1 Timothy 5:4

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.
• English Standard Version (ESV)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.
• 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.

Context of 1 Timothy 5:4

2older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters – with complete purity. 3Honor widows who are truly in need. But if a widow has children or grandchildren, they should first learn to fulfill their duty toward their own household and so repay their parents what is owed them. For this is what pleases God. 5But the widow who is truly in need, and completely on her own, has set her hope on God and continues in her pleas and prayers night and day. 6But the one who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives.

1 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. He led Israel for eight years.
• Job 18:19He has neither children nor descendants among his people, no survivor in those places he once stayed.
• Isaiah 14:22“I will rise up against them,” says the Lord who commands armies. “I will blot out all remembrance of Babylon and destroy all her people, including the offspring she produces,” says the Lord.
• 1 Samuel 22:3Then David went from there to Mizpah in Moab, where he said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and mother stay with you until I know what God is going to do for me.”
• Proverbs 31:28Her children rise up and call her blessed, her husband also praises her:
• Luke 2:51Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. But his mother kept all these things in her heart.
• John 19:26So when Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing there, he said to his mother, “Woman, look, here is your son!”
• Matthew 15:4For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Whoever insults his father or mother must be put to death.’
• Mark 7:11But you say that if anyone tells his father or mother, ‘Whatever help you would have received from me is corban’ (that is, a gift for God),
• Genesis 45:10You will live in the land of Goshen, and you will be near me – you, your children, your grandchildren, your flocks, your herds, and everything you have.
• Genesis 47:12Joseph also provided food for his father, his brothers, and all his father’s household, according to the number of their little children.
• Ruth 2:2One day Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the fields so I can gather grain behind whoever permits me to do so.” Naomi replied, “You may go, my daughter.”
• Ephesians 6:1Children, obey your parents in the Lord for this is right.
• 1 Timothy 2:3Such prayer for all is good and welcomed before 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

• Commandments
• Minister, Christian
• Widow
• Women

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Beforehand
• Deny
• Guide
• Marry
• Piety
• Reproachfully
• Requite
• Reward

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