.
- Jeremiah 8:8“ ‘How can you say that you are wise and that you have the Lord’s teachings? The scribes have used their pens to turn these teachings into lies.
- Matthew 15:14Leave them alone! They are blind leaders. When one blind person leads another, both will fall into the same pit.”
- Matthew 21:27So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.” Jesus told them, “Then I won’t tell you why I have the right to do these things.
- Matthew 23:16“How horrible it will be for you, you blind guides! You say, ‘To swear an oath by the temple doesn’t mean a thing. But to swear an oath by the gold in the temple means a person must keep his oath.’
- John 3:9Nicodemus replied, “How can that be?”
- John 9:40Some Pharisees who were with Jesus heard this. So they asked him, “Do you think we’re blind?”
- Romans 1:22While claiming to be wise, they became fools.
- 2 Timothy 3:7These women are always studying but are never able to recognize the truth.
- 2 Peter 2:12These false teachers insult what they don’t understand. They are like animals, which are creatures of instinct that are born to be caught and killed. So they will be destroyed like animals
Commentaries on 1 Timothy 1:7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7Teachers of the law - To be esteemed or celebrated as rabbins; to be reputed cunning in solving knotty questions and enigmas, which answered no end to true religion. Of such the rabbinical teaching was full. Understanding neither what they say - This is evident from almost all the Jewish comments which yet remain. Things are asserted which are either false or dubious; words, the import of which they did not understand, were brought to illustrate them: so…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7Desiring to be teachers of the law - That is, to have the credit and reputation of being well versed in the law of Moses, and qualified to explain it to others. This was a high honor among the Jews, and these teachers laid claim to the same distinction. Understanding neither what they say - That is, they do not understand the true nature and design of that law which they attempt to explain to others. This was true of the Jewish teachers, and equally so of…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 5-11Verses 5-11 Whatever tends to weaken love to God, or love to the brethren, tends to defeat the end of the commandment. The design of the gospel is answered, when sinners, through repentance towards God and faith in Jesus Christ, are brought to exercise Christian love. And as believers were righteous persons in God's appointed way, the law was not against them. But unless we are made righteous by faith in Christ, really repenting and forsaking sin, we are…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7They wanted to teach the law of Moses, but this desire showed the irony of their thoughts in contrast to their actions. They did not interpret the law very well according to the good news about Jesus. They neither understood nor followed the law (see 1:8–11).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 77. Sample of their "vain talk" (1Ti 1:6). Desiring--They are would-be teachers, not really so. the law--the Jewish law (Tit 1:14; 3:9). The Judaizers here meant seem to be distinct from those impugned in the Epistles to the Galatians and Romans, who made the works of the law necessary to justification in opposition to Gospel grace. The Judaizers here meant corrupted the law with "fables," which they pretended to found on it, subversive of morals as well…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Timothy 1:7
In the dictionaries
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
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